although apprehension existed regarding the possibility
of radiological contamination of the islands. Most
of the structures were of light frame construction.
Personnel quarters and many administrative and
wor’; spaces were tents supported by wood frames.
The estimated overpressure from Shot 1 of about
records of the personnel involved.
A general sum-
mary of these studies may be found in Chapter §.
PROGRAM 6: TESTS OF SERVICE EQUIPMENT
AND TECHNIQUES
1.4 psi had a positive duration of about 13.4 seconds,
and gave the structures and equipment on these islands the appearance expected from a high-wind
storm. Some buildings collapsed, others were pushed out of alignment, and many had their roofing stripped or partially stripped. The damage was too extensive to warrant rehabilitation of a camp for
messing and housing, although the use of the air
strip was continued, and the islands continued as a
Project 6.1 “Test of Interim IBDA Procedures”
(WT-924), Strategic Air Command; Rockly Trianta-
fellu, Col, USAF, Project Officer.
The Strategic Air Command objective for Castle
was to determine current IBDA capabilities for highyield detonations and to provide indoctrination for
combat crews.
Three B-50's and crews of the 97th Bomb Wing
Detachment staged through Fred Island from Guam
for each shot. The aircraft control surfaces were
painted with thermal-res{stant paint, and all windows
and blisters were equipped with thermal protective
base for construction operations.
As opposed to the light construction described
above, two massive reinforeed-concrete structures
for protection of scientific instruments were located
at about 2,500 yards from the detonation, at about
130 psi overpressure. One of these was not earthcovered. It was also geometrically unconventioaal;
the cther structure was geometrically conventional.
curtains.
Standard APQ-24 radar and 0-15 cameras
were used to record shot phenomena.
The B-50's were positioned about 15, 23, and 30
miles from ground zero for each shot 2t altitudes of
‘These two structures were suviccted to alr prescures, g-ound accelerations, and thermal radiation
approximately 30,000 feet.
tures were still structurally intact after the deto~
nation, although there had been detail failure to such
the photographs, ground-zero fixes s-ere determined
with sufficient accuracy for IBDA purposes. The
technique of using photographic data to compute yiclds
far in excess of that for which designed.
Excellent radar-scope photographs of the characteristic returns were obtained. Byinterpretation of
The struc-
a de sree is tu aitrioute functional failure to the
buildings A studyof the design details of these
structures should be most rewarding to structural
proved unreliable.
Since participation was limited to
surfacc bursts, no attem,t was made to compute
engineers who are concerred with the effective de-
height-of-burst information.
sign aspects of nuclear warfare.
Project 6.2a “Blast and Thermal Effects on B-36
‘Aircraft In Fifght” (WT-925), Wright Air Development Center;G. Miller, Project Officer.
Data obtained during Ivy and Upshot-Knothole had
PROGRAM 4: BIOMEDICAL STUDIES
Project 4.1 “Study of Response of Human Beings
Accidentally Exposed to Significant Fallout Radiation”
related the response of the B-36 to the thermal and
'W'T-923,, Naval Medical Research Institute, Naval
Radcioicgical Defense Laboratory; E. P. Cronkite,
blast forces of nuclear detonations. Project 6.2a
was established to prove or disprove the predicted
CDR, USN
responses of the B-36 aircraft to nuclear, thermal,
Project Officer.
Addeaijur;a Reoort “Nature and Extent of Internal
Radioactiv: Contamination of Human Beings, Plants,
and blast forces. These predictions, which were
based upon theoretical and empirical analysis, were
snd Animals Exposed to Fallout (WT-936).
Adcendum Report “Medical Examination of Ronge-
lap People Six Months After Exposure to Fallout”
The same B-36D aircraft which had participated
(WT-937).
Addendum Report “Exposure of Marshall Islanders
and American Military Personnel to Fallout”
tn Ivy and Upshot-Knothole was selected becauseit
was already partially instrumented for such a test.
The aircraft was flown and maintained by the Strategic
Air Command. The Wright Air Development Center
was responsible for the installation, maintenance,
(WT -938)
Addendum Report “Physical Factors and Dosimctry in the Marshall {sland Radiation Exposures”
and operation of the instrumentation as well as the
(WT-939;
selection of the position of the aircraft relative to the
The project report and the addendum reports noted
represent the documentation of the study of fadlout ef-
feets on those humans accidentally exposed during
Shot 1.
to be used to define the delivery capabilities of the
aircraft.
The main project report (WT-923) represents
the overall results of the study; the addendum reports
listed are detailed studies of dosimetry and internal
radioactive contamination, as well aa detailed clinical
113
detonation.
Measurements of peak overpressure,
thermal intensity, and total thermal energy were
made to dctermine the thermal and blast inputs on
the aircraft. To obtain data on the response of the
aircraft to these inputs, it was instrumented further
tor the measurement of wing, stabilizer, and fuselage
bending moments, stabilizer shear forces, fuselage