Maritime Lawyers

The International Ice Patrol

The International ice Patrol is the organization responsible for monitoring the presence of icebergs in the northern Atlantic Ocean. The organization reports the movements of these massive blocks of ice for safety purposes.

The International Ice Patrol was created following the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The primary mission of the Ice Patrol is to alert any vessels in the great circle shipping lanes that exist between Europe and the major ports of the United States of any icebergs in the area.

Icebergs have always threatened vessels and ships in the North Atlantic. A quick glance at the records of shipping from the turn of the century shows a large number of casualties and losses in the vicinity of the Grand Banks. Between 1882 and 1890 alone, 14 ships were lost and 40 were seriously damaged due to ice. This list does not include the large number of whaling and fishing vessels that were lost or damaged by ice.

Until one of the greatest marine disasters of all time, there was not enough public demand for international cooperative action to deal with the hazard of icebergs. The sinking of the RMS Titanic in April of 1912 was the key impetus for the International Ice Patrol’s formation. The loss of the reportedly “unsinkable” Titanic gave the world awareness of an iceberg’s potential for tragedy.

Shortly after the Titanic disaster, the U.S. Navy assigned the Scout Cruisers Chester and the USS Birmingham to patrol the Grand Banks area for the remainder of 1912. In 1913, the Navy was unable to spare the ships for this purpose and so the Revenue Cutter Service took on the responsibility.

Contact the Maritime Lawyers

If you have been injured while at sea, there may be legal options available to you. To discuss these options, contact the maritime lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-800-220-9341.