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 and September. By 26 September, Bikini Atoll was cleared of the target fleet and all personnel were evacuated. Eight target ships and two target submarines were subsequently towed from Kwajalein to Pearl Harbor. Six of these were towed to U.S. west coast ports in 1946 and 1947 for further radiological examination (Reference C.9.208, pp. 3.51 and 7.5). The disposition of the target fleet is summarized in Chapter 9.

Bureau of Ordnance Group

The Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) Group was responsible for obtaining and exposing naval ordnance equipment and for appraising the damage after each detonation. The group was organized into six sections: fire control, gun mounts, explosives, aviation ordnance, underwater ordnance, and armor metallurgy. The group was berthed on Wharton.

Its personnel left Bikini Lagoon the day before each shot and reentered after each shot. Inspection of equipment after ABLE shot was easily and quickly accomplished, but high levels of radioactivity after BAKER severely restricted activities (Reference C.9.208, pp. 3.52 and 7.10).

Medical Group

The Medical Group was comprised of two sections: Damage Control Safety Section and Medical Research Section. Personnel of the Damage Control Safety Section were to reboard target ships with the initial boarding party and evaluate and reduce nonradiological hazards to boarding parties. Hazards that had to be addressed included falling objects, slippery decks, weak ladders, drowning, fires, steam, electrical shock, chemical hazards, and ammunition hazards. The personnel trained extensively, and in turn trained members of designated boarding parties both on the U.S. west coast and at Bikini. There were no incidents on either test day. This section was berthed on USS Haven (AH-12) (Reference C.9.208, p. 3.52).

The Medical Research Section was responsible for the biological research program, which involved exposing animals, seeds, bacteria, and medical and dental materials, and for studying the resulting damage and injury. Principal animals used were pigs, goats, guinea pigs, rats, and mice.

For ABLE, the animals and other biological samples were placed on USS Geneva (APA-86), USS Niagara (APA-87), USS LST-133, LCI-327, and LCI-329. Goats in exposure position are shown in Figure 15. They were retrieved by section personnel operating from USS Burleson (APA-67) at approximately 1600 on 1 July.

For BAKER, the animals and samples were on USS Gasconade (APA-85), USS Briscoe (APA-65), USS Catron (APA-71), and USS Bracken (APA-64). Section personnel could not retrieve animals and samples from Bracken until 1351 on 28 July (D+3). At 1447 the same day, about one-half of the animals were removed from Catron. Daily radiation tolerances prohibited the personnel from continuing to work on Catron. On 29 July, animals and samples remaining on Catron and Briscoe were recovered. On 30 July, animals and samples on Gasconade were recovered (Reference C.9.206, pp. VI-B-12 and VI-D-30 through D-44; Reference C.9.208, pp. 3.54 and 25.3).

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