Commander, International Ice Patrol, and staff moved to U.S. 

 Naval Station, Argentia, Newfoundland, on 4 March and commenced 

 providing full services of the International Ice Patrol on 6 March, 

 including aerial ice reconnaissance, twice-daily ice broadcasts to 

 shipping by NIK, and the transmission of twice-daily ice bulletins 

 to U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, Washington, D.C., and others 

 for further dissemination. At this time, young sea ice had just 

 invaded the northern Grand Banks to eastern limits at 48° W. and 

 southern limits along 47°10' N. There were no known bergs south 

 of 49° N. and only a few estimated farther north as far as Hamilton 

 Inlet. Throughout March strong northwesterly circulation with 

 attendant colder than normal temperatures dominated the area, 

 maintaining rather constant sea ice limits and driving the few bergs 

 from along the Labrador coast toward the Grand Banks at a rate of 

 about 20 miles per day. It is very fortunate indeed that the available 

 supply of bergs w^as extremely limited, for if the usual or average 

 amount of bergs were available between the Grand Banks and Labra- 

 dor coast for this time of year, an extensive and heavy berg threat 

 would have developed on the Grand Banks and vicinity, especially 

 with the existing below-normal surface water temperatures. 



On the basis of flights on 13 and 14 March, there were approxi- 

 mately 50 bergs south of Hamilton Inlet. These bergs began arriving 

 on the northern Grand Banks about the 20th of the month and con- 

 tinued intermittently until mid- April. The first 35-or-so bergs were 

 for the most part small and badly eroded, with about half of them 

 deteriorating before they were able to cross 48° N. Of the 35 bergs, 

 one was very large and six were medium sized. The large berg was 

 first sighted aground on 23 March near 48°30' N.,52°W., with an 

 estimated height of 225 feet and length of 600 feet. It was sub- 

 sequently sighted and reported several times as it alternately grounded 

 and drifted along the 100-fathom curve in the Labrador Current out 

 to sea. 



The weather pattern abruptly changed in April, with onshore north- 

 easterly winds predominating over the entire area from the northern 

 Grand Banks well up the Labrador coast. The type of iceberg season 

 for the Grand Banks was now quite well identified. The estimated 

 15 stragglers, which had arrived off the Newfoundland coast just 

 north of the Grand Banks about 10 April, were driven aground along 

 the coast or into the bays from Fogo Island to Cape Broyle. These 

 bergs lasted much longer in the colder coastal waters than those 

 which had been driven out to sea shortly before. Undoubtedly the 

 many bergs estimated between 53°30' N. and 55° N. in early April 

 were driven aground, delaying their transport to the south in the 

 Labrador Current. It now appeared that the main threat to the 

 major transatlantic shipping lanes for 1963 existed in the form of the 

 one large berg and six medium-sized bergs previously mentioned. The 



