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U. S. S, BAIROKG (CVE-115)
Fleet Post Office

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San Franciscp, California

CVELI5/M3—4

4

{FRG

Fran: Commanding Officer
To:

3

Nus.ere.

Locatlon NRC

A

Commander Task Group 7.3

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STO RS Mareny -1SNov. /9F)

Subj: Radioactive contaminetion; summary of for period 1-8 Merch 195&
Ref:

(a) Appendix IV to Annex G, CTG 7,3 OpPlan 1-53

Encl:
1.

(b) CO, USS BAIROKO (CVE-115) sec ltr M3-4 ser 008 ty
of 7 Mar 1954

(1) Tatulation of average intensities topside

(2) Copy of refcrence (b)

,

In accordance with reference (2) the following report of radioactive conta

ination is submitted for the period 3-8 March 1954, Reference (bo) contained a

report of contaminmtion and decontzcmination offorts on 1 and 2 March 1954.
°
e
e

2. “At 0830 on 3 March 1954 this shipentered BIKINI ATOLL and gnchoréd in berth

N.5,

Helicopter operetions were conducted throughout the day.

The canvas bath

tub for decontanination of aircraft ws rigged on the flight deck, aft of mmber
tw elevator and all returning aircraft that had landed on the atoll were landed

in the tub’ for monitoring and washdowm with fresh wtcr, Fassengers were debarked
in the tub, monitored, and processed through the forward personnel decontamination

station, if necessary. Wo further efforts wore made to decontaminate the Might,

deck, however, sewral details wore busy sli day cleaning out flignt deck drains

where high rediation reading were notcd,

The average intensity in these drains

was between 80 and 100 milli roentgen per hour (gamma only} with ono reading as
high as 500 ailli roentgon per hour (gamma only). Stoppeges in these drains were
caused, for the most part, by excoss accumulation of wood splinters, rust flinkes

and paint chips jamming at the junction of two or more drain lines while fire

hoses wre being used to wash dows the flight deck,

3.

Decontanminmtion work on tho port and starboard gun sponsons was started after

anchoring on 3 March 1954.

The methods omployed included hosing dow with high

pressure firo hoses, hosing end scrubbing with salt wter and wiping dow with
fresh witer, Wumbor one motor winleboat was décontsminated with a soap and water
scrub dow followed by a fresh vetcr wipo down, The 40 MH! gm and gun director

canvas covers rogistcrcd high racietion in spots whore woter from previous wish

dows tad collected in pools.

By hosing -nd scrubbing with soapy natcr, the

intensity of all canvas covers wis reduced below 26 milli reentgen per hour

(gawm only). The covers were then stowed in ao void on the fantail to allow ths
intensity to reduco by naturs]l decay. The average deck intensity on the stam

board sponsons ws reduced to 9 milli roentgen per hour (garma only) by the end

of the day.

The only points of high radiation being two cocoa mat fenders which

[ae

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

EXCL (4)

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