Programs, in order that planning for DOD projects could start and construction and other sup- port requirements might be determined. Early in March a meeting was held at Los Alamos with representatives of the Santa Fe Operations Office (SFOO) and AFSWP, including the prospective Commander of TU-13, to discuss the DOD programs and support requirements. At this meeting AFSWP representatives presented a requirement for a barge shot in deep water. As a result of this meeting and the need for further studies by DOD in connection with the proposed deep-water shot, another meeting was scheduled at Los Alamos early in April. Meanwhile, studies of the lagoon-contamination problem and water-wave problem were started. After the April meeting CTG 17.1 issued a general statement of concept for Operation Castle, including a shot schedule which is included in Table 3.2 under the date of Apr. 7, 1953. This schedule providedforthree barge shots and two ground shots at Bikini and one ground shot at Eniwetok.f ~~ Le Late in June a meeting of Project Officers was held in Los Alamos to discuss project plans, problems, and support requirements. Immediately after this meeting the evacuation concept was discussed with CITF SEVEN. It was decided that at Bikini, for the first shot, and quite possibly for subsequent shots, it would be necessary to evacuate everybody aboard ships, except for a very small Firing Party which would remain in the reinforced-concrete control station on Enyu. At Eniwetok only the capability of emergency evacuation in case of fall-out was required. The possibility that any Bikini shot might make living ashore at Bikini radiologically unsafe was emphasized. The need for adequate shipboard facilities to finish the Bikini. operation from afloat was presented at this time and was reaffirmed later when more definite housing, office, laboratory, shop, and work-space requirements becameavailable. 4 | By the middle of September, as a resultof several readiness meetings, including oneheld by the Director of the LASL and attended by representatives of interested agencies, it was decided that readiness for the first shot by Feb. 15, 1954 was most improbable, depending as it did on very tight schedules for a numberof the elements involved and that Mar. 1, 1954wasa ,reasonablyrealistic date for scheduling the first shot. * The large yield and the heavy contamination that ensued brought about radical changes in ™ the operational concept and in the shot schedule. The Firing Party was evacuated abuard ship shortly after the shot. Thereafter all personnel at Bikini lived aboard ship, traveled to and from their stations by helicopter or boat, and firing was accomplished by means of a radio link 34