conveyed to the site by the Grosse Point, which was used to house them
while off duty.

Task Unit 7.3.2 (Carrier Unit)
During CASTLE, the Carrier Unit was composed of the escort carrier
Bairoko, Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron HMR-362 with 12 Sikorsy
HRS-2 helicopters, and Fleet Composite Squadron VC-3 with six F4U-5N Corsair fighter aircraft.

The latter was divided into the Bikini Fighter

Element, 7.3.2.1, and the Enewetak Fighter Element, 7.3.2.2, each with
three aircraft.

The Bairoko and HMR-362 participated in all five shots at

Bikini and remained there when shot NECTAR was fired at Enewetak.

Opera-

tional activities of the Bairoko are summarized in Table 67.
The most important mission of the Bairoko and HMR-362 was to operate
the ship-to-shore and interisland airlift at Bikini, which provided transportation to working parties before shots, and to damage-survey and datarecovery parties following shots.

The Bairoko also transported all the

washdown equipment to the PPG for installation on task group ships.

In

addition, it furnished space, facilities, and assistance in shipboard decontamination of HMR-362 aircraft in a canvas "bathtub" erected on the
flight deck.

It provided administrative and working facilities to the

radsafe task unit of TG 7.1, which included a photodosimetry trailer and a
trailer housing a radiochemical analysis laboratory.
During shot-phase activities, the Bairoko evacuated TG 7.1 personnel
who required quick reentry into the area via helicopter,

including radsafe

monitors and the Task Force Radiological Safety Center personnel required
to operate the photodosimetry and radiochemical analysis laboratories.
The carrier also took aboard the men and equipment of the Bikini Fighter
Element, the personnel and equipment of HMR-362, and CTG 7.3.

After shot

BRAVO on 1 March, the Bairoko removed the Bikini Fighter Element to Enewetak, where it operated for the remainder of CASTLE.

On 6 March, CTG 7.3

shifted his flag to the Curtiss because of overcrowding on the Bairoko.
Due to the contamination on Eneman Island,

349

HMR-362 continued to berth and

Select target paragraph3