% nect this combined requirement etandard armed ASY patrols
were flown in the Denger Area throughout the Cperation averaging one
patrol every other night.

In addition reconnaissance flights were flown:

preeeding and following shote,

The reeonnaiseance patrols esvered to

seators; the Tanger Area, and the ecator along the bearing of the
predieted€ path of the radicective eload, i.e. the significant sector.

Initially the first recennaiesance flights took off from Kwajalein
early en ehot day minus twe,

One aircraft soarched the Daager Area

continucusly, relieving on etatios, until a few hours before shot time.
One aircraft searched the signifiesnt seetor on minus two day, re-.

tarning to base upon completion of the search,
peated on minus one day,

This flight we re-

A third significant sector ecarch vas adds

by one aireraft on shot day, after the shot, if 16 was requested by
(GSTF SEVEE,

Thies was the general pattera of flights conducted for

the firat shet,

13. As o remlt of the contesination of the Japanese fishing
vessel lecky Dragon which wes caught ia the widespread BRATO fallout
despite its yosition cutside the predicted falleut srea, the YP-29
reconnaiscance tack wae greatly increased on subsequeat shote.

‘The

Faiwetek Danger Area, vhich before CASTLE had Been enlarged to include
Bikieai Atoll, was further expanded, with a different area prescrided

depending upor whether the shot wae to occur at Bikini or Eniwetok.
The munder of alroraft to search the new arene was inereased to three,
The signifiqunt eactor was mow te be searched by tuo afreraft, tring-

AFWL/HO

\no

fing to a tetel cf five the number of planes YP-29 had to put in the

Select target paragraph3