THE INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL 

 1926 



The International Ice Patrol for the season of 1926 was carried on 

 by the United States Coast Guard cutters Tampa and Modoc; the 

 former was in command of Commander H. G. Fisher, and the latter 

 was in command of Commander H. H. Wolf. The Coast Guard 

 cutter Mojave was designated as the stand-by vessel. Lieut. Com- 

 mander Edward H. Smith, was detailed to assist and advise the 

 commanding officers while on patrol. 



As in former years the object of the patrol was to locate by scout- 

 ing, and radio information, the icebergs and ice fields nearest to and 

 menacing the North Atlantic lane routes. In doing this it was 

 necessary to determine the southerly, easterly, and westerly limits of 

 the ice and to keep in touch with it as it moved southward. Radio 

 broadcasts were sent out twice daily giving the whereabouts of this 

 ice and particularly that which was in the immediate vicinity of the 

 North Atlantic lane routes. In order that an intelligent service 

 of the highest degree be rendered to shipping, an oceanographic 

 program was laid down the results of which, it was hoped, would 

 furnish the vessel on patrol with a practical up-to-date current 

 map of the critical, infested ice area under surveillance. The oceano- 

 graphic work being supportative and secondary in importance was 

 so arranged that it would not hamper the patrol in its primary 

 duty of ice scouting. 



A scientific program from which conclusions of practical value may 

 be drawn is an established policy of the ice patrol. The work carried 

 out in 1926 progressed along two general lines: 



(a) Sonic depth recorder experimentation. The ice patrol was 

 equipped with one sonic depth recorder in 1925 in order that experi- 

 mental tests be carried out which might lead to the design of a prac- 

 tical device for determining the proximity of bergs not visible because 

 of fog, snow, or darkness. It was found impossible to continue 

 with this phase of the sonic work in 1926, but about 450 hydro- 

 graphical soundings were taken in order that an accurate and au- 

 thenic map of the ice regions around the Grand Banks may ulti- 

 mately result. (See pp. 49 to 52.) 



(6) Oceanographic work: If the patrol had knowledge of the drift 

 tracks which bergs would follow after arrival at the Tail of the Grand 



(1) 



