iw

12,

‘The YANKRS sortie was coniusted without antowand incident,

bat on a delayod basis, By 1830 4 May all ships except ESTAS ware
at wea axi on their chot time stations.

ESTES was anchored off Bnyt

snaiting the arrival of the LGis carrying the firing party fron

the shot barge.

They were experiencing difficultica with the

firing eireait to ESTES and delayed thelr departure to rempdy:the
treable.

MOLALA was in position to the northeast of the atoll with

the two Ya0s, preparing te debark the YaQ 40 crow ent lezve Yad 39

manned and in control, YWA-29 aircraft were airborne ani carrying
owt the pre-chot search plan.

Ry 193 the firing party was aboard

ESTES, the Ldts moored to buoys off Enye ani thelr crows picked up.
4STES* selling wee still delayed while work continued onthe Cring
ciresits at 2100 she was underway, ani left the lagoun.

Ry side

might ell patrol eireraft bed lenied al Kwajalein, reporting the

search soctor clear of mipping. At C140 two C-97s, ordered to
¥7-29 fee 0 epeciel fall-oub raft leying project for the 422, tock
off at Kwajalein,

About an hour later CITF SEVEN requested that

ehina move out to 5¢ alles from the detonation point, with a change

of bearing to the westward, except for ESTES, who was to remain in

her essigned station and acve after the shot. NICHOLAS, acting
es aircreft control ship 50 ailes from Bikini and slightly sorth
ef west, was anicted south to a westerly besring end xcred cat to
a rence cf 90 alles.

s& 0330 the YAGQ debarkation was completed ani

KOLALA headed south te jain the tesk group.

queen
Meese

=a

The formation stoancd

1%
e

=“

Select target paragraph3