USCGC Westwind (WAGB-281)

USCGC Westwind near Cape Atholl, Greenland.
History
United States
Name:	USS Westwind.
Operator:	U.S. Navy.
Builder:	Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Pedro, California.
Laid down:	24 August 1942.
Launched:	31 March 1943.
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Stanley V. Parker.
Commissioned:	18 September 1944.
Identification:	AGB-6.
Status:	Lent to U.S.S.R.
Notes:	Designed by Gibbs & Cox of New York.
Soviet Union
Name:	Severniy Polyus (Russian: Северный Полюс, “North Pole”).
Acquired:	21 February 1945.
Status:	Returned to U.S.A.
Notes:	Lend-Lease. Some Russian identification labels and plaques remained on ship's equipment after being returned to U.S. service.
.United States
Name:	USCGC Westwind.
Operator:	U.S. Coast Guard.
Acquired:	19 December 1951.
Decommissioned:	29 February 1988.
Identification:	WAGB-281.
Motto:	We may be old, but we still run.
Nickname(s):	Big Red of the Gulf Coast. Big Red Pig. Floating Football. Wandering Arctic Garbage Barge.
Honors and awards:	Crew's: Antarctica Service Medal. Arctic Service Medal.
Fate:	Scrapped.
Status:	19th Fleet.
Notes:	Call sign NLKL.
General characteristics
Class and type:	Wind-class icebreaker, heavy.
Displacement:	6,515 long tons (6,620 t) full load.
Length:	269 ft (82 m).
Beam:	63 ft 6 in (19.35 m).
Draft:	25 feet, 9 inches.
Installed power:	Diesel-electric: 6 × Fairbanks-Morse model 8-1/8OP, 10-cylinder opposed piston engines at 2,000 shp (1,500 kW), each driving a Westinghouse DC electric generator. (1944) 4 × Enterprise / deLaval engines. (1975)
Propulsion:	2 × Westinghouse Electric DC electric motors driving the 2 aft propellers, 1 × 3,000 shp (2,200 kW) Westinghouse DC electric motor driving the detachable and seldom used bow propeller.
Speed:	15.5 kn (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph).
Range:	16,000 nmi (30,000 km; 18,000 mi) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) as designed 16,000 nmi (30,000 km; 18,000 mi) at 10–12 kn (19– 22 km/h, 12–14 mph) as built.
Capacity:	Approximately 450,000 U.S. gal (1,700,000 L) diesel fuel.
Complement:	World War II authorized: 316 (21 officers, 295 enlisted) World War II 1944: 350 Postwar (USA): 175 (13 officers, 2 Warrant Officers, 160 enlisted.
Armament:	Main: 4 × Mark 12 DP 5"/38 caliber guns on two twin mounts (1 forward, 1 aft) Anti-air: 12 × Bofors 40 mm guns on three quadruple mounts, 6 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons on single mounts. Anti-sub: 1 × Hedgehog projector, 2 × depth charge racks.

USCGC Westwind (WAGB-281) was a Wind-class icebreaker that served in the United States Coast Guard as USCGC Westwind (WAG-281), the Soviet Navy as the Severni Polius, and again in the U.S. Coast Guard as USCGC Westwind (WAGB-281).

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. She was the fourth of seven completed ships of the Wind-class of icebreakers operated by the United States Coast Guard. Her 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.

Her 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. Diesel electric machinery was chosen for its controlability and resistance to damage.

Westwind, along with the other Wind-class icebreakers, was heavily armed for an icebreaker due to her design being crafted during World War II. Her main battery consisted of two twin-mount 5 in (130 mm) deck guns. Her anti-aircraft weaponry consisted of three quad-mounted Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft autocannons. and six Oerlikon 20 mm autocannons. She also carried six K-gun depth charge projectors and a Hedgehog as anti-submarine weapons. After her return from Soviet service she received a single 5”38 cal. mount forward and a helicopter deck aft. Sometime after 1966 she had the forward mount removed.