v 1 ( C U, S, S. BAIROKO (CVE-115) Fleet Post Office Francisco, California From: EOB: TELM: rd CVELI5S/M3-4 Ser: 0010 11 MAR 1954 Commanding Officer To: Commander Task Group 7.3 Subj: Radioactive contamination; summary of for period 1-8 March 1954 Ref: &} Appendix TV to tena 0 CTG 7.3 OpPlan 1-53 Encl: (1) Tabulation of average intensities topside . 1. — b) CO, USS BAIROKO (GVE-115) sec ltr M3-4 ser 008 of 7 Mar 1954 (2) Copy of reference (b) In accordance with reference (a) the following’ re report of radioactive contam= ination is submitted for the period 3-8 March 1954. Reference (b) contained-a report of contamination and decontamination efforts on 1 and 2 March 195k. 2. “At 0830 on 3 March 1954 this ship entered BIKINI ATOLL and anchored.in berth N-5, Helicopter operations were conducted throughout. the day. The canvas bath tub for decontamination of aircraft was rigged on the flight, deck, aft of number ed two elevator and all returning aircraft that had landed’on the atoll, were in the tub*for monitoring and washdown with fresh water. Passengers were debarked in the tub, monitored; and processed through the forward personnel decontamination station, if necessary. No further efforts were made to decontaminate the flight © deck, however, several details were busy all day ‘cleaning out flight: deck drains where high radiationreading were noted, The average intensity in these drains, was between 80 and100 milli roentgen per hour (gemma only) with one reading as. high as 500 milli roentgen per hour (gamma only), Stoppages in these drains were caused, for the most part, by excess accumulation of wood splinters, rust flakes and. paint chips jamming at the junction of two or more drain Lines while fire. , hoses were being used to. wash down the flight deck. 3. Decontamination work én the port and starboard gun sponsons was startedafter anchoring on 3 March 1954, The methods employed included hosing downwith high pressure fire hoses, hosing and scrubbing with salt water and_wiping dow with _ fresh water, Number one motor whaleboat was décontaminated with a soap and water scrub down followed by a fresh water wipe down, The 40 MM gun and gun director canvas covers registered high radiation in spots where water from previous wash . downs had collected in pools, -By hosing and scrubbing with soapy water, the intensity of all canvas covers was reduced below 20 milli roentgen per hour (gamma only). The covers were then stowed in a void on the fantail to allow the intensity to reduce by naturel decay, The average deck intensity on the star board sponsons was reduced to 9 milli roentgen per hour. (gamma only) by the end of the day. The only points of high radiation being two cocoa mat fenders which ENCL (&) GS 37YPSLOP