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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