RG Dares Wucrena.
|
°
Location WNRC
U.
Accees Nu. als
Ja
Pron:
To:
Via:
Commanding Officer
Ss. 8,
Fleet.
nO (CvE-115)
Post
Son Francisco, Califomia
e
®
Chief of Novnl Operations
°
FO
: TELM: rd
CVELL5/M3-4
Ser:
008
7 March 1954
e
°
,
5
°
1,
Office
(1) Coemmnder Task Group 7,3
(2) Commander Joint Task Force SEVEN
Subj:
5
%
e
0
U.S.8. BAIROKO (CVE-115); ridiological contamimtion of
Atos OBOD-M on J March 195% this ship received a heavy fall-out of contam-
ited coral porticies foljawing the detonation of an atomic device on Rikint
Atoll.
at the time of the Tall-sut the ship wus thirty-one (31) mileS bearing
133°T fron the shot site,
Tho &IRCKO wms in the process of launching five (5)
helicopters at thc time the fall-out wos received and the wish-down equipment
wis laycd out in the catwalks, One helicopter wes in the air but ws immedlately
revsall.d and lanied, Th: first worming of fall-out wos the report of approx- @
ir -tely one (1) roentgen per houm on the flight deck,
The order to set Material
‘ «dition ABLE wis given at the first indication of fall-out and all ventilation,
{7 eluding ventilation to the engine room spaces was shut down and rem ined
sccured for arproximtely two (2) hours,
This prevented contamination of rcal
consecucnce of any spaces below the hang deck, the engincering spaces pising to
only eight (@) ailli roontgcns per hour, gimma only. The wist-down equipment wos
turned on as soon as Condition AME hid been set but proved to provide an ine
sufficient volizx of wmter to handic the heavy fall-out of contamincsted coral
5.91 deposited cn the flight deck, catwalks, island structure, forecastle and
fintedi, Operstion of the wish-down ecuipment wos continued for approximately
tw (2) hours art then secured, Monitering of the flight deck at this time gave
ridings as high es five (5) roentecns per hour in mony of the cross deck putters
and a high of twenty-five (25) reentgens per hour ms recorded in the flight
dtex drain or the storboord side aft, Pire hoscs were then broken out and used
to washdow the exposed arcis for the reminder of the day.
The firc hoses
preved to be mich superior in wishing amy the comparitively large mrticles cf
corn) sind which hed been received and it was possible to reduce the flight deci
ccant to anproximtely tweo-hurtred (700) rilli roentgens per hour, gimm only,
cr loss by 1600-H,
7. mn second fall-out wes moecived starting at about 1600-1, This fallout was
rcoeposed Of wry fine particles and incrotsed the court on the flight deck and
trid@e ta bitweer twoehuntred (200) and four-hundred (400) rilli roentgens poe
Pwr, EW only. The fire roses wore agvin used on the flight deck, forecastle
vd Fonteil and tridgs stricture until about LOL5<M when tne Task Unit. 7.1 vadic-
icese*] personne) recormerde? sending all personnel whe could t& spared below
dices tetruse cf the peesibility cf inhaling the extrerely fine particles Inte
tie Junge.
Be further dersrtarination measures were taken on 1 March 1954,
1
ENCL (2) TO ENCE (4)
th