wide and 20 feet high. The location of the collision was 5 miles southeast 

 of Cape Broyle, Newfoundland, in clear weather and calm sea. The 

 Lydia Marie suffered damage to stem, bow timbers and caulking but 

 kept flooding under control and proceeded to St. John's for repairs. The 

 master reported that the ship's radar, on the 3-mile scale, had detected 

 numerous bergs and growlers during the day but had failed to show the 

 ice with which collision occurred. It was suggested at the time that the 

 short scale use of radar represented a poor choice. A stationary target on 

 a collision bearing with a ship proceeding at 10 knots will be visible on the 

 scope less than 15 minutes. In good weather the radar often goes unob- 

 served for such periods. 



The tragic loss during the year of the Danish motor vessel Hans Hedtoft 

 with 95 passengers and crew cannot go unobserved. The 2,875 ton cargo- 

 passenger vessel, on its maiden voyage returning from Godthaab, Green- 

 land to Copenhagen, struck an iceberg on 30 January 1959 in position 

 59°05' N. 43°00' W., 40 miles south-southeast of Cape Farewell, Green- 

 land. This ship was proceeding through regions known to be infested with 

 ice year round and was especially constructed for ice navigation and 

 equipped with the latest in electronic devices; yet rescue planes and ships 

 failed to find any trace of the ship or survivors. 



The most fitting memorial to the lives lost on the Hans Hedtoft is an 

 increased vigilance against the menace of ice drifting in the sea. 



SURFACE ICE OBSERVATION AND PATROL 



Ice conditions in 1959 necessitated a return to the use of patrol vessels 

 which had not been required during the operation of the 1958 Ice Patrol. 

 In fact, since 1950 a surface patrol has been employed only once, in 1957. 



Cutters assigned by the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard for 1959 

 standby Ice Patrol duties in 1959 were the USCGC Androscoggin, Comdr. 

 O. R. Smeder, USCG, and USCGC Acushnet, Comdr. H. A. Lynch, USCG. 

 Comdr. A. A. Heckman, USCG, relieved Commander Lynch as com- 

 manding officer of Acushnet on 8 May. The Acushnet assumed 72-hour 

 standby status at home port, Portland, Maine, on 1 March but continued 

 on its regularly assigned duties. The Androscoggin was placed on 72-hour 

 standby on 1 April and continued its normal duties at Miami Beach, Fla. 



The necessity for a surface patrol became apparent by the middle of 

 April when large numbers of bergs overran the eastern slope of the Grand 

 Banks and continued their drift toward Track "B". The assignment of 

 Acushnet was requested by Commander, International Ice Patrol on 15 

 April and that ship departed Portland on the 17th. Acushnet assumed the 

 duties as Ice Patrol Vessel on 20 April when, at position 42°06' N. 49°37' 

 W., it took up the familiar radio call sign NIDK and commenced a search 

 northward up the eastern slope of the Banks. 



The Androscoggin departed Miami Beach on 28 April and effected relief 

 of Acushnet on 1 May. On that date icebergs lav within 40 miles of west 



