THE INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL 

 1927 



The international ice patrol for the season of 1927 was carried on 

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

 former was in command of Commander W. H. Munter and the latter 

 was in command of Commander Thomas M. MoUoy. The Coast 

 Guard cutter Mojave, with headquarters at Boston, Mass., was 

 designated the standby vessel. While on patrol, the Tampa and 

 Modoc based temporarily at Halifax, Nova Scotia, the two vessels 

 making alternate cruises of about 15 days in the ice regions, and the 

 15 days being exclusive of the time occupied in going to and from the 

 base. Commander Munter was the commander of the ice patrol, 

 and Lieutenant Commander Edward H. Smith was detailed to assist 

 and advise the commanding officers while they were in the ice regions 

 and to compile data and information for the annual report. 



The duties and scientific work carried on by the ice patrol were, in 

 general, similar to the practice of the previous season. The primary 

 object of the patrol was to locate by scouting, and radio information, 

 the icebergs and ice fields nearest to, and menacing, the North 

 Atlantic lane routes, and to determine the southerly, easterly, and 

 westerly limits of the ice and to keep in touch with it as it moved 

 southward. Radio broadcast were sent out four times daily giving 

 the whereabouts of this ice and particularly that which was in the 

 immediate vicinity of the North Atlantic lane routes, and ice informa- 

 tion was furnished by radio at any time to any ship with which the 

 patrol vessel could communicate. In order that an intelligent service 

 of the highest order be rendered to shipping, an oceanographic pro- 

 gram was carried out to afford the vessel on patrol with a practical, 

 up-to-date current map of the critical, infested ice area under surveil- 

 lance, and scientific studies and observations made bearing upon ice 

 conditions and ice movements. The oceanographic and scientific 

 work being supportive, and secondary in importance, was so arranged 

 that it would not hamper the ice patrol in its primary function of ice 

 scouting. 



The Tampa inaugurated the patrol on March 22 and from that 

 date until June 25 there was either that vessel or the Modoc continu- 

 ously on guard in the ice regions. 



Beside the ice-patrol service, the safety of shipping is further 

 guaranteed by mutually agreed upon steamship tracks past the ice 

 regions, prescribed by the North Atlantic track agreement. They 



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