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60
practicable, the completion target date being no later than 1 July 1958,
Operation HARDTACK then, including more detonations of atomic de-~
vices than had been involved on any previous overseas test program,
would have its shots approximately evenly divided between Eniwetok and
Bikini Atolls,
University of California Radiation Laboratory devices
were to ba detonated at Bikini Atoll, and Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory devices were to be tested at Eniwetok Atoll.
However, should the
Planned detonations at one atoll be completed shead of schedule, to pro-.
vide a more efficient use of the proving ground, remaining shots should
be rescheduled,
Capability of firing a high yield device at each atoll
similtaneously was to be maintained,
Reiterating previously released information, the operation plan
stated that two high altitude detonations would be launched by Redstone
Missiles from Bikini Atoll, and the high altitude balloon device would
be launched from the deck of the USS Boxer,
‘Two underwater detonations
were to be effected at Eniwetok,
Thus, the operation plan (which was to become Operation Order 1-58
upon initiation of the operational phase of HARDTACK), the Book Message,
and the Planning Directive were the major planning documents produced by
the 950th Test Group and Task Group 7...
Virtually all subsequent plan-
ming actions were founded upon these documents which were broad in scope
and extensive in content.
rg
After these documents appeared to provide the
ar
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