3. TG 132.1 was not notified well in advance of changes in schedules or take-off times. Owing to the frequent flights required by Project 5.3, this project was inconvenienced con- siderably by these conditions. After obtaining permission from CJTF 132 and CINCPACto use Midway, Guam, Wake, and Hawaii, project personnel were authorized to make direct arrangements for housing and subsistence with the authorities on the islands and to arrange for MATS or commercial air transportation from Hickam. 3.8 SHOT PHASE EVACUATION 3.8.1 Mike Shot Preparation for Mike Shot was made moredifficult by the necessity of evacuating all per- sonnel from Eniwetok Atoll, the latter course of action being dictated, in the interests of safety, by the expected large energy release of the Mike device. Although early planning for the evacuation of Eniwetok Atoll dates back prior to the evacuation conferences held at Los Alamos on 10 June 1952, there were many details which, of necessity, were not completed until . Just a few days prior to the shot. On 20 September a preliminary meeting on evacuation was held by Headquarters, JTF 132 with representatives of all Task Groups present. The purpose of this meeting was to establish a working committee to study and prepare evacuation plans for the orderly evacuation of per- sonnel and material from Eniwetok Atoll prior to Mike Shot. At this meeting some of the prgblems involved in the evacuation of personnel and material were discussed. This group recommended that an Evacuation Committee be established with membership composedof one or ~ more members from each Task Group and Task Force Headquarters. Lt Col R. D. Denchfield of JTF 132 was named Chairman of the Evacuation Planning Committee. The first meeting of this committee was held at 0900 on 25 September. Representatives of J-1, J-3, and J-4 Sections of TG 132.1 attended this meeting. A TG 132.1 Troop Quartermaster was nominated at this meeting. Such problems as mail while afloat, hold baggage, preparation of plans, and loading schedules for passengers and cargo were discussed by the committee. Additional meetings of the Evacuation Planning Committee were held on 30 September and 1 and 3 October to discuss further evacuation plans, Allocation of personnel by Task Groups to the evacuation vessels was completed, subject to late changes. At the Commanders Staff Conference on 8 October, CTG 132.3 reported that the Navy Task Group was concerned about the apparent difficulty experienced in establishing evacuation schedules for both material and personnel. TG 132.3 had prepared an evacuation boat schedule which was presented to the Evacuation Planning Committee for consideration. Captain Knickerbocker explained that, in the meetings held during the previous two weeks by the Evacuation Committee, difficulty was experienced in firming up evacuation plans owing to the inability of some committee members to obtain detailed data from their respective Task Groups. The assignment of personnel to the various ships was dependent on the vperational requirements of the individual. The operational functions of the principal evacuation ships of TG 132.3 were as follows: USS Estes USS Curtiss USS Rendova USNS Shanks | USNS Collins Command and Firing Group Weapon Assembly and Cryogenics Radiological Safety and Recovery Parties Majority of personnel not assigned to other vessels 32