Page:Operation Crossroads 1946.pdf/85

 :by specially adapted 10-foot (3.05-meter) poles. The doors were then pulled off with another special 10-foot (3.05-meter) pole. The filter paper and securing screens were attached to the door and came out of the unit with the doors. The filter papers were picked up with long-handled tongs (Figure 19) and placed in special lead receptacles. They were then flown by C-54 to Kwajalein for analysis.


 * Drone boats from USS Begor (APD-127) collected radioactive water samples throughout the target array. Radioactive samples were taken from Begor to Kwajalein and then to Los Alamos Laboratory for analysis.


 * Staffing: Los Alamos Laboratory supplied the personnel for the projects in this program. Removal of sulfur samples from target ships on ABLE test would have exposed men to low-level radiation on those ships that were near surface zero, viz. Sakawa (a captured Japanese cruiser), USS Crittenden (APA-77), USS Carlisle (APA-69), and USS Arkansas (BB-33) (Reference C.9.210, p. N-212). Measurement of gamma rays at detonation time for BAKER should not have created any radiation exposure to personnel. Removal of radioactive air and water samples from planes and boats was a very sensitive operation with a high exposure potential. Only 12 to 70 personnel in

Figure 19. Removal of filter papers from the F6F filter units at Roi-Namur Island following shot ABLE, CROSSROADS.

80