td aw. hb
a.
4.11
TASK UNIT 11, UCRL ASSEMBLYA
TU-11 was formed from a group of enginecrs and physicists to provide_a field capability for assembling and detonating th
evices. They were members of the UCRL small weapons program
wh were also responsible for the original design and fabrication of the
three devices. A design and assembly team accompanied each device to
the PPG. The use of C-124 aircraft for the transportation of the devices
to Eniwetok allowed a maximum time for design and fabrication at Livermore and assembly at PPG.
—
The[—
ei
“\there were no delays caused by weather and the
respective detonations occurred on the scheduled days: May 28, June 14,
and June 22, 1956.
~
LL
cf
A second|_
The assembiy mission
device was accomplished as a jointeffort of TU-11 and TU-12
UCRL.
4.12
T.:°
r
_\vas detonated on July 3, 1956.
“-T 12, UCRL ASSEMBLY B
Yie prime function of TU-12 was the field assembly _
The Task Unit was made up of A Division (Large Weapons) “and Device
Engineering Division personnel who were thoroughly familiar with the devices from having followed them through their design and fabrication phases.
These men were further subdivided into device assembly teams under the
immediate control of the lead engineer for the particular device. This
proved to be a highly workable system,
Full trial assembly of cach device was made in the U. S.
The, only
compromise was that}
.
This
assembly included matching support stand and local diagnostic equipment to
“ou er ee
the device. On some devices it proved cesirable to airship jigs, representing, and connccting points between, the device and cxternal equipment tied
to the device, to PPG to facilitate carly completion of field diasnostic work,
Another technique of value was the shipping of the devices in a nearly
assembled condition -- that is, for shipment after final stateside assembly
cach device was broken down as little as possible.
- 158 -
This enabled a rapid