North Atlantic Track Agreement track E or any of the tracks 

 farther south. 



The next aerial observation to be attempted was on the 17th, but 

 the flight was recalled shortly after departure because of deteri- 

 orating terminal weather conditions. Coverage was limited to the 

 area along the Avalon Peninsula and the only field ice sighted was 

 a small string of sludge about 22 miles east-northeast of St. Johns. 



Several large heavy pans, the first heavy ice to be observed any- 

 where in the Grand Banks area since February, were noted scat- 

 tered within and in the vicinity of this string. On 19 April, two 

 planes departed from Argentia to observe an intended area extend- 

 ing from the coast to about 150 miles east-northeast from Cape St. 

 Francis and north past the 50th parallel, but both flights were 

 recalled before completion of the proposed survey because of men- 

 acing terminal weather. Before returning to Argentia, however, a 

 suflficient area had been observed to outline the prevailing conditions 

 regarding field ice. The lighter sludge and winter ice that previously 

 had been observed in the area off the coast had been supplanted by 

 ice containing numerous very heavy pieces and rafted and hum- 

 mocky cakes, especially in the outer part of the field. This field ex- 

 tended southeast past Fogo as a belt about 80 to 90 miles wide, then 

 narrowed slightly and ended at a point about 40 miles east of Cape 

 Freels. The inner edge cleared both Cape Freels and Fogo Island 

 by more than 15 miles. Five loose narrow strings of heavy pieces 

 extended east-southeastward from the southeastern end of the main 

 field for at least 30 miles. Other patches and strings of lighter ice, 

 apparently remnants of the previous field, were scattered almost 

 as far southward as Cape Bonavista and as much as 110 miles east 

 of that cape. One tiny isolated patch of sludge sighted at 48°30' N., 

 50°48' W., and a small narrow string ending at 48°23' N., 52°05' W., 

 were apparently the only areas of field ice remaining south of the 

 latitude of Cape Bonavista. 



Between the 19th and the 23d the field moved southeastward 

 about 100 miles reaching a southeastern extremity just seaward of i^ 

 the 100-fathom (iurve in the vicinity of 48°30' N., 50°10' W. The I' 

 southern edge followed the 100-fathom curve west to 51°40' W., and ' 

 then curved northwestward to pass about 25 miles northeast of ' 

 Cape Bonavista to the vicinity of Funk Island. The field which was - 

 about 60 miles wide at Funk Island narrowed south of 49°30' N., 

 to 40 miles or less and continued at approximately that width to the ' 

 southeastern limit. The reconnaissance of the 23d, employing two ' ' 

 planes, covered the northeastern and northern slopes of the Grand '' 

 Banks and a 150-mile area east-northeastward off the coast north- 1^ 

 ward to Cape Freels. No remnants of the patches and strings sighted '' 

 on the 19th could be observed, nor was any field ice sighted south H 

 or southeast of the main field. The southeastward drift of the ice 



16 



