Between 0200 and 0330 hours, 5 May, MOLALA embarked personnel from YAG-39 and YAG-40 in an area 20 nmi east-northeast of Bikini Atoll; by the time shot YANKEE was detonated at 0610 hours, MOLALAhad steamedto a position approximately 50 nmi southeast of surface zero. The ship remained in this general area until approximately 1100 hours whenit steamed northward to intercept the YAGs. At 1433 hours, the crew sighted YAG-39 approximately 40 nmieast of the atoll; YAG-39 personnel were transferred to that ship from MOLALAbetween 1530 and 1630 hours. YAG-40 was very close by and, at 1700 hours, MOLALAwasenroute to Enewetak Atoll with YAG-40in tow on 1,600 feet of main tow line. Both of the YAGs experienced heavy fallout from the Shot YANKEEcloud. During the recovery operations, topside intensities on YAG-39 were approximately 1.3 R/hr, while those on YAG-40 were 16 R/hr (Reference 13). Between approximately 1440 and 1910 hours, MOLALA was steaming in water contaminated by the YANKEEfallout. Background levels onboard MOLALA dueto shine from the water were 6 mR/hr throughout this period (Reference 13); therefore, crewmen remaining topside during the recovery operations on 5 May received an integrated exposure of 27 mR dueto shine from the contaminated water. MOLALA, with YAG-40suillin tow, arrived back at Enewetak Atoll during the morning of 7 May; at 1135 hours, YAG-40 was moored just south of berth C-1 and, at 1214 hours, MOLALAanchored 600 yards south of berth D-4, approximately 1.5 nmi west of Parry Island (figure 1.3). The following day, MOLALA moored alongside YAG-40 from 1011 to 1140 hours. At this time, topside intensities on YAG-40 averaged 3.7 R/hr (Reference 13). The ship's log gives no indication of why the ship went alongside the YAG on this date, because apparently it had been decided to let YAG-40 cool-off before putting decontamination teams aboard. On 9, 10, and 11 May, MOLALAspenta good deal of time moored alongside YAG-39 while decontamination of that ship was in progress. All decontamination operations conducted aboard YAG-39 were controlled from MOLALAduring this period. A contamination control zone was roped off on MOLALAand a contamination check station was set up at the boundaryof the zone; all movement of personnel and equipment from YAG-39 was through the control zone on MOLALA(Reference 13). During the afternoon of 11 May, MOLALA took YAG-40 in tow and departed the Gr Ww lagoon for a rehearsal of Shot NECTAR, scheduled to be detonated on a barge over the IVY-