Wind Class Icebreaker - General Characteristics

General Characteristics

(as originally fitted during WWII)

• Builder: Western Pipe and Steel Company (WPS) San Pedro, California.
• Power Plant: six Fairbanks Morse diesel engines at 2000 Bhp each, powering 3 electric propulsion motors. Two screws aft, one forward, (the bow screw was detachable and seldom used; it was not primarily used for propulsion, but rather, was used to help break through the ice; by causing a wash and thus clearing away the broken ice).
• Length: 269 ft (82 m).
• Beam: 63.5 ft (19.4 m).
• Displacement: approx 6,515 tons full load (fl).
• Speed: 16.8 knots ( km/h).
• Ice capability: 13 foot ice.
• Aircraft: 1 Grumman J2F Duck seaplane.
• Cost: about $10 million USD each.
• Average Annual Operating Cost:
• Service Life: An estimated 20 years.
• Crew: 21 officers, 295 enlisted as built; (after World War II, the U.S. vessels of the Wind- class had their armament gradually reduced, which also reduced their complements).
• Armament: Four 5-inch/38 (127 mm) dual purpose guns (2 twin turrets). Twelve 40 mm/60 AA guns (3 quadruple turrets). Six 20 mm/80 AA; Y-guns. Two depth charge racks. One Hedgehog (weapon) launcher. M2 Browning machine guns and small arms. Due to being ordered during the war the first five U.S. built Wind-class icebreakers were heavily armed for ships of their size. Northwind/Staten Island (WAG 278) armament reduced to four single 3"50cal. and eight single 40mm. for Soviet service. Weapons systems were gradually removed, and by 1970 all that remained were M2 Browning machine guns, M60 machine guns, and small arms for law enforcement purposes.
• Dates Deployed:1942 to 1989.