With the temporary movement of the AF helicopters to Bikini, support
to the Teiteiripucchi complex was accomplished by landing L-20 aircraft at
Engebi and uslagesurface transportation to Teiteiripucchi. The decision was
made at this time to complete construction of the Teitetripucchi airstrip
which eliminated the need for using Engebi and surface transportation.
For periods of three to four days after some of the shots, certain of
the airstrips were out of commission for L-20 traffic owing to radiation.
H-19’s were used to move priority personnel to those complexes, supplemented by water taxis for low priority traffic.
After
the Runit artewass completely out of commission. Preparation for
Sen ae
:
pe
NES at Runit was
supported entirely by H-19’s and surface transportation,
L-20 aircraft were used to support
preparation as
soon as radiation levels permitted use of the Teiteiripucchi strip; however,
During a representative week of the build-up phase (April 1-1), the
interisland airline had the following traffic load:
Bikini
H-19B
844 flights
f
Leprosy
H-19’s primarily supported Seminole preparatory work.
1900 passengers (382 - TG 7.1)
Eniwetok
H-19BL-20
47 flights
223 flights
84 passengers (62 - TG 7.1)
717 passengers -(548 - TG 7.1)
During a representative week of the operational phase (May 6-12), the
interisland airline had the following traffic load:
Bikini
HRS-3 (H-19B)
589 flights
1563 passengers (1250 ~ TG 7.1)
Eniwetok
H-19B
L~-20
91 flights
279 flights
313 passengers (191 - TG 7.1)
742 passengers (400 - TG 7.1)
The L-20 lfaison-type aircraft was the answer to many of the demands
for rapid transportation of personnel and its performance and "in operation"
rate were very high. The HRS-1’s (H-19A), with which the HMR-363 was
first equipped, did not prove adequate in performance or in the availability of
replacement parts for an operation of this sort.
Such was not true of the
HRS-3’s with which the Marine Squadron at Bikini was later equipped (after
-91-
|
99