SECRET
TASB
RADSAFE NARRATIVE SEQUENCE OF EVE)
By the morning of Bel day, the wind patterns (forecast and actual)
were favorable but the trend of the observed resultant wind patterns
was toward an unfavorable or mrginal condition.
No transient shipping
was reported on the Be2 day P2V sweep centered on a significant fore=
cast cloud movement on true bearing of 300° out to 800 miles from @.
The Bel day search by P2V out to 375 miles on ea forecast significent
eloud movement on a true bearing of 330° disclosed no transient ship-
ping except the General Patrick, whose course ami speed would take he
outside the hazardous area by snot time. At the midnight briefing, the
forecast offered a less favorable comiition in the lower levels (10-25
thousand feet). Resultant winds at about 20,000 feet were forecast in
the direction of Rongelap and Rongerik (Figure 1); however, it was cone
sidered that the speeds and altitudes did not warrant a conclusion that
significant quantities ani levels of debris would be carried out so far,
TARE Site was forecast to be well in the fall-out area and NaN Site to
be in a fairly bigh intensity area. Since the S-l day forecasts gave
winds teniing significently toward BYE, a decision was mede at the mide
night briefing to search on B day ahsad of the cloud, i.e., centered on
true bearing of 65° out to 600 NM ani to warn ships out of the 450 HM
winians radius.
.
co
The routine H-18 hour advisory to CINCFACFLT indicated no signifi-
cant fall~out forecast for populated Marshall Islands, and no safety problems on air or surface routes except surface routes between 275° closk=
wise to 80° out to a radius of 450 NM with possible significant fall-out
in this area. No kmown shipping was in the forecast fall-out area. The
sarface radex was forecast for shot time to shot plus six hours to be
oriented in a narrow sector to the northeast and a wide sector to the
south, with an additional circular radex area around GZ of radius 15 miles
(Figures 1 ami 2). The sector pointing at Rongelap was considered insig-
nificant due to the low altitudes from which fall-out could occur and due
to the very light winds acting on the levels involved.
At the 0430, 1 March triefing, no significant change had been ob-
served in the midnight winis received, however, a radsafe recommendation
©
was made ta.move the task force ships radially further out from the minirua of 30 tie to a minimum of 50 NM in the SE quadrant. The low level
cloud was fgecast to overrun the TARE camp and move on to the east with
possibility of overrunning NAN. The resultant winds pointing at
agrong
Rongerik and Rengelap were light ani were not forecast to transport signi“{cart debris to these atolls.
ht 0645 the BRAVO detonation was accomplished without bacard to
task force personnel. The bunker firing party reported in safe, but by
O715 the radiation levels were reported rising at the bunker. These
levels contimed to rise to about 25 r/hr.
.
SECRET
— meee
eee
The firing party was com~
RESIRICTED DATA
met non— a
;