HEADQUARTERS TASK UNIT 13
Task Group
7,1]

APO 187 (HOW) P.O. Box 6
c/o Postmastor

San Francisco, California

TU=13-54-375
SUBJECT:

1.

.

12 March 1954

Radiological Survey of Dowwind Atolls Contaminatod by BRAVO

Acknowledgoment

Tho membors of tho survoy toam wish to express thoir appreciation to ©

Captain, officers and monbers of tho crow of the USS NICHOLAS (DDE 449) for the.
assistance and cooperation in conducting tho survoy horcin roportcd. Captain
Elliot turned over all possible facilitics of his ship in order to assist in th
survey.

LT Frink, tho Executivo Officcr, organized all tho oporations of tho

boat partics, and it was only through his personal dircction and participation

that it was possiblo to carry out the small boat survoys under cxtremly diffic

conditions,

Sineo most of the lagoon waters woro not navigablo by a DDE, it wa:

necessary to make long boat trips in high soas and land on tricky coral rocfs,
That it was possiblo to mako, without mishap, a detailed survey of five widely

scparated atolls in tho courso of threo days with only two boats ws largely du

to his efforts,

-.

Tho BRAVO Shot contaminated a number of atolls in gomcrally castward
dircetion from Bikini to such an axtont that it bocamo neccessary to ocvacuate th

native populations from Rongelap, Alinginac and Utirik Atolls and tho military
persgnnel on Rongorik Atoll, Following this cvacuation CJTF SEVEN organized tt
subject detailed radiological survey of tho atolls to the castward of Bikini

(Ref. CJTF SEVEN Eniwctok 060400Z).

the following purposcs:

The data from this survoy were required fc

a.

The evaluation of the radiation effccts on cvacuccs,

b.

The ostimation of the clapsed timo before rcoccupancy.

c.

The cstimation of tho residual radiation effects of large yiclds

surface dectaations.

In connection with this survey, tcams from various Task Groups and Mr.
Wilds, Trust Territory Ropresentative, returned to the atolls to secure the
evacuated habitations, servico military equipment, and obtain docummtary photc.

graphy.
3.

Operational Schedulo

8 March - 0800

SARD- 213 -S¥-3E

Survoy tcam rendozvous aboard USS NICHOLAS (DDE 449)

in Rongelap Legoon.

Select target paragraph3