(120 feet high and 450 feet in length) could have drifted into such shoal 

 water. Originally the underwater body of the berg must have resembled 

 a huge shelf surrounding a central mass of ice which projected above the 

 water. 



By the third week in the month the over-all picture on the Grand 

 Banks was altered somewhat. There were now a number of bergs in 

 position to drift southward in the western branch of the Labrador Cur- 

 rent along the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland. One having already 

 made the journey was reported off Cape Race on the loth. At the same 

 time bergs were reported as far east as the 45th meridian between the 

 45th and 47th parallels and as far east as the 44th meridian between 

 the 47th and 48th parallels. 



In the meantime the over-all berg picture coupled with adverse condi- 

 tions for aerial scouting in the Grand Banks area as a whole necessitated 

 the inauguration of a continuous surface vessel patrol. Therefore at 

 1130 G.t.c. on 14 May a continuous surface vessel patrol was inaugu- 

 rated. On the 18th of the month the ice patrol vessel located a berg at 

 44°30' N., 45°38' W. When located it was drifting to the southeast. 

 By the 20th of the month the berg had deteriorated considerably and was 

 apparently drifting in a small counterclockwise eddy. Although only 

 40 miles to the northwest of westbound track B it had definitely ceased 

 to be a potential threat. By the end of the month, only a few bergs had 

 successfully negotiated the trip southward from the 48th parallel along 

 the slope of the Grand Banks and a similarly small number into the area 

 south of Flemish Cap. One had managed to round the Tail of the Banks. 

 A few were still reported along the Avalon Peninsula from Cape Race to 

 Baccalieu Island. None threatened vessels traveling on the scheduled 

 United States-European track B. 



As the month began, the field ice limits in the St. Lawrence area ran 

 from 5 miles off Cape North to 46°50' N., 59°30' W., and thence to 46°25' 

 N., 58°40' W. On the 10th of the month the Canadian Department of 

 Transport reported scattered strings and patches of field ice as far east 

 as the 59th meridian between 45°50' N., and 47°00' N., with a 10-mile 

 wide shore lead along the east coast of Cape Breton Island. By the 16th 

 of the month only remnants of heavy field ice remained off the east coast 

 of Cape Breton Island between 45°50' N., and 47°00' N. The end of 

 the month saw the St. Lawrence area definitely clear of all field ice. 



To the north a belt of field ice 40 miles wide was reported on the 18th 

 along the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland running northward from 

 the parallel of 50°20' N., and blocking the Strait of Belle Isle. The 

 Strait of Belle Isle was apparently clear westward of the 56th meridian. 



During the month of May it is estimated that 185 l^ergs drifted into the 

 area south of 48° N. Their distribution is shown graphically in figure 5. 



JUNE 



A marked reduction in the number of bergs entering the area south of 



11 



