INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL, 1974 



The 1974 International Ice Service in the 

 North Atlantic Ocean was conducted by the 

 United States Coast Guard under the provisions 

 of Title 46, United States Code, Section 738, 738a 

 through 738d, and the International Convention 

 for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1960, Regulations 

 5 through 8. The International Ice Patrol is a 

 service for observing and disseminating infor- 

 mation on ice conditions in the Grand Banks 

 Region of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. During 

 the ice season, the southern and southwestern 

 limits of the regions of icebergs in the vicinity of 

 the Grand Banks of Newfoundland are guarded 

 for the purpose of informing passing ships of 

 the extent of this dangerous region. The Inter- 

 national Ice Patrol also studies ice conditions in 

 general, with emphasis on the formation, drift 

 and deterioration of iceberges, and assists ships 

 and personnel requiring aid within the limits of 

 operation of the Ice Patrol forces. 



The International Ice Patrol is directed from 

 the Ice Patrol Office located on Governors Island, 

 New York. The Ice Patrol Office gathers ice and 

 environmental data from various sources, main- 

 tains an ice plot, forecasts ice conditions, pre- 

 pares the twice-daily Ice Bulletin, replies to 

 requests for special ice information, and executes 

 operational control of the Aerial Ice Reconnais- 

 sance Detachment, the Ice Patrol Oceanographic 

 cutter and the Surface Patrol cutter when as- 

 signed. 



Vice Admiral Benjamin F. ENGEL, U.S. 

 Coast Guard, was Commander, International Ice 

 Patrol until July 1, 1974. After this date Vice 

 Admiral William F. REA III, U.S. Coast Guard 

 held this responsibility. Commander Albert D. 

 SUPER, U.S. Coast Guard, was directly respon- 

 sible for the management of the Patrol during 

 the entire season. 



Preseason flights were made in January, Feb- 

 ruary and March, 1974. The Aerial Ice Recon- 

 naissance Detachment was deployed to St. John's, 

 Newfoundland on March 25 and returned to the 

 United States on July 30, 1974. Several recon- 

 naissance flights of opportunity were conducted 

 in August in conjunction with other missions to 



determine final melt of bergs and season termina- 

 tion. This was the first time Ice Patrol utilized 

 St. John's for its base of operations almost exclu- 

 sively. Although the cost of both accommoda- 

 tions and aircraft fuel were higher then previous 

 years' operations from Canadian Forces Base 

 Summerside, Prince Edward Island, the reduced 

 aircraft enroute time to the vicinity of the re- 

 connaissance area resulted in a reduction in the 

 amount of fuel required by the aircraft. Effec- 

 tive search duration on-scene was also enhanced. 



The 1974 Ice Season officially commenced at 

 0000 GMT, March 21, when the first Ice Bulletin 

 was issued, and continued until the final Bulletin 

 was issued at 1200 GMT, August 13, 1974. The 

 twice-daily Ice Bulletins were broadcast by the 

 International Ice Patrol Communications Station 

 Boston/NIK, U.S. Naval Radio Station Norfolk/ 

 NAM, Canadian Maritime Command Radio 

 Station Mill Cove/CFH, and Canadian Coastal 

 Radio Station St. John's/VON. A radiofac- 

 simile ice chart was broadcast from Boston/NIK 

 once each day . Iceberg information was also 

 included on the regularly scheduled radiofac- 

 simile broadcasts of Fleet Weather Central 

 Norfolk/NFAX, CANMARCOM/CFH, Radio 

 Bracknell/GFE, Radio Hamburg/DGC and 

 Radio Pinneburg/DGN. 



The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter EVERGREEN, 

 commanded by Commander Martin J. MOYNI- 

 HAN, U.S. Coast Guard, conducted oceano- 

 graphic and research cruises for the Ice Patrol 

 from April 4 to May 9, and from June 4 to July 

 9. During these cruises, EVERGREEN occu- 

 pied oceanographic stations along select Ice 

 Patrol standard sections, made iceberg tagging 

 and drift observations, took anchored current 

 meter stations and evaluated expendable surface 

 current probes. Approximately two days of the 

 second cruise were devoted to iceberg reconnais- 

 sance for the southernmost bergs while enroute 

 to her home port. With the iceberg concentra- 

 tions south of 46° N relatively sparce, a Surface 

 Patrol was not required this year. 



During the 1974 Season an estimated 1386 ice- 

 bergs drifted south of 48° N, the second heaviest 

 season in Ice Patrol history. 



