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COAST GUARD
ICEBREAKER
WESTWIND
WAGB-281
The U.S. Coast Guard has participated in ice operations
since 1867, when the cutter LINCOLN was dispatched to
survey the newly acquired Alaskan Territory. Early
icebreakers were primarily tasked with stopping the seal
trade and enforcing whaling regulations. During WWII,
Congress authorized the USCG to design and build four
icebreakers, known today as the WIND class ships. These
icebreakers were deployed to patrol the North Atlantic
and assist Russian War efforts. In 1946, USCGC Northwind made
a successful trip to Antarctica.
Westwind was
one of the icebreakers designed by Lieutenant
commander Edward Thiele and Gibbs & Cox of New York, who
modeled them after plans for European icebreakers he
obtained before the start of World War II. The
USCGC
hull was
of unprecedented strength and structural integrity, with
a relatively short length in proportion to the great
power developed, a cut away forefoot, rounded bottom,
and fore, aft and side heeling tanks.
Westwind's
keel was laid on 24 March 1942 at Western Pipe and Steel
Company shipyards in San Pedro. She was launched on 31
March 1943 and commissioned on 18 September 1944. Westwind was
heavily armed for an icebreaker due to her design during
World War II. Besides the guns, she also carried six
K-gun depth charge projectors and a Hedgehog as
anti-submarine weapons. On 21 February 1945, the brand
new ship was transferred to the Soviet Union under the
lend-lease program and renamed Severni Polius. She was
returned to the United States Coast Guard six years
later.
On 22 June 1966 the ship crossed the Arctic Circle at
52N 03W on SUNEC66 Supply Northeast Command out of
Thule, Greenland. On 3 March 1967, as part of Deep
Freeze 67, the ship crossed the Antarctic Circle at 67S
36W and assisted Navy Seabees building a scientific
station on Palmer Peninsula.
In 1984, the Westwind sustained major hull damage in the
Weddell Sea on a Deep Freeze cruise. A 6-foot tall,
140-foot long tear in the hull was temporarily patched
by the crew until it could be repaired in South America.
In 1986, funding cuts reduced operating funds for
icebreakers, ending plans to refit the Westwind. The
ship was finally decommissioned on 28 February 1988.
This primarily wood US
Coast Guard
icebreaker model
is 38" long x 18"
tall x 7" wide (10" with base) $2,950 
This model is in stock and will be shipped within
five business days.
For more accurate Coast Guard models from
ModelShipMaster, please click here:
https://www.modelshipmaster.com/products/Coastguard/index.htm
Learn more about the
Westwind icebreaker here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Westwind_(WAGB-281)
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