of Belle Isle. The only ice remaining was some loosely scattered ice 



in the western portion of Northumberland Strait which persisted 



until 24 April. 



tAAY 



With the disintegration of the pack ice as far north as Cape Freels 

 by the end of April, some bergs close along the coast were free to 

 drift slowly south along the east coast of Newfoundland. This move- 

 ment began in early May and continued throughout the month. 

 Some bergs drifted south to Cape Race, Newfoundland, where they 

 disintegrated, 2 bergs drifted just past Cape Race and south of 

 46°00' N., and 1 berg rounded Cape Race and grounded in Trepassey 

 Bay. 



In early May the pack ice was practically nonexistent as far north 

 as 54°30' N., although loosely scattered strings and patches of field 

 ice extended as far seaward as 150 miles north of 52°00' N. Numerous 

 bergs and growlers were sighted within 75 miles of the coast from 

 Belle Isle to Hamilton Inlet, Labrador. A total of eight bergs were 

 sighted between 51°00' N., and 52°00' N., in a position to drift south 

 and perhaps become potential menaces to shipping. Only two of 

 these bergs did drift south however. They advanced at a rate of 

 about 10 miles per day to a position ofl" the northeast slope of the 

 Banks. The same fate, however, befell these bergs as a few others 

 before them, for neither managed to remain in the Labrador Current 

 for the trip south along the east slope of»the Banks. One berg was 

 last reported 18 May as a small berg in a position to the southwest 

 of the Labrador Current near 48°00' N., 50°00' W., where it melted 

 within 3 days. The other berg was a large tabular berg and seemed 

 headed for and able to survive the trip south to the shipping lanes. 

 As late as 21 May the berg was sighted on the northeast slope of the 

 Banks where the oceanographic surveys in the earlier part of May 

 and the latter part of May showed an easterly flow of the Labrador 

 Current. However, the berg was sighted 2 days later about 15 miles 

 to the west-northwest and consequently sightings and reportings 

 showed a westerly drift until the end of the month. There were no 

 other known offshore bergs south of 51°00' N., at the end of May. 



By the end of May all the bergs that had drifted south of Cape 

 St. Francis along the east coast of Avalon Peninsula had disintegrated 

 except for one small berg aground near Cape Broyle. There were 

 still many bergs in the bays and close along shore to the north, but 

 these bergs could never be threats to the United States-European 

 shipping lanes, and it was very doubtful that they could even threaten 

 track F. It was simply a matter of time until the bergs melted. 



The Strait of Belle Isle and track G to eastward were clear of all ice 

 except scattered bergs and growlers by 12 May, although it is believed 

 that the strait was navigable at least a week earlier. This is one of 

 the earliest openings of the Strait of Belle Isle on record. (See table 



13 



