Page:Operation Crossroads 1946.pdf/97

 Laboratory personnel. Filters were then sent to Los Alamos Laboratory for further analysis.

The drone control ship Begor started two of the drone boats and, using instructions from the TBMs, guided the boats into the target area. Both boats took several water samples based on radiation readings they transmitted back to Begor. Both drones departed the target area before 1200. Begor met the two drones in the anchorage area in the lee of Eneu and removed samples. Samples were transferred to Moale, which steamed to Kwajalein at 1255 (Reference C.9.206, Part VII, p. R19 through R22).

Reentry into Bikini Lagoon commenced at H+2 when six manned PGMs and twenty LCPLs entered to conduct radiological reconnaissance. They carefully approached the area around the target vessels and measured radiation. Information from these boats was used to define the Red and Blue lines. Boarding teams and salvage units for the target vessels entered the lagoon at H+4 and proceeded with operations as the radiological situation permitted, remaining outside the Blue Line except for designated ships. At 1430 on 1 July the lagoon was declared safe and task force ships reentered and anchored in the southern part of the lagoon. By 2030, 18 target ships had been boarded and reported radiologically safe. By the evening of 2 July, 47 ships had been radiologically cleared. The Red Line was eliminated early on the morning of 2 July, indicating that the maximum intensity of the water fell below 1 R/24 hours during the night. The Blue Line was eliminated at 1008 on 2 July.

Two F6Fs took off at 1615 on 1 July to conduct an oceanographic survey of the Bikini Lagoon by taking photographs with strip cameras (Reference C.9.206, Part VII, PP. E141 through E175). At 2039 and 2047 on 1 July, two B-29s took off and sampled the remnants of the radioactive cloud. Both obtained good samples. However, both aircraft were too contaminated to permit maintenance crews to perform postflight inspections. Several WB-29 weather flights with monitors on board plus a low-altitude photo mission over the target area were flown on 2 July (Reference C.9.206, Part VII, p. C14).

The Marshallese at Rongerik disembarked from LST-989 the afternoon of 1 July (Reference C.9.206, Part VII, pp. C10 through C15). Burleson picked up caged animals from five target ships shortly after 1600 on 1 July (Reference C.9.206, p. 189). At 2142 on 1 July all ships in the lagoon were ordered not to use their evaporators (saltwater-to-freshwater converters) because of possible radioactive contamination (Reference C.9.206, Part VI, p. B14). At 1332 on 2 July CJTF 1 lifted this restriction (Reference C.9.206, p. VI-B-16). Also on 2 July the submarine USS Skate (SS-305) was beached to prevent sinking. The islands of Eneu and Bikini were inspected and declared safe the same day. By 4 July all target ships had been "initially boarded" by one of the ten initial boarding items (Reference C.9.206, pp. V-C-6 and VII-10 through VII-15).

Damage to ships and aircraft of the target array was as follows (References C.9.2, C.9.3, and C.9.157):


 * 5 ships sunk


 * 6 ships seriously damaged


 * 8 ships seriously impaired efficiency

92