page_title: Wind-class icebreaker
section_title: USCGC Southwind (WAGB-280)
hierarchical_section_title: Wind-class icebreaker / Ships in class / USCGC Southwind (WAGB-280)
caption_attribution_description: English: The USCGC Southwind, likely from the date of her commissioning.
context_page_description: 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.
context_section_description: Builders:  United States (Western Pipe and Steel Company (WPS) in San Pedro, California).
  Laid down: 20 July 1942.
  Launched: 8 March 1943 (List).
  Operator:  United States Navy,  Soviet Navy,  United States Coast Guard.
  Commissioned: 15 July 1944 (List).
  Status: Decommissioned: 31 May 1974, sold for scrap 1976
  Modifications:
  Operations:
  Sent to  Soviet Navy in 1945 where she was known as Admiral Makarov as part of the Lend-Lease program. Returned to  United States Navy in 1950 as the USS Atka, then transferred in 1966 to  United States Coast Guard where she was known as the USCGC Southwind.
caption: USCGC Southwind
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