Page:Operation Crossroads 1946.pdf/336

 USS Furse (DD-882) 28 July 1725 Anchored 1832Underway 29July

USS Geneva (APA-86)

in berth H. Bikini Atoll. for KwajaleinAtoll.

Anchored at KwajaleinAtollanddidnot return to Bikini before returning to the United States. USS GASCONADE

0

Wet sweeping and washdown by firehoses

0

Washdown of the upper decks with saltwater

0

Pumping contaminated water overboard

e Topside materials jettisoned.

Deck scrubbing and paintremoval was not attempted (Reference 2). Table A.4 lists the average and maximum Geiger readings from 7 to 17 August. which have been extracted from the 20 August Damage Report.

(APA-85)

Crew Slze: 105 31 May 1946 BlklnA l tolA l r r l v a l :B e f o r e B l k l nA l t o lD l eparture: 24 August 1946 (APA-237) Crew L o c a t l o nf o rS h o t ABLE: USS Bexar Crew L o c a t l o nf o rS h o t BAKER: Shot ABLE Locatton:2,687yards(2.5 km) SSW Shot BAKER L o c a t l o n : 650yards(594meters) SSE D e c o n t a m l n a t l o nL o c a t l o n : San F r a n c l s c o Sunk 21 J u l y 1948 o f f t h es o u t h e r nC a l l f o r n l ac o a s t

Table A.4

USS Gasconade (APA-85)

Bexar

Maxlmum

Date

Task U n l ta n dF u n c t l o n

Average

Below Above Below Above Decks Decks Decks Decks

Gasconade. an attack transport. was a target vessel during CROSSROADS. Its crew was evacuated for each shot. Gasconade served in TKdnSpOKtatiOn Di- 20 607 August 20 40B August vision 94 of TU 1.2.6 (Merchant Type Unit). -*G 9 August nade was equipped with Geiger counters and radio August 10 transmitters for the Electronics Group.

8 6 25

3.5

August 15 Shot ABLE ( 1J u l y 0, 9 0 0 ) August 16 August 17 6 24 September Before shot ABLE, Gasconade's crew was transferred to

B 8 6

5

20 20 10

1

8 0.2

.*eB

1 July 1619Reportedto 6, I-14-A).

2 July 1100

13AugustThe 0835)

Crew was evacuated toB 29 July 0939 2125

30 July 0850-1015 1302 1320-1405

Sources: References

1 0.6 1 0.4

2 2 2.5 0.B 0.3 0.2

2 and 7

be Geigersweet(Reference

Crew returnedtoliveaboardGasconade.

Shot BAKER ( 2 5J u l y ,

radlatlon

r e a d l n g s( R / 2 4h o u r s ).

22 August 1000-1300

crew transferredto (AKA-44). Crew returned to

s before the detonation.

Gasconade had a 30-minute tolerance. Gasconade still too radioactive to board and remove the test animals (Reference 6, p. 1-38: Reference 5, p. D-37-8).

24 August 1330DepartedBikini ATA-192.

USS Sylvania

Bej3e. for Kwajalein in tow by

26 August Arrived Kwajalein. 28 August Decommissioned. 1300

USS Preserver (ARS-8) alongside to wash Gasconade was towed to San Francisco for experimentadown Gasconade (Reference 1. Preserver). Gasconade still too radioactive to board. tion and research; i t arrived there on 27 January 1947. USS Conserver (ARS-39) removed the animals and instruments from Gasconade. USS GENEVA (APA-66)

2 August

Gasconade thoroughly washed down by @ Sioux (ATF-75) (Reference 6. p. 1-71].

A preliminary inspection report on 7 August states that Gasconade was severely damaged (Reference 8 ). The main deck had a reading of 20 R/24 hours, and where water had accumulated in pockets readlngs averaged from 6 to 8 R/24 hours: the lowest readings were between 0.2 and 0.5 R/24 hours. The animal compartment in sick bay was 0.8 R/24 hours. Reference 8 also stated that the "ship appears too extensively damaged to permit personnel to live aboard even i f radioactivity were reduced to safe limits." A 21 August decontamination report disclosed the measures taken to decontaminate Gasconade:

331

Crew Slze: 115 Blklnl AtolA l rrlval: May 1956 B l k l n Al t o l D l eparture: 24 August 1946 Crew L o c a t t o nf o rS h o t ABLE: USS A p p l l n q( A P A - 5 8 ) Crew L o c a t l o nf o r Shot B A K E R : A p p l l n q Shot ABLE L o c a t l o n : 3,062yards(2.8km) SW Shot BAKER L o c a t l o n 2:. 7 8 0y a r d s( 2 . 5 km) S O e c o n t a r n l n a t l oLno c a t l o n : San F r a n c t s c o Scrappedon 2 November1966

Task U n l t a n dF u n c t l o n Geneva. an attack transport. was a target vessel during CROSSROADS. Its crew was evacuated for each shot. It served in Transportation Division 93 of