USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279)
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| Career (US) | 100x35px |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Pedro, California |
| Laid down: | 23 June 1942 |
| Launched: | 3 June 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 1968 |
| Fate: | 1972 Sold for scrap |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | approx 6,515 tons full load |
| Length: | 269 ft (82 m) |
| Beam: | 63.5 ft (19.4 m) |
| Draft: | 25.7 ft (7.8 m) |
| Installed power: | 6 Westinghouse DC generators on six Fairbanks Morse diesel engines (2000 Bhp each) |
| Propulsion: | 3 electric propulsion motors; two propellers aft and one propeller forward (detachable and seldom used) |
| Speed: | 16.8 knot |
USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279) was a United States Coast Guard Wind-class icebreaker.
She was laid down in 1942 and launched in 1944.
In 1952, during an Arctic Cruise, for the first time were launched stratospheric balloons from the deck of the ship. The balloon carried scientific instruments to perform cosmic ray studies and rockets to be fired once in the stratosphere (Rockoons)
In 1956 and 1956 she participated in Antarctic exploration activities
In 1966 she left Boston MA in September for Operation Deep Freeze '67' returned April 1967, Capt William Benkert Commanding.
After that she was assigned to operations on the Great Lakes until being sold to Sun Oil Company.
In 1972 she was sold for scrap and last seen at the breaking yards in New Jersey in 1976 or 1977.
References
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- http://Eastwind1952.com
- http://stratocat.com.ar/bases/20e.htm Historical record of balloons launched from the USCGC Eastwind
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