1 Auster (Piper Cub type) for insect spraying and
Light jobs
Plus 3 Dakotas, which are used to supply the outlying
weather stations.
ce, London Port has been dredged to about 9 feet in
depth for use of landing craft. The 3 destroyers, one
LST. and 3 tenders usually anchor well outside the reef
or tie to buoys (No aireraft carrier in this operation).
4. After the view of the station we decided that we would
take advantage of the 3-day delay by returning to Pearl where We
talked to representatives of the Commander in Chief, Pacific and
our respective Service commanders, and were back on Christmas
Island the evening before the shot. The day of the shot the
main camp was completely evacuated. We were the last to go to
the JOC, We gathered they did not want us on hand until the drop
We learned that the operation would be
aircraft had taken off.
A
delayed about a half hour from the scheduled 0730 shot time,
Liberian freighter had been sighted in the danger area. After
a5 ofclock sighting by a Shackleton patrol aircraft the British
were able to talk with the ship "“EFFY" only on the distress
Frequency (500 KCS).
They advised her to reverse course and clear
She danger area, In the meantime, the British destroyer, COSSAK,
Was sveaming toward her to escort her out of darger. Fortunately,
oy shot time she was about 45 miles away with the escort vessel
ntegting close by, advising her with regard-to the actual time
the snot would go and then releasing her to pass clear of Christmas
Vella,
5» About 30 minutes before shot time we were escorted to the
ou and permitted to listen to the reports on the aircraft circuit
“sbrol aircraft, as well as the drop aircraft and 1ts escort and
“hie Sampling aircraft, were now in position,
An initial run was
mute by the drop aircraft to check existing wind conditions and
ceumli everyone to get in tune with the operation.
CEMiNg Tun.
Then came the
6, It is interesting to know that the live run started about
y mites North of JOC and passed within 3 miles of control.
The
sano Line passed over the Northeast corner of Christmas Island
rinfaeld across the Bay of Wrecks with a Surface Zero point 14
seconds {at 425 knots) beyond the Southernmost point of the Island.
Jne Valiant aircraft was making 425 knots over the ground, flying
al; about 45,000 feet, The burst was in the meighborhood of
8,00C feet above the water.
The group of personnel we were stand-
ing with in JOC were told to face away from the burst and were not.
permitted to leave the building until 15 seconds had elapsed after
the snot.
We were given no special equipment and were told to
weep our eyes closed,
At the end of 15 seconds we rushed ovtside tc
5Q observe the fire ball for a matter of about 10 seconds before
4% disappeared in cloud cover,
The fire ball appeared to have
a dlameter of about 3500 yards and at 30 seconds after the explosion seemed to be about one diameter above the earth.
This
was
difficult to gauge because of the coconut palms about us
obliterating the horlzon, The shock Wave arrived with a terrific
crack to the ears and it was followed in about 10 seconds with a
double lesser crack and again in
double even lighter crack,
about @ seconds with another
The rumble persisted for several
minutes as the shock wave traveled away from us.
Due to the moist