to undergo various alterations prior to the Operation.
b.
A planning directive for Operation REDWING was issued on 10 August 1955.
As the concept became more firm, Operation Plan 1-56 was issued on 20 January
1956 to cover the period of the operational phase (15 March - 10 August 1956).
This plan became an order on 15 March 1956,
Numerous meetings were held in
Washington with representatives of the task groups and other interested agencies
concerning various aspects of the operation.
Frequent command and staff visits
were made to the task groups to discuss REDWING matters.
Responsibility for
training of forces provided by the military services remained with the respective Service commanders.
The highlight of training prior to the operational
phase occurred in Jamary 1956, when the Air Force and Navy Task Groups conducted
a communications rehearsal in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California.
5.
ON SITE OPERATIONS
a.
.
The Operational Phase of REDWING commenced on 15 March 1956 as recom-
memded by AEC and concurred in by the Department of Defense.
Arrival of major
components in the forward area was phased to coincide with the operational needs,
Meanwhile, construction of test facilities progressed substantially as planned.
b.
By 3 April 1956, task force elements had arrived in the PPG and detailed
preparations were begun for the conduct of a full scale rehearsal,
Since CHEROKEE
event was considered to be the most complex of the scheduled shots, the task force
Commander had directed in February that the rehearsal would be for CHEROKEE.
The rehearsal was conducted on 27-28 April.
scheduled rehearsal during the operation.
This was the only full scale
Several cammnications checks and
limited scale rehearsals by task groups were held both prior and subsequent to
the CHEROKEE rehearsal.
c.
LANL FS
Prior to each shot at Bikini, a11 personnel and ships except a seven-
man firing party were evacuated from that atoll.
remained.
COPIED/DCE
For ZUNI event no firing party
Personnel were embarked in ships of Task Group 7.3 which proceeded
to deployment stations located about 30 miles to the southeast.
Reentry of
ships and personnel was effected as soon as the radiological situation permitted.
For shots at Eniwetok, personnel and equipment were evacuated from
the northern camp sites to safe areas on the soutnern islands of that atoll.
—
Ships were evacuated from the Eniwetok lagoon prior to some of the shots at