Page:Operation Crossroads 1946.pdf/416

 USS Searaven (SS-196)

USS Searaven (SS-196) 1 2 August R/24 hours: topside maximum 0.25 R/24 hours. USS Deliver (ARS-23) washed pressure hose.

1450

13 Auaust 0836-1104 1315-1552

Table A.ll. Tooslde radloloalcal readlnas (Rj24 h o u r s ) on"USS Searaven (SS-196). with

boat

Boarding team came on board for inspectionanddecontamination.Concentrated on bridge and conning tower superstructure; applied strong lye solution toall surfaces and allowed it to remain 3 to 4 hours before washlng down (Reference4 ). Topside average, 0.2 R/24 hours: topside maxlmum, 0.31 R/24 hours (in dog house): below decks. sweet.

Connlng Tower Date

Aft

Bow Fwd

7/31 2 . 5 8/2 1.0 1.25 1.51.25 8/3

Over F ud Enalne Room Stern Brldge

5.0 1.5 1.25 1.5

Top-

s lde Avg 3.83

4.0 1.0

0.95 0.82

0/4 14 August 8/5 0830-1 100Boarding team on board for inspection and 8/6 1300-1535 decontamination. Concentrated on bridge 8/7 and conning tower superstructure, applied 8/8 8/9 strong lye solution to all surfaces. allowing 3 to 4 hours before washlngdown. 8/10 Also wdshed down all topside with salt8/12 water continually throughout washing pe8/13 riod (Reference 4). Below deck, sweet: 8/14 topside average. 0.17 R/24 hours: topside 8/15 8/16 maxlmum, 0.21 R/24 hours.

16 August 1409-1546

17 August 0930-1145 1300

Crew aboard. shifting anchorage. Underway to shift berths. Anchored near berth 168. Bikini. Boat secured. Decontamination party aboard. Topside average, 0.14 R/24 hours: topside maxlmum, 0.20 R/24 hours.

1030-1130 20 August 0920-1430

21 August 0820-1

0.37

0.02

0.25 0.22 0.2 0.24 0.16 0.20 0.15

0.06

0.12

Boarding party on board to resume decontamination.

115Boarding party on board to prepare boat for sea.

0.7

0.7

0.45 0.35 0.31

0.5 0.38

0.35 0.37

0.32 0.23 0.18 0.19 0.24

Source: Reference

4

0.42 0.25

0.35 0.22 0.2 0.2 0.23 0.14 0.25 0.15 0.16 0.12 0.22 0.2 0.2 0.02 0.02 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.07

1.0

0.72 0.51

0.40 0.34 0.28 0.27 0.23 0.2 0.19

0.05 0.08

0.1

0.07 0.08

0745 Remainder of crew on board. 0845 Underway for Kwajalein. 1000 Partially flooded main ballast tanks nos. 2 and 3 to increase draft and work on superstructure to decrease radioactivity.

Decontamination team aboard to continue decontamination procedures. Decontamination team reboarded to continue decontamination procedures. Topside average, 0.064 R/24 hours: topside maximum, 0.35 R/24 hours (in dog house).

Working party aboard to continue decontamlnation procedures. Radiologicalsurveypartyonboardto inspect boat.

0.7 0.6 0.5 0.35

8/18 0.06 0.11

in berthA13.Kwajalein.

The entire deck of Searaven was wood except for the area over the mufflers and near the bow. Scrubbing seemed effective on the wooden deck' planking only during the first few days of scrubbing. After this the top of the planking was bare. The sldes and lower portion were inaccessible. Removal of decking on 10 August allowed cleaning rust and contaminated paint beneath, thereby lowering readings. Since Searaven was scraped and repainted with only one coat of paint before arriving at Bikini. there were few areas of heavy paint. Removal of light paint and rust by scrubbing did have an initial effect of greatly of Searaven's loweringradiactivity.Themajority superstructure had become so rusted through age and exposure during war patrols that removal of all rust was Impossible. On several steel castings, which could be cleaned bare. the readings were 0.1 to 0.2 R/24 hours below surrounding areas.No decontamination work was done below decks since all compartments were originally below 0.1 R/24 hours (or soon became so as topside readings dropped) (Reference 4). Searaven arrived in San Francisco on 14 October 1946 1 1 December 1946. and was decommissioned on

22 August

0515

0.25 0.2 0.26 0.15 0.14 0.12 0.14

Decontamination team aboard to continue decontamination.Topsldeaverage,0.16 R/24 hours: topside maxlmum 0.34 R/24 hours (in dog house): below deck, sweet. 23 August Staff inspections were completed, but the 1057Anchored boat's reports were not received.

Topside radiological readings on Searaven are listed in Table A.11. 19 August 0830-1618

0.3

0.7 0.6 0.46

0.05 0.08 0.07

8/17

15 August 0910 0929 1000 1005 1255-1553

0.5 0.4

Boarding party on board to start gyro andcommencepreparationsforgetting underway

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