Greenland Patrol

These Cutters fought the war from early December 1941
They guarded Allied interest in the Danish colony of Greenland
after Denmark was occupied by Germany
and Germany eyed expansion into North America

240′ Tampa Class Patrol Gunboat
First cutters designed by the Coast Guard
Ordered shortly after WWI
First true “Multi-mission” cutters
Equipped for law enforcement, SAR, ice patrol, towing, and
derelict destruction and very heavily armed for their size
Commissioned as Cruising Cutters without hull numbers
Reclassified First Class Cruising Cutters in 1925
Hull numbers were assigned in 1939 and reclassified Patrol Gunboats
Numbers were assigned alphabetically, not by date of commission
Haida was lead ship and was assigned the lowest hull number
The 240s were officially referred to as the Haida Class
Model: Yes

Designation	Name	Class	Hull	Service	Comments	Pictures

USCGC	Haida	WPG	45	1921 – 1947	Known as Haida Maru for her time spent in the Pacific	CGH
USCGC	Modoc	WPG	46	1922 – 1947	To Ecuador	CGH
USCGC	Mojave	WPG	47	1951 – 1947
USCGC	Tampa	WPG	48	1921 – 1947		CGH

165’A Algonquin Class Patrol Gunboat
Part of a massive expansion by Commandant ADM Frederick Billard
Based on the Tallapoosa design
Designed with a cutaway forefoot for light (up to 2′) icebreaking
Commissioned as First Class Cruising Cutters without hull numbers
Hull numbers were assigned in 1939 and reclassified Patrol Gunboats
Numbers were assigned alphabetically, not by date of commission
Escanaba was lead ship, but Algonquin was assigned lowest number
The 165As were officially referred to as Algonquin Class
Tahoma was decommissioned in 1953
Model: Yes

Designation	Name	Class	Hull	Service	Comments	Pictures

USCGC	Algonquin	WPG	75	1934 – 1948		CGH
USCGC	Comanche	WPG	76	1934 – 1947		CGH
USCGC	Escanaba	WPG	77	1932 – 1943	Commissioned 17 September 1932 – stationed in Grand Haven, MI Operated entirely in the Great Lakes Established close ties with Grand Haven – Coast Guard City, USA The city always celebrated the 4 August birthday of the Coast Guard Transferred to the Greenland Patrol in 1942 It was noted that survivors were too cold to hold rescue lines LT Robert Prouse, Escanaba XO, developed a rubber suit that rescuers could wear into the water to pick up survivors Suits were used to rescue 133 men from the torpedoed Dorchester Widely used by other ships throughout the war 13 June 1942 – Escanaba exploded and sank Final cause was never established All but 2 of her 103 man crew were lost 4 August 1943 over 20,000 people in Grand Haven attended memorial services for Escanaba Grand Haven is still Coast Guard City, USA and still marks Coast Guard Day with a grand celebration	CGH
USCGC	Mohawk	WPG	78	1935 – 1948	To Delaware Bay and River Pilots Assoc to Miami Dade Historical Museum	CGH
USCGC	Onondaga	WPG	79	1934 – 1947
USCGC	Tahoma	WPG	80	1934 – 1953		CGH

198’ Bear Class Steam Barkentine
Built by Alexander Stephenin Dundee Scotland as a sealer in 1874
Taken into US Navy service in 1884 as part of the rescue fleet for the
ill-fated Greeley Arctic expedition
1885: Taken into the Revenue Cutter Service to patrol Alaskan waters
Most famous commanding office was Mike “Hell Roarin'” Healy
Served 41 years in the ice
Carried reindeer from Siberia to Alaska to feed natives
Overland rescue of over 250 sealers stuck in the ice
Decommissioned in 1929 and turned over to Oakland, CA
Used as a set in filming of Jack London’s “Sea Wolf”
Acquired by Adm. Richard Byrd for his 1933 Antarctic Expedition
Returned from the Byrd expedition in 1941 to Boston
In 1941 she was Recommissioned into the Navy as an Auxiliary
Coast Guard manned
In WWII she was part of the Greenland Patrol
Took part in the capture of the Norwegian supply ship Buskoe
Decommissioned again in 1944
Sold to a Canadian sealing company – never operational
Purchased by Alfred Johnston of Villanova, PA in 1948
To be used as a restaurant museum in Philadelphia
Sank while being towed to Philadelphia
Possibly the most famous Cutters Coast Guard history
Has been called the Coast Guard’s Constitution
The mascot of the CG Academy is a Bear in her honor
Model: No

