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TRANSIT BLUE BOOK

1.

GENERAL SITUATION

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1.1

General

This plan is adirective plan of eperations for the conduct of
CASTLE Project 6.4. lit defines the purpose and scope of the project, the
assumptions which guide and justify the project, and the general operations
which are necessary for accomplishment. Because Project 6.4 is a quasi-

naval operation, this plan is prepared in the format recommended by the
Naval iianual of Operational Planning, 1948 Edition. Detailed planning for

the technical and scientific work on Project 6.4 is contained in a series

of annexes to this plan.

The annexes are in the same format as the basic

plan and are supported in detail by tabs which reflect the current status
of planning and accomplishment. It is intended that this plan, together
with annexes and tabs, will be sufficiently complete to form a basis for
command decisions and preparation of on-site reports.
1.2

Nature and Scope of Operations
1.2.1

Nature of Operation

Project 6.4 is a proof test of shipboaid countermeasures,
damage control, and industrial rehabilitation procedures against radio~
logical contamination effects in atomic warfare. For purposes of ship
activation and operation control, Project 6.4 has been identified by the

unclassified Bureau of Ships code name "Project Transit".

Project

TRANSIT is composed of two specially altered and instrumented drone LIBERTY
ships, a control P2V5 aircraft, two fleet tugs for escort, tow and de-

contemination operations, and an operations base on Parry Island (ELJER),

Iniwetok Atoll. One ship will be equipped with candidate A; protective
devices and will be fully instrumented; this ship will be identified as
TRANSIT ABLE. The second ship designated as TRANSIT BAKER, will be unprotected, but will be instrumented the same as TRANSIT ABIE.

TRAISIT BATER

will alse incorporate special ventilation tests. The drone ships will not
be manned during the experiments but will be maneuvered by radio control
from an aircraft. The ships will be steamed into an area of high fall-out
activity subsequent to each event participated in. After each test, it

is planned to board the protected ship (TRaiSiT ABL™) and steam her to

Eniwetok, radiation levels permitting. In event of excessive radiation
levels, both ships will be recovered by tugs after each shot participated
in and towed to Eniwetok for post-test operations. Post-test operations
will consist of:
(a) detailed radiological survey of each ship, both above

and below decks.

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ST. LOUIS =REG

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