As a blizzard presses down on the northeastern coast of the U.S., I'm reminded of the stories of the winter of 1917-1918 in New London, CT. The 110' U.S. submarine chasers were being commissioned, stocked, and made ready for war -- during the coldest winter in the recorded history of the region. Not only did the chaser officers and crew have to deal with the dangers of travel and training along a frozen coast with menacing ice shelves and frozen harbors, but the chasers themselves were brutally inhospitable vessels, with little or no working heating apparatus, poorly ventilated engine rooms, and ice-covered decks.
In this month's issue of the Notes are some links to photos and photo sets from the winter of '17-18, for those of you about to encounter the blizzard of '13, or just as a reminder of the comforts of home.
--Todd Woofenden, edtior