U.S.C.G.C. Northwind (WAG-282)
Central Group
Capt. Charles W. Thomas, USCG
Crosby
Cachet
2
DEC 46 |
Departed
Norfolk, VA. |
10
DEC 46 |
Departed
Balboa, Canal Zone. |
30
DEC 46 |
Rendezvoused
with other Central Group ships near Scott Island. |
31
DEC 46 |
CTF
(Commander Task Force) 68 shifted his flag to Northwind and the convoy
headed south along the 180th meridian. |
1
JAN 47 |
Proceeded
south along the 180th meridian breaking passage for the Central Group
ships through the pack ice. |
5
JAN 47 |
Had
to tow USS Sennet back to vicinity of Scott
Island due to damage sustained by this submarine. |
6
JAN 47 |
Rejoined
the Central Group ships and proceeded southwestward to 70°S, 178°W. |
14
JAN 47 |
Reached
open waters of the Ross Sea and CTF 68
shifted his flag back to the USS Mount Olympus. |
15
JAN 47 |
Reached
the Bay of Whales. |
18
JAN 47 |
Completed
breaking out a harbor in the Bay of Whales. |
20
JAN 47 |
Departed
Bay of Whales carrying the first and only outbound mail from the Central
Group ships. |
25
JAN 47 |
Rendezvoused
near Scott Island with USS Philippine Sea,
USS Sennet, USS Brownson and USS
Cacapon. |
27
JAN 47 |
Transferred
mail to the USS Philippine Sea and picked up mail for the Central
Group ships and Little America. |
28
JAN 47 |
At
2400 hours ship was on station in pack ice midway between the Philippine
Sea and Little America acting as rescue and weather station for the
R4D flights through the 30th. |
31
JAN 47 |
Moored
at the Bay of Whales. |
6
FEB 47 |
Escorted
Central Group ships northward through pack ice and CTF 68 shifted
flag to the Northwind. |
8
FEB 47 |
Contacted
USS Burton Island in the south edge of pack
ice. |
11
FEB 47 |
USS
Merrick lost her rudder and was taken in tow by the Northwind. |
13
FEB 47 |
Departed
vicinity of Scott Island with USS Yancey
and USS Merrick in tow. |
22
FEB 47 |
Arrived
New Zealand at Port Chalmers. |
23
FEB 47 |
Set
course for Ross Sea to assist the USS Burton Island if necessary. |
5
MAR 47 |
Rendezvoused
with USS Mount Olympus and USS Burton Island after visiting the Antipodes
to capture penguins. |
7
MAR 47 |
Arrived
Wellington, New Zealand. |
14
MAR 47 |
Departed
Wellington, N.Z. with USS Mount Olympus and USS Burton Island. |
6
APR 47 |
Arrived
at Seattle, Washington. |
Figure
1
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Figure
2
|
Figure
3
|
Figure
4
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Figure
5
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Most USCGC Northwind
covers bear the four-bar hand cancel with serif type letters (figure 1),
although the ship's World War II double-circle branch number (16021) cancel
is found occasionally on early mail (figure 2). The USCGC NORTHWIND
was the only U.S. Coast Guard vessel associated with Operation Highjump
and was the only ice breaker available until the arrival of the USS
BURTON ISLAND in early February, 1947. The Northwind was a
veritable workhorse.
Many covers from this
ship can be found with a three-line rubber stamp return address (figure
3). Much less common, but still known on more than one piece of mail,
would be the 'homemade' hand-stamp 'Mailed At / Little America' (figure
4), presumably made up by one of the crewmembers.
A few covers are known
signed and annotated by the Northwind's commanding officer, Capt. Charles
W. Thomas, USCG (figure 5). Those seen by this writer were canceled on
January 15, 1947, the date of arrival at the Bay of Whales, but other
dates may exist.
The USCGC NORTHWIND
was decommissioned on January 20, 1989, at the Coast Guard Moorings on
Water Street at Wilmington, North Carolina. The USCGC NORTHWIND
was the last of the "Wind" class ice breakers to go out of service.
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