—~
He could not guarantee that communications would stay in.
Dr. Graves
then approved Lt Col Slater's proposal,
-
‘A request for an aircraft to return the forccasters to Eniwetok was
approved by Major General Clarkson, CJTF SEVEN,
It was essential that
personnel spend as little time as possible on Tare Island, Bikini.
To
insure this, Col Phil Hooper, J~3, JTF SEVEN, worked out a procedure
which sounded like somcthing from a pulp magazine adventure story,
"™™ Boar No, 27 would be alongside the USS Estcs at 0630 M to take the
four forecasters to Tare Island, where they would be met by a ycllow
Jeep No. 78, which would take thom to the airstrip.
In the meantinc
the C-47 dispatched from Eniwetok would be circling overhead andwould
land when the jeep approached the airatrip.
[Everything worked arazdngly
well, exccpt that "if" Boat No, 27 was not cquipped with hand rails.
Waves were heaving the stern of the M Boat from four feet below to four
feet above the lower end of the ships gangway,
of the gangway was in several fect of water,
At times the lower end
This made the transfer
fron the ship to the boat a very hazagdous and a very damp process,
Operational weather forecasts for a possible ROMEO shot were issued
twice daily by the Eniwetok weather central for 16 days; until satisfactory upper winds occurred on 27 March 1954.
particle trajectories for this
The final computed air
shot were issued at 0345 HM, 28 Merch 1954.
The forceast verified very well, allowing the event to take place on the
first of two favorable days following 2 period of twenty-six unfavorable
days.
,
The procedure whereby all forecasts were prepared at tho Eniwetok
weather central proved completely satisfactory.
It was decided to
il