ry
fast -- 11 to 12 knots cruising speed, with a maximum speed
of 15 knots, it is entirely adequate for one round trip to
Tniwetok every two years and for the limited cruising re-
Although the Navy
quired while in service in the Pacific.
requires a crew of 250, this ship, from purely navégation
and operational standpoints, should be manned by not more
than 60 people.
e.
There is nothing peculiar to this ship that could not be
handled by merchant sailers not specially trained in the
operation and maintenance of military vessels.
f.
There is in the vessel considerable additional space in
addition to the hanger deck which is not used in the normal
management of the vessel. Even with the 250-men crewnow
used in its operation, they are very generously quartered,
and the Captain advised us that he hag adequate space in
various rooms for 300 to 400 troop-class passengers.
These
rooms, and the bunks provided, are such that they could be
very easily and readily modified by light-weight partitions
to provide adequate cabin-type space.
In prior preliminary conversations with Dr. G. W. Johnson and
Mr. Gibbins, they indicated that they considered the Curtis a
suitable ship for this service. The principal reason given by
Gibbins is that the Curtis has a fire control system which is
necessary for their certain number of stabilized platfdims for
holding instrumentation for viewing a shot.
able on the carrier.
This is neé/éwail-
My feeling is that although installation
of this equipment might cost considerable originally (no feeling
for the amount), other savings in the ultimate use of this ship
as compared to modifications on the Curtis would be more than
off-setting in favor of the carrier.
~
in regard to operation, it is our present feeling that we should
have a contract with MSTS, either between AEC and MSTS or H&N
and MSTS, to provide the sailing crew for this ship. This would
be the crew that would leave with the ship from the states and
return after completion of the trip. When not in use while on
berth at San Francisco, only a skeleton standby crew would be
required. The crew would be augmented at the proving ground by
“passengers”, including the UCRL people and H&N technicians,
mechanics, etc.,
in support of UCRL as well as the housekeeping
organization to take care of our own and UCRL personnel.
At the present time we feel that any modifications on the ship.
stateside should be A-Eed by H&N and accomplished by commercial
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