USCGC Northwind (WAG/WAGB-282) was a , the second United States Coast Guard Cutter of her class to bear the name. She was built to replace which was in Soviet lend-lease service. During her career, Northwind conducted extensive oceanography, hydrography and cartography studies, as well as icebreaking, during Operation Nanook and Operation Highjump. Northwind was the last Wind-class icebreaker when she was decommissioned in Wilmington, North Carolina on 20 January 1989 after 44 years of service. Construction Northwind was one of the icebreakers designed by Lieutenant Commander Edward Thiele of the United States Coast Guard (later rear admiral, and Engineer in Chief of the United States Coast Guard) 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 fifth of seven completed ships of the of icebreakers operated by the United States Coast Guard. She was laid down on 20 July 1944 at Western Pipe and Steel Company shipyards in San Pedro, California, launched on 25 February 1945 and commissioned on 28 July 1945. Rear Admiral Ralph W. Dempwolf, Commander, 9th Coast Guard District presided over the ceremony with his wife, Mrs. Mabelle C. Dempwolf, serving as the sponsor. 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 controllability and resistance to damage. Northwind, 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-mounted /38 caliber deck guns. Her anti-aircraft weaponry consisted of three quad-mounted Bofors 40 mm autocannons and six Oerlikon 20 mm autocannons. She also carried six K-gun depth charge projectors and a Hedgehog as anti-submarine weapons. After the war her aft 5-inch mount was replaced by a helicopter deck, sometime after 1964 the forward mount was removed. Service history 1940s Operation Nanook Northwinds first major mission was Operation Nanook from 22 July–5 August 1946. The objective of Operation Nanook was to assist in a Danish-American project to establish a radio and weather station in Thule, Greenland. This area later became Thule Air Force Base. During July through September 1946 the first helicopter deployment from a Coast Guard icebreaker occurred an