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UPDATED: 25 Nov 2005

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THE STATEN ISLAND

The first of the "Wind" class polar icebreaker was launched and christened NORTHWIND on December 28, 1942. Commissioned into service on February 15, 1944, the icebreaker made her shakedown cruise with a joint American-Russian crew. She was transferred to the Soviet Union on February 24, 1944 and was named SEVERINI VETER and served in the Northern Sea Route Command for six years.

The Navy acquired the icebreaker in Bremerhaven, Germany in December 1951 and she was commissioned USS NORTHWIND (AGB-5) on January 31, 1952. Her name was changed to STATEN ISLAND on April 15, 1952 to avoid confusion with the CGC NORTHWIND (WAGB 282).

On July 1, 1952, the STATEN ISLAND departed Boston to conduct ice reconnaissance in Fobisher Bay and remained there until September. In April 1953 the icebreaker sailed to Resolution Island, NWT to relieve the USS Edisto. Later that summer, the STATEN ISLAND became the first Navy ship to cut through the Davis Strait from Thule to the "Alert" station on Ellesmere Island, which is about 435 miles from the North Pole. She made six Arctic Cruises before shifting to SEVRON ONE, Pacific fleet and departing Boston on May 19, 1955.

After her arrival in Seattle on June 10, 1955, the STATEN ISLAND departed for the resupplying of the DEW stations in the western Arctic. She was deployed with Task Force 43 and participated in Deep Freeze II and IV. She helped to build the Ellsworth IGY station in February 1957.

During Deep Freeze ’61, the STATEN ISLAND and the USS GLACIER (AGB 4) participated in the exploration of the Amundsen Sea. During her deployment during Deep Freeze '‘3, she operated along the Palmer Peninsula. She operated with the USS SARGO in Arctic Operations during the winter, 1960 and performed oceanographic surveys with the CGC NORTHWIND during the summer, 1963.

The STATEN ISLAND was transferred to the Coast Guard on February 1, 1966, received her old hull number WAGB 278 and was commissioned on September 20, 1966. She made four voyages to the frozen continent, deployed with Task Force 43 for Deep Freeze operations in 1966-67, 1970-71, 1971-72, and 1973-74. She made the Antarctic Treaty Inspection cruise during Deep Freeze ’71, but struck uncharted underwater pinnacle, near Mawson Station which put an end to the circumnavigation of Antarctica.

During her deployment during A.W.S. ’69, the cutter had to relieve the CGC NORTHWIND on the West-East escort of the S.S. Manhattan cruise of the Northwest Passage. She participated in the Russian-American ice study of the Bering Sea area. Due to severe budgetary constraints in the 1970’s, the STATEN ISLAND was decommissioned on November 15, 1974 in Seattle.

Note:  The above article was originally published in "Hooligan's Navy" Newsletter #69 (No. 4, CY '97) Winter 1997.  Printed with permission of the Editor - John Young, USCS #8219.

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