dbimme 10 Be AM ADMINISTRATIVE MARKENG Recweer ot one Ee0. 12085, Section 65100 REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES WD WARS, DateYIAZ.. |' 409273 ~ STATEMENT OF LIEUT. GENERAL JOHN E. HULL, COMMANDER, JOINT TASK .FORCE SEVEN, 4T PRESS CONFERENCE, HQ., USARPAC, FORT SHAFTER, T. H., 18 MAY 1948, Joint Task Force Seven has successfully comploted its .. mission as assigned by the Joint Chicfs of Staff, This mission was dual in charactcre First, it was the mission of the Task Forec to construct an atomic anergy proving ground for the Atomic | Energy Commission at Eniwotoke Secondly, it was required that we assist the AEC in the conduct of the first scrics of tests, of a atomic weapons during the months of spril and May The Task Force had comploted the construction of the. proving I ground by April, in timc to permit the conduct of the tests as schedulede 3 In gcencral, this involved the construction and -re- habilitation of housing and group and for troops. 4 living facilitics for tho sclentific Installation of utilities, water,”“power, and communications was required, Fortunately,we were. abic: “to use existing structurcs, Ie ft over from the war, mostly ‘quonset ~ Tan type. buildings, at the proving ground for housing personnel: and for storage and work enops 3 aftcr repairs, of course... Somer<< \ equipment was ropairablo, for instance nefrigcrating equipment’, Considerable savings resulted from these efforts. It was:snoces sary. to repair alr strips to permit the landing of heavy planes’. including C-54'g, 5 Be29's and Bel7's, Landing facilitios ‘for, small wator craft hag to be provided, although carga had to be/ OFT loaded on lighters from the transport ships. ; te, Construction of the actual testing ground involved ‘ : apeelel: construction for the placement of various scientific. instrumonts and test cquipment. eae Te Thesc tcsts had no kinship ts. the Blklni tests, the,purpose of which was t» test the effect on naval oquipmant and. other’: materials as well as animal and marine life. In the words:‘Of | the directive given to the Commander of Joint Task ForcoOne,. y the purpose of the Bikini tcst was to dctcrminc "the effects of atomic cxplosives against naval vessels in order to dppraisa the strategic implications of atomic bombs including the results. on naval design and tacticse" underwatcr test Charlic,. Wo did not conduct the postponed” +f? The tests of Opcratison Sandstone wore literally and:truly ficld laboratory tests, designed ta detcrmine how the’ hombs “now. oo oy. oP Mae . a eta! wy! under development by the United Statcs would work and to’ determine. | thoir efficiency. We did just that. We got our answers. .We: likcd the answorse These answers belong to the United ‘Statos po Governmont and, naturally, arc not for publication. It”‘can “be said, however, that the bombs workcd. We hava proved the weaponi de vo'Lopme nt work donc by the Los Alamos Selantific Laboratory during the psst two years. This job which we have just completed was begun on 3. April 1947 when thc General 4dvisory Committec of the Atomle Encrgy Commission econeurred in the recommendation of the Los Alamos BEST COPY AVAILABLE