contaminated YAGs, LCUs, and barges when TAWAKONI was moorednear those vessels on the
days indicated, and shine from contaminated lagoon water.

3.8

USS PC-1546.
PC-1546 was approximately 30-35 nmi east-southeast of Bikini Atoll when Shot

BRAVOwasdetonated at 0645 hours, 1 March 1954. The ship remained in this general area until
approximately 0800 hours when, due to fallout on several of the task force ships (BAIROKO,
ESTES, and PHILIP), all ships were ordered to proceed on a southerly course that would take
them out of the fallout area (Reference 7). Thus, PC-1546 escaped the early BRAVO fallout;

however, at approximately 1100 hours the ship was directed to proceed northwest toward Bikini
(Reference 3) and about noon it began receiving significant fallout from the BRAVO cloud.
Topside intensities increased rapidly and by the time fallout ceased at 1900 hours, the average
topside intensity on PC-1546 was 90 mR/hr (Reference 7). When fallout started, the entire crew,

with the exception of the CO who remained topside maneuvering the ship through rainshowers in
an effort to wash down the weather decks, and members of the Damage Control team that came
topside to perform hourly radiological surveys, were ordered below (Reference 15). It is assumed
that, after 1900 hours, crew routines were reestablished since, at about this time, PC-1546 began
providing screen for PHILIP, BELLE GROVE, GYPSY, and COCOPA (Reference 3). Figure

3.13 depicts the average topside intensity on PC-1546 from 1200 hours, 1 March (H+5.3), to
0800 hours, 8 March (H+169.3). There is no entry in the ship's deck log that the crew engaged in
any decontamination efforts after 1 March; however, accelerated decay rates between H+25 and

H+37, and again after H+49 (see figure 3.13), are indicative of efforts to decontaminate the ship
on 2 and 3 March, either by hosing down the weathersurfacesor by intentionally maneuvering the
ship through rainshowers.
PC-1546 reentered Bikini Lagoon briefly to refuel on 2 March, before continuing its
ASW patrol south of the atoll. The ship was relieved of its patrol duties at approximately 1300
hours on 3 March, and anchored in the Nan anchorage area at 1450 hours. During the period 4—
23 March, PC-1546 provided ASW patrols outside Bikini Lagoon on approximately
10 occasions, each lasting between 12 and 48 hours, anchoring or mooringin the lagoon between
each patrol.
At 1830 hours on 23 March, the ship departed Bikini enroute to Enewetak Atoll,

ammiving Enewetak at 0846 hours on 24 March. It remained at anchorin the lagoon in an un-named
berth north of Parry Island (see figure 1.3) from 24 to 31 March. It is assumed PC-1546 received
62

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