At an average speed of 15 knots, the last buoy should be in position in about 7.5 hr or by about 1530M on M—1 day. C. W. Wilkins Rear Admiral Commander, Task Group 132.3 AUTHENTICATED: (signed) A. C. Dragge, LCDR Flag Secretary JOINT TASK FORCE 132 TASK GROUP132.3 WASHINGTON 25, D. C. FF3/132.3/31:dn A4-3 Ser: 0665 16 Dec 1952 SUBJECT: Laying and Recovering Dan Buoys for Project 5.4a: recommendations concerning TO: Commander Task Group 132.1 P.O. Box 1663 Los AlamosScientific Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico 1. Enclosure one is forwarded herewith. 2. The statement, as written, contained in paragraph 2e, is not concurred in. Those factors which prompted the recommendations set forth in paragraphs 4a(1) and 4a(5) of the enclosure are to a great extent the factors that precluded detection of the Dan buoys by the P2V aircraft. If recommendations 4a(1), 4a(2), and 4a(5) are incorporated in any future Dan buoy projects, such buoys, if laid within a security area over which ASW searches by radar-equipped aircraft are being conducted, will present a serious security problem owing to the similarity in radar return to that of a submarinesnorkle. 3. If the information to be obtained from Dan buoys laid for future tests is of sufficient importance to warrant the added costs involved, it is recommended that suitably coded radar bea- cons be provided in each buoy in lieu of radar reflectors. C. W. Wilkins Rear Admiral, U. S. Navy Commander 1 encl USS O’Bannonconf ltr 066 of 12 Nov 1952 Copies furnished BuShips (Code 348) (w/encl) 12180849 DDE450/CO-hIb A4-3 SER: 066 12 November 1952 75 Se