Wind class icebreaker

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USCGC Staten Island
Template:USCGC
Class overview
Builders:Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Pedro, California
Operators:United States Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard
Completed:8
Retired:8
General characteristics
Displacement: approx 6,500 tons full load
Length: 269 ft (82 m)
Beam: 63.5 ft (19.4 m)
Draft: 25.7 ft
Propulsion: six Fairbanks Morse diesel engines at 2000 Bhp each, powering 3 electric propulsion motors (the front propeller was detachable and seldom used))
Speed: 16.8 knots
Range: (Economic) 50,000 mile radius at 11.0 knots
Complement: 21 officers, 295 enlisted (1945)
Armament:

Units transferred to USSR:

  • 4x1 3"/30
  • 8x1 40mm/60
  • 6x1 20mm/80
  • 2 depth charges tracks
Aircraft carried: (as bulit) 1 Grumman J2F Duck seaplane
Aviation facilities: aft turret replaced by retractable hangar on aft helicopter deck after WWII

The Wind-class icebreakers were a line of diesel electric-powered icebreakers in service with the US Navy, United States Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and Soviet Navy from 1944 through the late 1970's. Considered the most technologically advanced icebreakers in the world when first built, the Wind-class icebreakers were also heavily armed; the first operator of the class was the United States Coast Guard, which used the vessels for much-needed coastal patrol off Greenland during World War II. Three of the vessels of the class, the Westwind, the Southwind, and the first Northwind all went on to serve temporarily for the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program, while two others were built for the United States Navy and another was built for the Royal Canadian Navy; all eight vessels were eventually transferred to the United States Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard.

The "Winds" were the first class of true icebreakers built by the United States. Gibbs & Cox of New York provided the designs with input from the Coast Guard's Naval Engineering Division. The final design was heavily influenced by studies conducted by then LCDR Edward Thiele of foreign icebreakers, namely the Swedish Ymer 1, launched in 1933, and the Soviet Krasin.

Seven ships of the class were built in the United States, and one modified version (the Labrador) was built in Canada.

Ship Numbers

Initially, the ships of the Wind-class carried the designation of WAG for Coast Guard operated Auxiliary, General, and were numbered consecutively from AG-278; this was identified on the ships by painting the letter "W" before the number in order to visually differentiate them from their Navy sisters. In 1949 this was changed to WAGB for Coast Guard operated Auxiliary, General, Ice Breaker. The two vessels built for the Navy, the Burton Island and the Edisto were initially classified as AG-88 and AG-89, in 1949 this was changed to AGB-1 and AGB-2. The former Lend-Lease sisters were renamed and reclassified by the Navy upon their return back to the United States; the Southwind became the Atka and classified by the Navy as AGB-3, the first Northwind became the Staten Island and classified by the Navy as AGB-5, and the Westwind was classified by the Navy as AGB-6, but she was never operated by the Navy. In 1965-66, all U.S. Icebreakers were transferred to the Coast Guard. At that time, the Atka was renamed Southwind, and reclassified as WAGB-280, the Staten Island was reclassified as WAGB-278, the former Navy Burton Island was reclassified as WAGB-283, and the former Navy Edisto was reclassified as WAGB-284.

For its Wind-class icebreaker, the Royal Canadian Navy assigned Pennant number AW 50 to the Labrador.

General characteristics

(as originally fitted during WWII)

  • Builder: Western Pipe and Steel Company
  • Power Plant: six Fairbanks Morse diesel engines at 2000 Bhp each, powering 3 electric propulsion motors (the front propellor was detachable and seldom used; the bow propeller was not used for propulsion, but rather was used to help break through the ice)
  • Length: 269 ft (82 m)
  • Beam: 63.5 ft (19.4 m)
  • Displacement: approx 6,515 tons full load
  • Speed: 16.8 knots ( km/h)
  • Aircraft: 1 Grumman J2F Duck seaplane
  • Cost: about US$10 million each
  • Average Annual Operating Cost: US$?? million
  • Service Life: ?? years
  • Crew: 21 officers, 295 enlisted (as built. Following World War Two, the American members of this class had their armament greatly reduced, which also reduced their complement.)
  • Armament: four 5-inch/38 (127 mm) dual purpose guns (2 twin turrets); twelve 40mm/60 AA guns (3 quadruple turrets); six 20mm/80 AA; Y-guns; two depth charge racks; one Hedgehog (weapon) launcher
  • Date Deployed:

Ships in class

USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)

Went to Template:Country data SUN where she was known as the Severni Veter in 1944 as part of the Lend-Lease Program, returned to  United States Navy in 1951 as the Staten Island, then transferred to 22x20px United States Coast Guard in 1966.

USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279)

File:USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279).JPG
USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279)

USCGC Southwind (WAGB-280)

Sent to USSR where it was known as the Kapitan Belusov in 1945 as part of the Lend-Lease program. Returned to  United States Navy in 1950 as the Atka, then transferred in 1966 to 22x20px United States Coast Guard where she was known as the Southwind.

USCGC Westwind (WAGB-281)

USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282)

The second Northwind, the first being the ship which was transferred to the USSR before she was commissioned and which became the Staten Island on her return to the United States. The Northwind was slated to become a museum ship in her last homeport of Wilimgton, NC and moored next to the USS North Carolina. The effort failed.

USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283)

USCGC Edisto (WAGB-284)

CCGS Labrador

Similar Vessels

References

v • d • e
Wind-class icebreaker
United States Coast Guard
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