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 August. By 5 September the last of the target ships afloat had left Bikini (Reference C.10.11; Reference C.0.3, p. 1; Reference C.0.4, p. 1). By 26 September 1946, Bikini Atoll was completely evacuated.

All survey and construction activities at Bikini were rapidly brought to a close, and the atoll was completely evacuated. For safety and security reasons, a recommendation was made to CNO to declare Bikini Lagoon a defensive sea area. CNO ordered continued surveillance of this area to restrict entry of foreign, merchant, or private shipping that had not been duly authorized. This restriction was promulgated through a Notice to Mariners declaring the area bounded by latitudes 11°28'N and 11°43'N and longitudes 165°10'E and 165°35'E dangerous to shipping and personnel, and restricting entry except to those duly authorized by proper authority. (Reference C.0.31, p. 6).

TARGET VESSEL OPERATIONS AT KWAJALEIN

All target vessels at Bikini had some ammunition on board to serve as test material. Some ships had a great deal, placed there to determine the effects of the atomic bomb on warships having different loading conditions. For example, USS Nevada (BB-36) had more than 1,100 tons of ammunition. Most of the ammunition was service type and highly stable, but some experimental ammunition and some obtained from foreign navies was included. Some service ammunition had been flooded. There was a presumption that ammunition on certain ships was, or would soon become, unstable from the heat and pose a considerable and growing hazard. Its removal would be necessary, and the longer such operations were deferred the more dangerous the work would become. After careful consideration, it was decided that the total hazard would be less if the work were accomplished in 1946 than if it were deferred to a later year when the radioactivity would be reduced but the explosive hazard increased (Reference C.11.4). Because the ships were contaminated, work parties had to wear special clothes and were accompanied by radsafe monitors when aboard them. When working below deck, the men were required to wear rescue breathing apparatus.

For work on the target vessels, the Kwajalein Maintenance Force, Task Unit (TU) 1.2.12 was formed on 28 August 1946 (Reference C.11.5). The flagship was Haven, on which the radsafe unit had its headquarters and laboratories. Geneva was the hotel ship and APL-27 was the change ship, where working party members donned their protective clothing before going aboard target vessels and where they removed that clothing and showered after their work was done. In addition, the unit consisted of USS Conserver (ARS-39), USS Current (ARS-22), LCI-329, LCI(L)-549, LCI(L)-615, YF-753, and assorted small craft for towing, ammunition disposal, and personnel transportation (Reference C.0.22, pp. 4 and 5). At its peak, the total manpower of the unit was approximately 1,500 officers and enlisted men. Haven departed Kwajalein on 10 October, Geneva on 13 October, and Current departed on 2 December; Conserver remained until February 1947.

On 29 August, CTG 1.2 (Target Vessel Group) directed the removal of the approximately 2,700 tons of unstable ammunition from target ships by personnel of the Ammunition Disposal Unit of JTF 1 (Reference C.11.6). Actual unloading commenced on 4 September. The unit consisted of about 10 officers and 275 enlisted personnel (Reference C.10.18). Its personnel were divided into six working teams (one initial boarding team and five ammunition disposal teams).

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