CHAPTER Ill, SECTION 5
since the IVY demobilization level was adequate
for the opening phase of CASTLE.
U. S. Army from the fresh water Mayberry
Slough to the Armybase in the San Francisco
All procurement of subsistence supplies to
be shipped overseas was covered by strict specifications arranged between the Jobsite and the
Home Office Procurement Department.
Al
branches of the food industry were, after close
inspection of their plants and service facilities
had been made, canvassed for bids for the supply
of Holmes & Narver requirements. A thirty-day
lead time was established after receipt of requisitions to request bids, assure delivery by
vendors, receive, inspect and make final shipment. This cycle was completed every thirty
days. Better methods of packing were conceived
to ship highly perishable vegetables and fruits
without undue loss. Green-leaf vegetables were
delivered av Jobsite in a fresh condition up to
five weeks after the date of purchase. Strict inspection of {rush meats and adherence to specifications resulted in shipment ot quality products
at minimum cost.
EXPORTING AND PACKING
It ‘ad been determined through advance
engineering estimates, that cement would be in
heavy u mand. Past experience proved successful in negotiating the purchase of lumber on a
blanket purchase order, and it was decided to
use this same tvpe of purchase order to fulfill
cement requirements. This decision climinated
a large amount of paper work and detail in-
volved in unit purchasing.
ao
On 23 June 1953, a request was received
rom the Jobsite fer 150,000 aallone nf bitumiuds,
anf delivery was required by 15 September. On
1 July, advice was reccived in the Home Office
that a sizeable quantity of the bitumuls would
be required in Honolulu not later than 21 Juty
for transshipment in a Navy tanker. This presented a Stateside-to-Honolulu transportation
problem since the Navy had ho continental
coastwise tankers available at the time. and
commercial tankers are limited to their ability
to carry this type of commodity because most
ship bottoms are utilized for their own fuel
supply or for fresh water. Through close cooperation between the Contractor and various
oil and steamship companies, the problem was
solved. Negotiations were concluded over the
Fourth of July week end for space aboard the
tanker Hawatian Forrester, whose Captain
agreed to take on additional fuel at Honolulu
after the bitumuls were transferred to the Navy
tanker. The balance of this bitumuls order was
shipped directly from Wilmington, Calfornia
aboard a Navytanker on a direct sailing schedule to Eniwetok.
The transocean movement of four 585-ton
barges frovn California to Eniwetok was an in-
teresting accomplishment. The barges were re-
leased by JTF SEVEN, Washington, D.C. from
a remote section of the tnarine storage activity
at Rio Vista, California, and were towed bythe
Bay, where the barges were specially outfitted
for the long haul to the Marshall J-lands. From
the Bay Army base, Navy tugs U>s Tawasa
and USS Munsee each towed two barges to
Pearl Harbor; at Pearl Harbor the Navy Tugs
USS Mectobi and USS Hitchiti took over and
towed the Larges to Eniwetok Atoll. The cntire
water movement was accomplished without damage or delay.
Packing of material and equipment for export was a function of the Procurement Department’s Traffic Section. Where export packing
was not provided oy the vendor, it was accomplished either under a contract with Pacific
Ports Industnes, Oakland, California, or by the
Holmes & Narver warehouse personnel in Los
Angeles. The methods and procedures used in
handling the exporting and packing coincided
as nearly as possible with customary methods
established by the Bureau of Forcign and Domestie Commerce - U.S. Department of Commerce.
Scheduling of all shipments began with the
receipt of requisitions. A requisition received in
the Home Officer was first directed to the Chief
of Operations’ office to detennine the most
feasible means of transportation. The purchase
order was then written as determined by the
Material Control Section. [n many cases during
the program in which the purchase order called
for water shipment, a change had to be made to
air freight due to the urgency of the work involved.
Material scheduled for transshipment to the
Proving Ground via water was delivered by the
vendor to the Naval Supply Center( NSC) in
Oakland where it was manifested and held for
loading: aboard cargo vessels. The Western Sea
Frontier allocated space aboard the vessels according to the ameuunt of Holmes & Narver
material to be shipped. A Contractor representative was stationed at NSC to receive and
schedule all water shipments. If the material
was to be shipped by air freight. a priority permit was required. All materials received at NSC
or Travis were checked for proper packing and
marking for shipment to Jobsite.
TRANSPORTATION
AIR SHIPMENTS. During the period from 1
January 1953 to 30 April 1954, air freight shipments amounted to 603,205 tbs. The two peak
months were November and Do cember 1953,
when air freight shipments reached 98,198 and
a9.to4 Ibs. resepctively. The shipment of such
large quantities of air freight: was accomplised
through close cooperation between Holmes &
Narver representatives and Air Force Base personnel. However, temporary delays of air shipny
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