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on 3 February. The first of the regularly scheduled ice bulletins 

 was broadcast at 1318 G. c. t. on 17 March. Four-hourly ship reports 

 were first requested on 15 May, coinciding with the first of four 

 ice observation cruises made by the U. S. C. G. C. Mendota 14-24 

 May, 30 May-21 June, 25 June-10 July, and by the U. S. C. G. C. 

 Spencer 8-26 July. Late in the season a southward scattering of 

 bergs threatened the North Atlantic Track Agreement track C at 

 the time when traffic would have made its seasonal shift from 

 track B to track C on 1 July. Track B w^as therefor retained as the 

 effective United States-European track until it was determined 

 on 13 July that track C was no longer threatened and westbound 

 track C became effective 15 July, eastbound track C being brought 

 into use on 22 July. It was not necessary to inaugurate a continu- 

 ous surface-vessel patrol during 1947 and the activities of Inter- 

 national Ice Patrol were discontinued for the season on 23 July. 

 During the 1947 season. Commodore L. W. Perkins, U. S. C. G., 

 was Commander, International Ice Patrol. The aircraft used for 

 aerial ice reconnaissance were from the Coast Guard Air Facility, 

 Argentia, which was under the command of Lt. Comdr. L. L. Davis, 

 U. S. C. G., until he was relieved by Commander J. R. Henthorn, 

 U. S. C. G., on 7 April, 1947. Ice observation cruises were made 

 by the Mendota, commanded by Commander G. H. Bowerman, 

 U. S. C. G., and the Spencer, under Commander W. P. Hawley, 

 U. S. C. G. The Mojave, commanded by Commander V. F. Tyd- 

 lacka, U. S. C. G., had been prepared for International Ice Patrol 

 duty and brought to Boston to stand by for such duty when needed, 

 but never left the United States and was released to her regular 

 duties on 23 May, when it appeared that she would not be needed 

 for the 1947 ice season. The ice patrol officer was Commander Floyd 

 M. Soule, U. S. C. G. R. Lt. E. R. Challender, U. S. C. G. R., was 

 chief ice observer, Lieutenants (jg) W. V. Kielhorn, U. S. C. G. R., 

 and H. C. Wear Jr., U. S. C. G., were ice observation officers until 

 the former was ordered to inactive duty on 20 May, 1947. 



The shortage of trained personnel and special equipment again 

 prevented the resumption in 1947 of a full-scale oceanographic pro- 

 gram such as was carried out prior to the war. Such a program 

 would have been of great practical assistance on several occasions 

 "] during the season such as, specifically, the search for the berg 

 reported by the S. S. Esso Glasgoiv on 2 June at 40°50' N., 46°42' W., 

 and in more expeditiously relocating the berg whose position was 

 unknown from 25 June when it was sighted by an ice-patrol plane 

 at 43°55' N., 48°58' W., until 6 July, when it was reported by the 

 4S. S. William Wheelwright at 42°28' N., 53°34' W. The ocean- 

 '|]Ographic program will be resumed as soon as practicable. 

 •'1 It is believed that not all ships crossing the area make reports 

 %o NIDK. It is stressed that all ships should report periodically 



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