by TG 7.5 from December 1953 through May 1954, the most critical period
of the Operation, averaged 26 per month. No accurate figures are available

at this writing for the craft employed by TG 7,3.

Intra-atoll cargo and personnel movement activities for Bikini averaged
approximately 12,000 tons of cargo per month, and 1800 passengers per
month from January through August, 1953.

In September a sharp increase

-took place in both cargo and personunél movement, and a peak of 60,250 tons
of cargo was reached in December while a peak of 10,100 passengers was
reached in April, 1954.

For Eniwetok, these activities were considerably

heavier, Cargo averaged 31,000 tons per month from January through Au-.
gust; passengers averaged 6000 per month for the same period. An increase

was noted in September, and a peak of 73,000 tons of cargo was reached in
April, 1954 and a peak of 19,000 passengers carried was reached during this
same month.

The Eniwetok intra-atoll airlift was operated by TG 7.4 and dispatched
by TG 7.5,

Liaison aircraft (L-13) transported personnel to the four islands

having suitable landing strips where two-place helicopters (H-13) were available for shuttling passengers to less accessible areas. In addition, larger
helicopters (H-19) were employed for transporting personnel and equipment
on direct flights. The average numbers of aircraft employed in this service
were:

five L-13s, four H-19s, and two H-13s.

Air-passenger activities

during the early stages of the Operation, January 1953 through July 1953,
were relatively light. However, starting in August, L-13s and H-13s combined averaged eight daily flights and 15 passengers, whilé the H-19s averaged 15 daily flights carrying 66 passengers. Peak activities for all three
types of aircraft were reached in January, 1954, when the L-1]3s averaged
50 flights per day carrying 65 passengers; H~13s averaged 16 flights car-.
rying 10 passengers; and the H-19s averaged 75 flights per day carrying 256
daily passengers.

.

.

4.3 BIKINI ATOLL
At Bikini Atoll, water transportation was initially provided by the TG 7.5
boat pool which was subsequently augmentedby craft from the TG 7.3 boat
pool. Dispatchingof all trips was perfo6rmed by TG 7.4. Following BRAVO,,.
when operations at Bikini became entirely waterborne, all trips were dis,
patched by TG 7.5 from the USNS Ainsworth in coordination with the TG 7.3
dispatcher aboard the USS BELLE GROVE. The average number of each
type of craft available is listed below:

TG 7.5
LCU........ 5

LOM........ 9

DUKW....... 8

-

TG 7.3
LCU........

5

DUKW.......

8

LOM........ 16

The intra-atoll airlift at Bikini was placed in operation during May 1953
68

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