Because of ‘the 18 people on Ailinginae (reported to be unpopulated), confirmation of the status of other atolls involved in significant fallout
was obtained from the Trust Territory representative at Kwajalein.

Of

particular interest were Bikar and Taka for BRAVO fallout and Taongi for
future shots.

These atolls proved to be unpopulated as reported;

the peo-

ple on Ailinginae were not permanent residents, but only temporarily at
Ailinginae to fish.

The offsite fallout findings, summarized by a member of the CTG 7.1
Advisory Group, are presented in Table 22.

PATAPSCO CONTAMINATION
The Patapsco, a gasoline tanker, was moored at Enewetak to unload aviation gasoline 2 days prior to the BRAVO detonation.

The ship was ordered

to leave and proceed at full speed from Enewetak to Pearl Harbor because

it lacked adequate radiation equipment and protection gear.

The ship's

speed was reduced to one-third full speed on 28 February, however, because
of a cracked cylinder liner.

The ship was about 180 to 195 nmi

(333 to

361 km) east of Bikini when BRAVO was detonated.
The ship had been vectored approximately along the BRAVO cloud hot
line by the transient shipping search aircraft on D-day afternoon.

In the

early to mid-afternoon of the following day (H+31 to H+32.5), at a range
of about 565 to 586 nmi

receive fallout.
known.
(290 nmi

(1,051 to 1,084 km)

from ground zero, it began to

The intensity of the fallout radiation is not accurately

Flight Able reported that a little later in the afternoon Bikar
537 km

east of Bikini) was reading about 0.600 R/hr.

Estimates

made by analysts working with the rates measured when the ship arrived at
Pearl Harbor range from as high as 0.620 R/hr

(Reference 85)

to 0.183 R/hr

(Reference 86).

No steps to decontaminate the ship were taken en route to Pearl Harbor
because it appeared to those on board that the level of radiation was too

low to cause concern.

The ship arrived at Pearl Harbor on 7 March and was

230

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