Designation	Name	Class	Hull	Rig	Service	Comments	Pictures

USRC/USCGC	Bear	WAG	29	Steam Barkentine	1885 – 1929 1941 – 1944		CGH

Misc Patrol Gunboats
Model: No

Designation	Name	Class	Hull	Service	Comments	Pictures

USCGC	Northland 216′	WPG	49	1927 – 1946	Built as a replacement for the venerable Bear Bering Sea Patrol doing “everything under the midnight sun” Transferred to Boston in 1938 in preparation for war Flagship of the Greenland Patrol Seized Norwegian sealer Buskoe – a German supply ship First seizure of the war – 12 Sep 1941 Sold to an American company working with the Israeli underground Renamed Jewish State, she ran refugees to Israel First warship of the Israeli Navy in 1948 – Renamed Matzpen Ended as an accommodations ship for Port Command Haifa Decommissioned and sold in 1962	CGH
USCGC	North Star 225′	WPG	59	1941 – 1944	Acquired from Dept of Interior Greenland Patrol	CGH

269′ Wind Class Heavy Icebreaker
First US icebreakers designed to break arctic ice
Four were built for the Coast Guard in 1944
Three of the four were sent to Russia under Lend Lease
A fifth was started for the Coast Guard
At the same time, 3 were started for the Navy
The breakers that returned from Russia went to the Navy
In 1966 the Navy turned all icebreaking duties over to the Coast Guard
All Wind Class ships became Coast Guard cutters – all were white
Some were renamed
In 1976 they were painted red
All were decommissioned by 1989
Model: Yes

Designation	Name	Class	Hull	Service	Comments	Pictures

USCGC	Eastwind	WAG	279	1944 – 1968	Only Wind not loaned to Russia Captured Externstein Only German surface ship captured in WWII First of the Winds to be decommissioned
USCGC	Southwind (ex USS Atka)	AGB	3/280	1944 – 1945 1966 – 1974	Commissioned as USCGC Southwind Assisted in capture of Externstein To Russia 1945 – 1949 Transferred from Russia to the Navy in 1949 Renamed USS Atka Returned to the Coast Guard in 1966 Renamed USCGC Southwind	NS
USCGC	Westwind	WAG	281	1951 – 1988	To Russia 1945 – 1951	CGH
USCGC	Northwind	WAG	282	1945 – 1989	The original Northwind (WAGB 278) Transferred to Russia prior to completion Another Wind Class breaker was ordered and named Northwind She was the last of the Winds to be decommissioned	CGH

230′ Storis Light Icebreaker
Built as a supply cutter for the Greenland patrol
Basically a stretched 180′ buoy tender with an Duck on the fantail
Stationed in Boston after the war
1 July 1957 Set out with CGCs Spar and Bramble to find
a deep water channel through the Arctic Ocean
This transit ended the 450 year search for the Northwest Passage
Returned to Greenland via the passage and then transited to Alaska
via the Panama Canal becoming the first cutter to
circumnavigate the North American Continent
Performed ice breaking duty until 1972
Converted to Medium Endurance Cutter
Decommissioned in 2007
Known as the Galloping Coast of the Alaskan Coast
Queen of the Fleet 1991 to 2007
Model: No

Designation	Name	Class	Hull Num	Service	Comments	Pictures

USCGC	Storis	WAG/WAGB/WAGL/WMEC	38	1942 – 2007		CGH

Patrol Yacht
Mostly commercial fishing vessels in emergency service
Gertrude L. Thebaud was a Gloucester racing fishing schooner
They patrolled in three main areas:
Alaska, Greenland, and SEAFRONTIER Patrol
Model: Yes

Designation	Name	Class	Hull	Service	Comments	Picture

USCGC	Aivik (ex Arlington)	WYP	164	1942 – 1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol
USCGC	Aklak (ex Weymouth)	WYP	168	1942 -1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol	CGH
USCGC	Alatok (ex Hekla)	WYP	172	1942 -1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol	CGH
USCGC	Amarok (ex Lark) (ex Greyhound I)	WYP	166	1942 – 1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol	CGH
USCGC	Arluk (ex Atlantic)	WYP	167	1942 – 1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol	CGH
USCGC	Arvek (ex Triton)	WYP	165	1942 – 1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol	CGH
USCGC	Atak (ex Winchester)	WYP	163	1942 – 1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol	CGH
USCGC	Belmont	WYP	341	1942 – 1946	Patrol Whaler Greenland Patrol
USCGC	Bodega	WYP	342	1942 – 1943	Patrol Whaler Greenland Patrol	CGH
USCGC	Bronco	WYP	340	1942 – 1945	Patrol Whaler Greenland Patrol
USCGC	Busco	WYP		1942 – 1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol
USCGC	Natsek	WYP	170	1942 – 1942	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol Lost at sea	CGH
USCGC	Nogak	WYP	171	1942 – 1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol
USCGC	Nanok	WYP	169	1942 – 1944	Patrol Trawler Greenland Patrol