European traffic subject to the North Atlantic Track Agreement, 

 instead of shifting southward to track B on 11 April as in an 

 ordinary year, remain on track C until further notice. Probably 

 to avoid confusion in the minds of ship personnel, neither recom- 

 mendation was carried out by the North Atlantic Track Agreement, 

 although thanks were expressed for the suggestions. 



ICE CONDITIONS IN 1947 



JANUARY 



The first report of ice in the Grand Banks area was on the 16th 

 when a large and a small berg were reported in the vicinity of 

 45°56' N., 46°43' W. A small berg was reported on the 17th at 

 46°10' N., 46°35' W., a position about 15 miles north-northeast of 

 those reported on the 16th. These were the only bergs reported 

 during the month and are believed to have been the only bergs 

 drifting into the area during January. 



Field ice, composed mostly of local winter, slob and slush ice, 

 but containing heavier arctic ice near the outer edge, reached south- 

 ward over the northern edge of the Grand Banks by late January. 

 The first reports of this ice were received from the U. S. Coast 

 Guard Cutters Spencer, Ingham, and Evergreen. The Spencer and 

 Ingham encountered the outer portion of the field while enroute 

 to weather stations on the 27th and 28th and the Evergreen navi- 

 gated through the field ice on a direct course to Cape Race fromf 

 southwestern Greenland. The outer limits of this field cannot be 

 accurately defined from the reports of these vessels, but on the ^ 

 basis of these reports and aerial reconnaissance that was carried 

 out early in February, it is estimated that the southeastern extreme 

 was in the vicinity of 47°30' N., 47°20' W. Light slush ice bordered 

 the southern edge of the field ice and in the area between 15 and 70 ' 

 miles east of the Avalon Peninsula the field of slush spread south 

 ward to the 47th parallel. 



No reports were received during January of the limits or move- 

 ment of the field ice from the Gulf of St. Lawrence outward through 

 Cabot Strait, but on the basis of the first aerial observation of that 

 area on the 4th of February, it is considered probable that this 

 field had emerged through Cabot Strait soon after mid-January 

 and had spread southeastward to the latitude of Flint Island by the 

 end of the month. 



fEBRUARY 



Aerial reconnaissance was undertaken over the Grand Banks 

 area on the 3d and again on the 5th of February. These two flight 

 covered the area over the northern edge of the Grand Banks and 

 the area eastward of the Banks past Flemish Cap. No bergs or 

 growlers were observed, but unfortunately weather conditions did 



