Wind-class icebreaker

	USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282)
Class overview
Builders	Western Pipe and Steel Company (WPS), San Pedro, California
Operators	United States Coast Guard; United States Navy; Royal Canadian Navy; Canadian Coast Guard; Soviet Navy;
Preceded by	Apalachee class
Succeeded by	Owasco class
Built	1942–1946; 1949—1952;
In commission	1944–1989
Completed	8
Scrapped	8
General characteristics
Type	Icebreaker
Displacement	6,500 short tons (5,900 metric tons) (full load)
Length	269 ft (82 m)
Beam	63 ft 6 in (19.35 m)
Draft	25 ft 9 in (7.85 m)
Installed power	Six Fairbanks-Morse 10-cylinder diesel engines
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; 12,000 shp (combined);
Speed	13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) (maximum)
Range	32,485 mi (52,280 km) at 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph)
Complement	219 officers and men
Armament	WAG 278 for USSR service:; 4 × 3"/30; 8 × 40 mm/60; 6 × 20 mm/80; 2 × depth charge tracks; WAG 279-282:; 4 × 5 in (130 mm)/38 cal deck guns; 12 ×40 mm/60 cal anti-aircraft guns; 6 × 20 mm/80 cal anti-aircraft guns; 2 × depth charge racks; Y-gun projectors; 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar; AG 88-89:; 1 × 5 in (130 mm)/38 cal deck gun; 12 × 40 mm/60 cal anti-aircraft guns(AG 88 only); AW 50: ; None;
Aircraft carried	1 Grumman J2F Duck seaplane (as built)
Aviation facilities	Aft turret replaced by retractable hangar on aft helicopter deck after WW2

The Wind-class icebreakers were a line of diesel electric-powered icebreakers in service with the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and Soviet Navy from 1944 through the late 1970s. They were very effective ships: all except Eastwind served at least thirty years, and Northwind served in the USCG continuously for forty-four years. Considered the most technologically advanced icebreakers in the world when first built, the Wind-class icebreakers were also heavily armed; the first operator of the class was the United States Coast Guard, which used the vessels for much-needed coastal patrol off Greenland during World War II. Three of the vessels of the class, Westwind, Southwind, and the first Northwind all went on to serve temporarily for the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program, while two others were built for the United States Navy and another was built for the Royal Canadian Navy; all eight vessels were eventually transferred to the United States Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard.

The Wind-class ships were the first class of true icebreakers built by the United States. Gibbs & Cox of New York provided the designs with input from the Coast Guard's Naval Engineering Division. The final design was heavily influenced by studies conducted by then LCDR Edward Thiele, USCG (later RADM, and Engineer in Chief of the U.S. Coast Guard) of foreign icebreakers, namely the Swedish Ymer, built in 1931, and the Soviet Krasin.

Seven ships of the class were built in the United States, and one modified version, HMCS Labrador, was built in Canada.

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