HISTORY INSTATIMENT NO. VII
IT.
GENERAL
Tais history installment (Task Group 132.3 7th) will account for the
Navy Task Group participation in the KING Event.
‘“vacuetion of the Atoll
was not required although the Task Group was ready to accomplish the
task had it been necessary.
Security measures to protect the closed area
were, in general, a repetition of the MIYE Fvent.
The significant sector
required patrolling for only 550 miles as ‘compared to 800 miles for the
MIKE Event.
The 9th of Novenber was designated K minus 4 and the KX Rehearsal
was held on that date.
The USS OAK HILY wont to ssa for the Rehearsal
but all other ships remained at anchor or, as in the case of the DDMs, on
normal patrol.
One aircraft, a F2V, took station in rehearsal for
Setentific Project 9.2 and the USS RENDOVA provided helicopters for rehearsal of recovery operations.
As in MIKE, the KING rehearsal for Task
Group 132.3 was primarily a check of electronics equipment and communications facilities.
Air Patrols were intensified on Kminus 4 from one to two search
planes in overlapping schedules.
‘Surface patrol was stepped up from 2
to 3 DDEs on K minus 3 and from 3 te 4 DDEs on X minus 2.
_
Ships at Eniwetok were directed to reinstall and test their washdown spray systems on * minus 3.
The official observers were hosted by the Task Group on K minus 1
(first).
They observed carrier flight operations on the USS RFNDCVA
and were carried ashore by helicopter on completion of the ship exercises.
The USS CMRTISS remained at Kwajalein during KING Event.
ivetel
The TSS
BEST AVAILABLE COPY
arted Enivetok on 12 November for Bikini, remaining there
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