15 



bow into the forepeak below the water hne as a result of contact with 

 pack ice on March 5, 1939, in latitude 48°10' N., longitude 48°00' W. 



On March 9, the district radio commissioner at Halifax, Nova Scotia, 

 was informed by radio that the Chelan was making an ice observation 

 cruise in the interests of International Ice Patrol and requested that 

 the Canadian radio stations lend the same assistance in the collection 

 and dissemination of ice information as in former years. On March 1 1 

 all vessels were informed of our presence in the ice area by a broadcast 

 on 500 kilocycles, stating our mission and requesting ships to report 

 all ice sighted, sea water temperatures, weather, position, course, and 

 speed every 4 hours. 



The Chelan was unable to do any scouting wliile standing by the 

 S. S. Gro from March 12 to 17, inclusive, however, on the 13th, 15th, 

 and 16th several vessels using tracks C and D, with good visibility, 

 crossed through the critical area from the Tail to latitude 44°18' N. 

 without reporting any ice. At 1127 on March 17, the Tahoe having 

 relieved the Chelan of stand-by duty with the disabled Gro, course was 

 set for latitude 44°00' N., longitude 49°00' W., in order to be in a posi- 

 tion to commence scouting the cold current northward from that point 

 at daybreak the following day. On the 18th and 19th, with limited 

 visibility, the Chelan was able to scout out the cold current from lati- 

 tude 44°00' N., longitude 49°00' W. to latitude 45°40' N., longitude 

 47047/ Yf Broken field ice was encountered from latitude 44°37' N., 

 longitude 48°37' W. to latitude 45°40' N., longitude 47°49' W., and 

 one small growler on the 19th in latitude 45°13' N., longitude 48°24' 

 W. With excellent visibility on the 20th search courses were run from 

 latitude 44°50' N., longitude 48°34' W., along the eastern edge of the 

 ice field, to latitude 47°24' N., longitude 47°13' W. Field ice was 

 continuous along the courses run from latitude 44°50' N., longitude 

 48°37' W. to latitude 45°23' N., longitude 48°33' W., thence north- 

 eastward to latitude 46°44' N., longitude 46° 50' W., and from that 

 point to latitude 47°15' N., longitude 47°00' W. Another field was 

 sighted 13 miles northwest of the laiter position extending northward 

 as far as could be seen. A berg and two gi'owlers were observed in 

 latitude 46°51' N., longitude 46°58' W., and a berg in latitude 47°06' 

 N., longitude 47°05' W. That night the Chelan set course to the 

 southward to be in position to relocate the southernmost ice on the 

 following day. 



On the morning of the 21st, with good visibility, search courses were 

 run in the cold current in vicinity of latitude 45°00' N. and the growler 

 sighted on the 19th was relocated in latitude 44°44' N., longitude 

 48°39' W. Since tliis was the southernmost known ice and a period 

 of low visibility was expected, the Chelan drifted with the growler. 

 During tlie^ afternoon of that day mining operations were conducted 

 in an effort to destroy the growler with only partial success. Reports 



