Ice carrier built in two months

During World War II, the Allies built a prototype aircraft carrier from ice in just two months on Lake Patricia, near Jasper in Canada. This structure, 18 by 9 meters and weighing 1,000 tons, was a test for the ambitious Habakkuk project.

Habakkuk's unusual material

The Habakkuk project aimed to construct a massive aircraft carrier from pykrete, a material made of ice and wood pulp. This composite was meant to be stronger than regular ice and could be produced in large quantities using water and sawdust, potentially at a lower cost than steel.

Strategic need for the ice carrier

The idea arose from the "Mid-Atlantic gap," a region of the Atlantic Ocean too far from land to be covered by Allied air power. German U-boats operated there with little risk of detection, causing heavy losses to Allied convoys. A floating aircraft carrier could have helped close this gap.

Construction on Lake Patricia

Lake Patricia was chosen for its railway access, isolation, and availability of labor, including Mennonite and Doukhobor conscientious objectors. The prototype was built quickly by fifteen men, using a one-horsepower engine to keep the ice from melting and was disguised as a boat hangar for secrecy.

Design and fate of the full-scale ship

The full-scale Habakkuk aircraft carrier would have been enormous, over 600 meters long and weighing over two million tons. However, the project was abandoned due to high costs, technical challenges, and the development of long-range aircraft that could cover the Mid-Atlantic gap.

Discovery of the wreck

The prototype ice carrier melted over three Canadian summers and sank to the bottom of Lake Patricia. It remained lost until 1984, when a diving expedition found the wreck at a depth between 26 and 43 meters. A submerged plaque now marks the site of this unusual WWII relic.