During the initial phases of the operations in the Greenland Sea, CGC SOUTHWIND’s helicopters provided successful ice reconnaissance and logistic support in marginal flight conditions for the USCGC EDISTO and the USNS MIZAR who were both beset in the ice pack. SOUTHWIND subsequently broke out and escorted both ships from the Arctic ice pack...Despite head winds which exceeded 50 knots and seas which reached over 20 feet, SOUTHWIND assumed the tow of the EDISTO, which was damaged and unable to proceed independently, and escorted her from the pack edge over 1,000 miles to Reykjavik, Iceland where temporary repairs could be made to EDISTO in preparation for the long tow to a repair port in the United States. After successfully reaching Reykjavik and following repairs to EDISTO, SOUTHWIND towed EDISTO an additional 500 miles in the face of storm force winds and extremely high seas until the tow could be transferred to USCGC MORGENTHAU.
The backstory on "USCGC EDISTO and the USNS MIZAR who were both beset in the ice pack", was that EDISTO had been dispatched from Milwaukee, WI to rescue MIZAR which was stuck in the arctic ice pack east of Greenland and north of Iceland. MIZAR's escort cutter SOUTHWIND was having problems that prevented her from freeing MIZAR. So EDISTO transited 4 or the 5 Great Lakes and through the locks into the St. Lawrence River. It was early fall and the weather was good, so it was an enjoyable passage...so far.
The following letter home picks up the story from there. (You can click on a page to see a larger version, then use the back-arrow to return to this page.)
The subsequent trip back from Reykjavik was miserable, taking nearly four weeks. The North Atlantic is October-November can be 'uncomfortable'. For example, icebreakers are round-bottomed so that they cannot be crushed if frozen into an ice pack. In open seas, they roll. For the clapper of the ship's bell to strike, the clapper must move approximately 40 degrees. We heard it ring by itself multiple times on multiple occasions. Sometimes it would strike twice approximately eight seconds apart when we went through a 80+ degree arc. To sleep in our bunks necessitated taking all the clothes out of our lockers to form our mattresses in a "V". To say that the ship's crew was happy to arrive in Curtis, MD was be a gross understatement.
In closing this post, and bearing in mind that during the 1970's the Cold War was very real, I would add that USNS MIZAR was allegedly doing oceanographic research beneath the ice pack. No doubt it was a concern to the "oceanographers" that a Soviet submarine transiting under the ice pack might bump into any highly sensitive sonar equipment MIZAR might just happen be using for said "oceanographic research". Of course, any other explanation of the research is pure speculation on my part. Bond...James Bond.
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| Undated, unsourced picture of EDISTO and MIZAR, perhaps taken from a SOUTHWIND helicopter after the 'incident' |
The following letter home picks up the story from there. (You can click on a page to see a larger version, then use the back-arrow to return to this page.)
In closing this post, and bearing in mind that during the 1970's the Cold War was very real, I would add that USNS MIZAR was allegedly doing oceanographic research beneath the ice pack. No doubt it was a concern to the "oceanographers" that a Soviet submarine transiting under the ice pack might bump into any highly sensitive sonar equipment MIZAR might just happen be using for said "oceanographic research". Of course, any other explanation of the research is pure speculation on my part. Bond...James Bond.
Wow! How neat you have this letter! I have to say, "No thank you" to being on the ship! How many crew were left at the end of you voyage? It seems they all fell ill!
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