CHAPTER IV, SECTION 4 ~/eiEf Rng : _ Figure 4-34. Qo LCU Under Repairs in Floating Dry-Dock - Site Elmer SUBMARINE CABLE LAYING and REPAIR. An LCM wasfitted out as a cable laying and repair boat and was used extensively in both lagoons. The deck and bottom of this boat was reinforced, a gasoline winch placed alongside the wheelhouse, a large sheave installed over the wheelhouse, and four davits each carrying a large sheave placed on the starboard side of the boat. A special cable dolly was used in ordinary cable laying. For laying of the power cable between Fred and Elmer, the large reels were carried on a 8” steel bar hung between heavily constructed brackets on the gunwales on each side. For investigation of suspected damaged cables, the cable was run through the four sheaves hung from the davits on the star- board side. The sheaves were first lowered to the bottom where divers would place the cable in the sheave, which was then raised by the use of the davit. After the wire was through all sheaves, the boat moved forward and the cable was inspected as it passed through these sheaves. blasting and marking of channels. A factor that added considerably to the maintenance problems was that the greater part of the landings had to be made on the generally prevailing weather sides of practically all sites. The waters in this lagoon were rougher than ordinarily encountered on sites at Eniwetok. A small, simple and inexpensive repair shop and rigging loft was installed at Bikini. All major engine overhaul was accomplished at En- iwetok Atoll, and Bikini was kept supplied with overhauled spare engines. For work on bottoms of the LCMs, they were generally lifted out of the water by dock cranes, and repairs were effected on the mole. The maintenance of LCUs at Bikini was a difficult problem. Bottom repairs were effected when practicable by use of divers or beaching the craft at high tide and effecting repairs at low tide. Every opportunity that was afforded for interatoll transfer of craft was taken advantage of to exchange MARINE MAINTENANCE craft in order to keep craft in best operating condition at Bikini. Conditions under which the landing craft operated at Bikini Lagoon were hazardous with respect to propellers, shafting, underwater bear- After 10 March an LCU wasfitted out as a tender, and a staff of mechanics kept the boats operating at Bikini by trouble shooting only in the early stages of the operation prior to major overhaul was accomplished. During this ings and bottoms. This was more pronounced Page 4-46 until the end of the operations in the Atoll. No