missed, which drifted south to Latitude 43°45' N., to menace track C, 

 the United States-European track in force. The increased How of the 

 Labrador Current as evidenced by the ice movement was borne out 

 by the lower surface temperatures observed and reported all along 

 the eastern edge of the Banks southward around the Tail and then 

 west to longitude 51° W. Although the port of St. John's, New- 

 foundland, was open the entire cruise, heavy ice was east of that 

 port, well off shore all during the period, and one vessel was beset 

 on March 16, in latitude 47°35' N., longitude 51°45' W. She was 

 assisted by the Northern Ranger of St. John's. 



Before the end of the second observation cruise it was apparent that 

 a continuous patrol would be necessary, so the Pontchartrain was 

 ordered out and relieved the Tahoe of ice observation on March 22, 

 and began the third cruise, March 22 to April 5. Soon after the com- 

 mencement of this cruise ice conditions rendered tracks C and D 

 unsafe at night or during fog, so, upon recommendation of the com- 

 mander, International Ice Patrol Force, ice patrol was inaugurated 

 for the season on March 24 and United States-European traffic was 

 shifted to track B (southern) at 0900, March 26, 1938. This shift to 

 track B was over 2 weeks earlier than usual. With the breaking up 

 of the large areas of field ice on the eastern edge of the Banks, men- 

 tioned above, the bergs and growlers contained in these fields were 

 released to drift southward and menace tlie steamer tracks then in use. 

 There was a singular absence of any large bergs during this cruise. 

 Not one of the majestic and menacing sentinels of the North Atlantic 

 had yet been seen. Two obvious hypotheses are possible. One, 

 that winter conditions in Baffin Bay and along the Labrador coast 

 were such as to favor the destruction of this year's crop of bergs 

 and the other, that the bergs had simply not yet arrived. The latter 

 proved to be the case. The lack of bergs could by no means be 

 attributed to any failure of the Labrador Current to provide a means 

 of transportation. The increased flow of this Arctic Current, men- 

 tioned above, continued and the resulting ice movement and surface 

 temperatures attested its continuing vitality. The current averaged 

 approximately 0.8 knot between latitudes 45° N. and 43° N., and 

 temperatures indicated that it was 40 miles wide in latitudes 43° N. 

 and 43°30' N., 30 miles wide in latitude 44°20' N. and 20 miles wide 

 in latitude 45° N. (See fig. 37.) This is a normal situation and in 

 other years has brought many large bergs south into the steamer lanes. 



Only one report of ice from the Gulf of St. Lawrence was received 

 during this patrol and that was heavy rafted pan ice in all directions 

 from St. Paul Island, with some open water to the eastward. This 

 route was still closed. Passage north of Sable Island was safe by 

 April 1, but this was of little assistance as vessels had to pass south 

 of the Tail of the Banks because of ice conditions on the eastern 



