planned, existing cables were bei~ used for remote control.
Factors not consideredin the early planning but now of major
importancein regards to ~int~ng

the t~

sched~e were aS foll~s:

(a) Heavy rains and high gusty winds accompanying the fall
season and blowing dust particles in the absence of
rain;
(b) Damage to the equipment incident to shipping. Some of
this equipmentwas damaged beyond repdr ad

resupply

made necessary;
(c) Soil condition of the island, i.e., the presence of
sub-surfacecoral strata at many levels required that a
great number of pole holes be hand-drilled ami/or dynamited.
Because of the delays occasioned by the factors enumerated
above, the Deputy hmmunications Officer (Colonel Hatch) decided
that Lieutenant Colonel Smith should return to Washington and give
the Communications Officer a report of progress and conditions in
the forward area ad

to investigate the possibility of having a

detachment of communicationspersonnel from the Air Task Group 7.4
sent to Kwajalein as previously desired so that installation of
communicationsfacilit~esmight comuence for that group.
Lieutenant Colonel imith returned to Washington, contacted
l~~jorGeneral Kepner and then departed to Fort Worth, Texas. At
Fort ‘?!orth,
Kajor General Ramey; the Deputy Commander of Task Group
7.4 (colonel Tho~s Dullose)ad

the CommandingOfficer, l$th
121

Section XI

Select target paragraph3