USCGC Itasca (1929)

The USCGC "Itasca" was a 250' Lakes Class Cutter of the United States Coast Guard launched on 16 November 1929 and commissioned 12 July 1930. The ship was decommissioned in 1941 on lend lease to the United Kingdom where she received a name change, becoming the "HMS Gorleston" and was returned to the United States in 1946. The ship was finally sold for scrap in 1950. [ [http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBCUTTERS/Itasca_1930.html USGS.mil info] ]

"Itasca" is most famous as the "picket ship" that would provide air navigation and radio links for Amelia Earhart when she made her 1937 flight around the world. "Itasca" attempted to keep in radio contact with her, however, they couldn't manage to keep contact as Earhart had difficulty in using her radio equipment.

ee also

* Air navigation
* Fred Noonan
* HF/DF
* High frequency / Shortwave
* List of United States Coast Guard cutters
* Medium frequency / 500 kHz
* Radio navigation
* S meter / Signal strength

References

;Notes;Bibliography
* Long, Elgen M. and Marie K. "Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved". New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999. ISBN 0-684-86005-8.
* Lovell, Mary S. "The Sound of Wings". New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. ISBN 0-312-03431-8.
* Pellegrino, Anne Holtgren. "World Flight: The Amelia Trail". Ames, Iowa: The Iowa State University Press, 1971. ISBN 0-8138-1760-9.
* "The Radio Amateur's Handbook". West Hartford, Connecticut: American Radio Relay League, 1945. No ISBN.
* Safford, Laurance F. with Warren, Cameron A. and Payne, Robert R." Earhart's Flight into Yesterday: The Facts Without the Fiction", McLean, Virginia: Paladwr Press, 2003. ISBN 1-88896-220-8.

External links

* [http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBCUTTERS/Itasca_1930.html USGS.mil info]