INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL 1955 



The International Ice Observation and Ice Patrol Service for 1955 

 was performed by the U. S. Coast Guard in accordance with the 

 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1948, and the 

 U. S. Code, Title 46, Sections 738-738d. As in previous years the 

 major purpose of this service was to protect shipping from the danger 

 of drifting ice in the vicinity of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. 

 To that end ice information was collected from all available sources, 

 including own forces, evaluated and disseminated to mariners by 

 radio. In addition, the scientific program dealing with the factors 

 influencing the distribution and drift of ice in the North Atlantic 

 Ocean was continued. 



The facilities available to Commander, International Ice Patrol, 

 Cajjtain K. S. Davis, USCG, for the duration of the ice season con- 

 sisted of a staff of 3 officers and 13 enlisted men; radio and landline 

 communication facilities and office space at the U. S. Naval Station, 

 Argentia, Newfoundland: reconnaissance aircraft support provided by 

 the U. S. Coast Guard Air Detachment at Argentia; two patrol 

 cutters, USCGC Androscoggin and USCGC Acushnet; and an ocean- 

 ograj)hic survey vessel, USCGC Evergreen. For the fifth consecutive 

 year the efficiency of the aerial ice reconnaissance performed by the 

 International Ice Patrol and the distribution of ice in the Grand Banks 

 area made it unnecessary to have a surface patrol. The two patrol 

 cutters remained in a standby status in the United States throughout 

 the ice season. 



Commander, International Ice Patrol and his staff" arrived at 

 Argentia 24 February to organize the ice patrol office. By means of 

 the preseason aerial ice reconnaissance carried out by the U. S. Coast 

 Guard Air Detachment at Argentia, the ice situation at that time 

 was known to be favorable; the Grand Banks area was free of bergs, 

 and there was no field ice south of the latitude of Baccalieu Island. 

 The first of the 60 ice observation flights made diu'ing the season was 

 flown on 27 February. Radio broadcast of twice daily ice bulletins 

 to mariners was commenced on 7 March. These ice bulletins were 

 also sent over the teletype net to the U. S. Navy Hydrographic Office, 

 Washington, D. C, the Canadian Department of Transport, Halifax, 

 N. S. and the Royal Canadian Navy Radio Station at Albro Lake, 

 N. S. for inclusion in the ice information disseminated by those 

 agencies. 



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