3. Late in December 1955, after
disoucsion with the preject personnel and Task Group 7.4, it was
éscided that a contract should be let to the Hastings Instruxent
Gompauy for the installation and operation of Raydist positioning
equipeont. Chis equipment appeared to be extrenely simple in cosign
and operation and would apperestly provide the desired accuracy in
positioning the effects B-36 and B47, The contract prevrided for
+he rental of the necessary ecuipmert plus the services of four
Raydiat toohnicians to assist in the installation and operation
of the equipment in the forward area, The equimment was assenbled
hastily during damaary and shipped to the forward area, arriving
approximately 2 February, Gumerous difficulties arese in connection
with the instaliatian of the various electronic units at Bikini,
Nost of theses difficulties could be traced to Lasufficient prepares
tory work pricr te the movement overseas. Some units wore faulty,
ethers were incorplete and a1} of the equipment wae highly susceptible te corrosion. Operations in the forward area were
considerably by lack of proper security clearances for the Raydist
technicians. it was necessary to provide en stcort fer these individwle and this restricted their mevenents, which resulted in ine
adequate attention to the equipment during the installation period,
Fortunstely, it was possible te install the master centro] station
aboard the US8 Curtiss where a military Seoret clearance vas sufil-
siet, Also, {t was possible to iustall one of the transmitter
stations on Bikini Ieland where no special security olesrance was
vequired. Tiw eceperation of the Comanding Officer of the USS
Curties was responsible to a large degree for the gucceasful cpera-
tion of the Raydiat equipment. After the third shot, the possibility
of severe damage ta the Raydist stations because of wave action,
plus the face that two of the remaining four shots were scheduled
to be fired at Eniwetek, rosulted in a deaieion to move the Raydist
equigewnt from Bikini te Eniwetek, This was acsouplished expediticualy and the oquipment was set: up under much more favorable
conditions at Eniwetak sings it was possible to manualiy operate
all but one of the statis, At Bikini all stations oxzoept the
master atation had to be operated remctely, Unfortunately, ona of
the two shots scheduled for Eniwetok was cancolled after the equip=
went had bean moved, however, exoollent results wore obtained on
tho Jest shot in the series which was fired st Enivetok.
&.
Tro drone Liberty ships, one of
them equinped with an autovatio wash daw rystem, participated in
b4be
U4