36 ^ 



national Ice Patrol. At 1332 the commanding officer returned and 

 Lt. G. Van A. Graves, ice observation oflBcer, reported aboard and at 

 1345, May 9, 1937, the Mendota relieved the Champlain as ice patrol 

 vessel. Course was set to the eastward and a rendezvous arranged 

 with the General Greene wliich was met at 0610, May 10, and a current 

 map of the critical area was delivered. The General Greene departed 

 for St. John's, Newfoundland, at 0650. 



During the remainder of that day and May 1 1 the Mendota steamed 

 slowly eastward across the Grand Banks to begin a search for ice, 

 arriving there the evening of May 11. On May 12 the Mendota 

 drifted the entire day in dense fog. On May 13, however, with good 

 visibility, the Mendota scouted southward along the eastern edge of 

 the Banks from latitude 44°45' N., around the Tail and westward 

 until fog was encountered in longitude 50°27' W. The Mendota ran 

 southeastward to escape the fog and scouted eastward, 20 miles out- 

 side the westward course, until dark. Fog prevented scouting the next 

 morning, but in the afternoon the search was continued northward out- 

 side the previous day's run. On May 15 and 16 the cold current, as 

 shown on the current chart just delivered, was thoroughly searched to 

 latitude 47°30' N. In the afternoon of May 16, the Mendota scouted 

 southwestward from the 100-fathom curve between tracks E and F 

 as far west as longitude 50°30' W. No ice was sighted in all this 

 area. (See fig. 31.) Fog prevented further scouting during the 

 next 5 days, May 17 to 21. 



On the evening of May 21, at 2157, the Mendota set course for Saint 

 Jolm's, Newfoundland, to hospitalize a seaman suffering from acute 

 appendicitis, arriving there at 1134, May 23, 1937. The entire trip 

 and the approach to the harbour was made in dense fog. While in 

 port necessary repairs to the main condenser were accomplished^ 

 requiring about 4 hours. Thick fog in the harbour and harbour en- 

 trance prevented sailing that night prior to the evening broadcasts, so 

 permission was obtained from the local authorities to open up our 

 transmitters for the broadcasts. The Mendota departed Saint 

 Jolm's, Newfoundland, at 0600, May 23, 1937. VisibiHty was just 

 good enough to negotiate the Narrows and dense fog shut in immed- 

 iately on clearing the harbour. Course was down the coast and fog: 

 cleared at 1120 and the Mendota headed for the relieving point. Two • 

 bergs were sighted this day in the following positions: latitude 46°45' 

 N., longitude 52°31' W., and latitude 46°20' N., longitude 52°38' W. 



The Champlain was met in latitude 44°36' N., longitude 56°33' W. 

 A boat was lowered and Lt. G. Van A. Graves, ice observation officer, 

 and the observer's party were ti-ansferred to the Champlain and at 

 1700, May 24, 1937, the Champlain relieved this vessel as ice patrol 

 vessel. The Mendota headed westward toward Halifax, Nova 

 Scotia, arriving there at 1543, May 25, 1937. 



