BACK TO ICE AGE!

Grey River Argus, 22 February 1947, Page 3

BACK TO ICE AGE!

FLOES ON ENGLISH COAST Trawlers Trapped LONDON, February 20. A great icefloe, moving across the North Sea, is now a menace to navigation. Four trawlers were at one time trapped in the fields but escaped after three hours’ skilful navigation. They returned, ice-crushed, to East Coast ports. The floes are moving into coastal shipping channels. Lightships and coastguards along the East Norfolk coast are keeping a 24-bour watch.

The Admiralty, which has patrols out, says danger to vessels from icefloes is exaggerated. Two minesweepers observing floes reported that ice was a foot thick, and covered an extensive area, but even small ships are able to plough their way through without difficulty. Radio warnings have been sent to all ships around the coasts of Britain, warning them of fields of pancake ice drifting across the North Sea from the shores of Scandinavia which have become dangerous. The fields are moving at the rate of six miles daily into coastal shipping lanes. A scheme, to break up the icefields by bombing was abandoned as impracticable after R.A.F. observation planes had reported the ice to be equal to the built-up area of a large town. The four fishing trawlers trapped in the field took three hours to get Near. They reported one large floe five miles long. This field was last night only 45 miles from Yarmouth, and was threatening to close the coastal route of the coal fleet. A wide area of the North Sea from the coasts of Scandinavia to within 50 miles of Britain is covered with floating ice. Since Monday, the floes have moved nearly 70 miles nearer the British coasts. One large field is reported to be 12 square miles in extent. It stretches from Ostend towards the approaches to the English Channel.

One of the dangers created by tlm ice is the removal of buoys marking wrecks and swept channels through minefields.