destruction of bergs in the Xotre Dame Bay area of Xewfoundland 

 during tiie niid-1920's. His method had not been previously attempt- 

 ed by Ice Patrol as it reciuired the boarchng of an iceberg, a very 

 (lang(n'ous operation in the ice patrol area, in 1959/ a project was 

 undertaken using tiiei'mite incendiary bombs dropped from an aircraft. 

 Although the airih'ops were successful insofar as the feasibility of aii- 

 craft operations and the nund:)er of hits scored, the designed spread 

 of the incendiary clusters prevented a concentration for the ])oint 

 source of iieat I'ccpiired in the tiieoi-y of the "iheriiial shock" fracturing 

 of icebergs. 



For the 1900 project, forty, 28-pound, THl, MlA2 charges of 

 tliermite were obtained for planting in the icebergs. It was felt that 

 before any further bombing experiments could be attempted, the work 

 of Professor Barnes had to be reevaluated. To this end, an ice drill, 

 exposure suits, cram])-ons and ice axes were also procured. The plan 

 was to board one or more iceljergs and plant in succession, 7, 13, and 

 20 charges for the o (U'tonations on a berg outside Canadian territorial 

 waters. However, the wholehearted approval and cooperation of the 

 Canadian authorities, including the personal approval of Premier 

 J. R. Smallwood of Xewfoundland nuide possible the choosing of a 

 berg in one of the sheltered bays in Newfoundland. Thus two ice- 

 bergs, located in Bonavista Bay were selected for the experiment. 



On 8 June, a I'.S. Xaval Station, Argentia, Newfoundland, HUS 

 helicopter with 1^1. John Steinbacher, USCG,as pilot, rendezvoused 

 with Ice Patrol's oceanograjjliic vessel, the USCGC Even/reen 

 in Bonavista Bay. Lt . ( 'omdr. R. P. Dinsmore, the project officer, 

 and his assistants set up a beach camp near Swale's Inlet which was 

 just a short distance from a snudl tabular iceberg. Immediate steps 

 were taken to set oflf the first detonation of 196 pounds of thermite. 



The boarding party, consisting of at least tlu'ee persons at all 

 times, proceeded to the berg in a rubber raft. Figure 21a shows the 

 first mendDcr of the party boarding the berg. You will note that a 

 protruding ice shelf has calved just behind tlie boarder. This is a 

 vivid illustration of the dangers involved in going aboard an iceberg. 

 After the party got aboard, tlu'ee holes were juade for the charges 

 with a gasoline powered drill. It required about 45 minutes to drill 

 eacli hole and all drilling was accompanied by loud cracking noises 

 within the ice. 



Fn order to detonate the charges it became necessary to run a 

 detonation cable to the Erer(jre(ni' ^ 115-volt ship's service suppl}" 

 inasnuich as a hand ]>lasting machine failed to ignite them. Figure 

 21b shows the first explosion. This type of reaction is peculiar to a 

 detoiuition of thermite in ice. The production of molten iron at a 

 teni|)(Matui-e of over 4,000° F. pi'oduces steam and gasses so rapidly 

 that a shower of molten iron is scattered ovei' a radius of 100 yards. 



' Iccbcrs Dt'iiiolition Kx|)criincnls, 19.59, Cciast Guard Bulletin No. 4,'), sca.soii oT 19.59. 



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