/#^r^ 





-sit 



■X ' 



INTRODUCTION " 



The Coast Guard cutters Mendota and Pontchartrain and the 125- 

 foot patrol boat General Greene were assigned the duty, during the ice 

 season 1934, of carrying on the international service of ice observation 

 and ice patrol provided for by the International Convention for the 

 Safety of Life at Sea, London, 1929. The Mendota and Pontchartrain 

 carried on the duties of the ice patrol, while the General Greene was 

 ice observation and oceanographic vessel. Commander W. J. Keester 

 was commander. International Ice Patrol and Ice Observation Service, 

 and, in addition, commanding officer of the Mendota. The Pont- 

 chartrain was under the command of Commander J. F. Farley. 

 Lt. R. M. Hoyle was ice-observation officer and remained at sea with 

 two assistants during the entire patrol season. Boatswain A. L. 

 Cunningham was commanding officer of the General Greene during 

 the regular patrol season while during the northern post-season 

 cruise Lt. R. M. Hoyle was in command. Mr. Floyd M. Soule, 

 senior physical oceanographer, was in charge of the oceanographic 

 observations on the General Greene. 



The General Greene sailed from Boston, Mass., on April 2, 1934, to 

 make a survey of the ice conditions in the regions of the Grand 

 Banks. She was joined in the ice-observation service by the cutter 

 Mendota on April 15, 1934. As vessels using the Canadian steamship 

 lanes had reported numerous icebergs just north of latitude 45°, of 

 which many were in excellent positions to continue to drift southward, 

 the international service of ice patrol was inaugurated on April 17, 

 1934. The Pontchartrain relieved the Mendota as ice-patrol vessel 

 on April 29, 1934. Thereafter the Mendota and Pontchartrain made 

 alternate cruises in the ice regions of about 15 days each. These 

 two vessels used Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a supply base. The vessel 

 on patrol searched the most critical areas and kept close watch on the 

 drift of the southernmost ice. Vessels sighting icebergs or pack-ice 

 immediately reported the position of the ice to the patrol vessels. 

 Four times each day the ice information was broadcast to shipping 

 and once each day the Hydrographic Office of the Navy was sent 

 the latest ice information. As in former years the cutters collected 

 by radio surface sea-water temperatures from all ships crossing in the 

 vicinity of the Grand Banks. These temperatures were used to 

 draw surface isotherm charts which were helpful in predicting iceberg 

 drifts. 



(V) 



