daikt Task

2
ao
"1

militery staff 7 f
S. Farson s,
Willian
AaQniralThe

Poree Seven included Reer

o

Gcneral William 3.
In
USN, and Major
Kepner alsa served
General
D
MY
Kepner, USAF, as Deputy Commanders.
Erigadier
Foree Seven.
as Commandcr Air Forces, ae Joint Task
General Claude B. Fcerenbaugh was Chicf of Staff.

Naval units of the Joint Task Forec were cormanded by Hear
Brigedicr General David A. D.
Adzriral Freneis C. Denebrink.
Oeden,

USA, commanded Army units er the Tesk Feree and Majar

Gcnerel Roger M. Ramey, USAF, was in command of sir Porce units
uncer the overall dircctinn of Genercsl “epnsr.
.
The major portion of the Joint Task Fores sailed from Pearl
Horbor on & Merch in ships of the Navel Task Group. Flagship of
the force wes the command ship USS [fxant eKinicy, veteran of
the Pacific war and of the Bikini atomic tcets.
The four ships
af the convoy hed aboard the principal porticipants, both scicntific and militery.
Construction of the proving ground had been
commenced in late December 1947 by General Ogden's Army units, in
ace2rdance with plans developed 40 eourdinetion with the Scicntific
Grvup.
Some of sue ecnstruction was perforreda by civilian contrect.
One of the most extensive construction projects was that o
Signal communication.
Both radisc and tclepnane service was required.
Nearly 1,005,000 feet of subjiarinc calle waselaid under
Girection af the U. S. Coast Guard.

Ineldentsily, it might Intercst you ts know that within the

Tesk Force

in addition t+ the

Se tentific personnel
fous
from the ABC's

Los Alamxs Selentific Laboratory at New Mexico, end many otner
ports of the country, we hed cngascd at
different periods during
the prepsration for and conduct of the tests personnel from the
army,

Navy,

Including Merines,

Air Ferec,

Const Guard,

Public

Ecalth Service, Cosst end Ceacetic Suny Cys
y, civilian employces from
the different Services and civilicns werking undcr contract. Consequently,

acientific
.

upon arrival

of the main “baby af the

Task Forec,

the

eroun was able to enmrenee its prcparstions immcdlatcly

During the period vf construction and preparation for the
tests same 50,000 measurement tons of material, supplics and
equinment were

arcae

shinoed from the mainland and foo Oahu to the test

Some of this wes shipped by air although the bulk,

went by water.

of coursc,

Lt was dceided at the cutset that the most caonomiceal means
of mounting the operation would be to utilizs the existing administrative ane 1-isticnl channels of the three Servieccs. Primarily,
these Channels were Cormendcr in Chicf, Pacific, end Commander in

Chief, Pacific Plect;

the Pacific Divisio Dy

U. S. Army, Pacific; Pacific Air Commend;

3ir Pronspore Cammancs:s

and

the Naval Air

Transport Service. “We also bad the services of the Western Oeccan
Division,

Corps

of Bnginecrs,

Department

of the

army, at

Sausalito,

Celifornia; the UVavel Supply Centers’ at Oallend end Port Hueneme,
California, and at Pearl Harbor; and the San Francisca and Seattle
Ports of Embarkation.
oy
ae

-. 3s ~ ;

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