CHAPTER VI, SECTION 1

CHAPTER VI
TEST OPERATIONS AND ROLL-UP
SECTION |
TEST OPERATIONS
At the time TG 7.5 staff appointments were
made, H&N was assigned the responsibility of
furnishing the following staff positions:
E-3, Plans and Operations;

E-4, Transportation and Supply; and
E-5, Communications (Alternate).

The start of the operational phase of Operation HARDTACK was 15 March 1958, with the
first event assigned a target date of 21 April
1958. Because of various considerations, FIR

was rescheduled and YUCCA was scheduled as
the first event to take place on 26 April 1958.

The final event of the series was scheduled for

13 August 1958; this event was executed on 18

August 1958.

Prior to 15 March, E-3 of TG 7.5 had
appointed specific individuals to assist in the
operations and planning functions for the Operation. These consisted of Evacuation Officers for

personnel and camp facilities, Muster Officers,

Beach Masters, and Transportation Control
Agents and were drawn from H&N supervisory
personnel. In addition, Airlift Priority Agents

were provided at Sites Fred and Nan to assist
in the assignment of passenger and cargo space

scope of responsibilities was outlined to provide
for emergency evacuations, safe operations, and

the protection of life and property during the
events scheduled at Johnston Island.
A natural disaster plan was established
detailing activities of key personnel and areas
of responsibility to ensure immediate and effective evacuation, if required. A hostile alert plan

was also published specifying the support H&N

would furnish to all units of the Task Group in
a hostile alert situation. This plan supplemented
TG 7.2 Emergency Operation Plan 1-58.

A “Schedule of Camp Operations in Support
of the HARDTACK Events” was published for
both atolls. This schedule served as a check

list for Evacuation Officers and also as a guide
to Using personnel; it was prepared by event
and outlined all camp activities at existing

locations from D minus 2 through D-Day. In
addition, a “Preliminary Evacuation Plan —
Camps and Events’”’ for both atolls was published; it was prepared by event, station number,
and site and outlined evacuation policy and pro-

cedure for all existing camp sites. The specific
plans concerning TG 7.5 support requirements
for individual events was coordinated with J-3

allocations to all elements of the Task Force.
Detailed plans were issued to these personnel
which covered all aspects of muster and evacuation procedures both before and after each

of TG 7.1 and incorporated into the “Check

elements of the Task Force. At the same time,

siderations were uppermost in mind in all planning and in the implementation of all plans.

event, and Embarkation Points and Assembly
Areas were established at both atolls for all

a detailed plan was initiated for the protection
of food and water against contamination from
fall-out. Well in advance of the Operation, a

bulletin was issued to all TG 7.5 personnel which
explained the danger of not evacuating personal
effects from forward areas during test events and

which instituted a plan to be followed to protect personal gearin all cases.
A parallel organizational plan was institut-

ed for Johnston Island upon relocation of the

TEAK and ORANGEevents to that site. Because of the relatively small number of person-

nel affected, the control assignments were limited
to an Evacuation Officer, a Muster Officer, a

Ship Muster Officer, and a Beach Master. The
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List” published by that office for each event.
Whenthis list seemed inadequate, special letters
and bulletins were initiated outlining detailed
instructions to ensure maximum safety to personnel and Government property. These two con-

In the early stages of the operational period,
a plan was initiated for the shut-down of air-conditioning and dehumidification units in the event
of radioactive fall-out. This plan listed all buildings affected and detailed instructions for complete shut-down or partial shut-down, as re-

quired in each case. Where essential and highly
technical equipment was affected, the intake

vents were closed and the units operated by recirculation of air within the structure, This plan
also included instructions to ensure that two
or more individuals at each building were familiar
with the location of switches and controls to
shut down the units upon evacuation.

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