4o Special Prebions
{a) The main difficulty in
operation, aside from maintenance troubles
was the weather. For seven days, from the
Kajuro, heavy rains fell incessantly. The
getting set up and inte
with the SOR-658 and SCR-399, moment of our arrival at
lack of shelter for uncrating
in these circumstances resulted in much wet equipment and consequent loss
of tine. In uncrating the immediate necessities, the first probles
encountered was the lack of wrecking bars and nail pullers. The crate
marked as containing these items contained only pambers tools, such as
Pipe wrenches, pipe cutters, pipe threader, ete,
The majority of boxes
were opened with a pinch bar (obtained from the LST), hatchet, and ball peen
hammer,
(>)
Supply was a drawback during the early stages, in
that many boxes were found without shipping documents. The confusion
this caused lasted through the entire project and made identification
by stock number found in the UPREL impossible in many cases.
V.
Recommendations for Future Projects
1.
Unless the vehicles furnished for future projects for
Majuro can be more carefully checked and prepared for moist climate,
it is suggested that two vehicles, instead of one, be supplied ~ one
each weapon carrier and one each jeep, The weapon carrier 8219,
assigned to Majuro during Froject IVY, had to be pushed or pulled
for starting more often than it was started by the starter,
even pushing was to no avail.
At times
It is estimated that no less than 20
days, at eight hours per day, were spent in keeping the vehicle
operating.
2. It was discovered during the project that the reefer
engines (gasoline driven) were not suitable for the climate encountered in the
Marshalls. After uncrating, three days were required for three nen
to get the first engine into operation. Only after the fifth day were
three reefers operating in such a manner that the perishable foods could
be moved into them. During the intervening period two large reefers
°
were loaned to the Weather Detachment by the Trust Territory thus
preventing an otherwise complete loss of perishables. At two other
periods during the Detachment's stay on Hajuro the simultaneous failure
of all reefer engines necessitated the moving of food to the Trust
Territory reefers, The reefers engines were in constant need of
attention during the entire project, and it is the opinion of all
concerned that the replacenent of these gasoline driven units would
cut the reefer maintenance problems down to a reasonable figure.
3,
The two gasoline field ranges were very efficient in
operation when large quantities of food were to be cooked at one
time, but for a unit of only twenty-one men two small apartment sized
electric stoves of the 220 volt variety, with four Burners on top,
would be much more effective. Aside from being more practical the
electric stoves are completely safe, whereas the gasoline stoves
developed numerous leaks which resulted in potentially disastrous
firese
BEST AVAILABLE C
opy