during the five days prior to shot time. It was believed that this would provide for an orderly
as appointment of Transport Quartermasters, ship positions, ship movement, allocation of
~<
os
+~_
movement of personnel and equipment with minimum interference to experimental preparation
during the critical period.
After arrival of the various commands in the Forward Area, detailed planning was started.
Conferences among JTF SEVEN and the several Task Groups were held to settle such matters
shipboard space to the various Task Groups, and muster. Planning by TG 7.1 was accomplished,
of
~ based on the information discussed at these meetings,
Th
‘evacuation plan was the most detailed of those issued during Operation Castle
since itnabCover the initial evacuation, establishing procedures which would be followed
in subsequent evacuations. Each event description on this check list included the names of the
people involved, the times, and the support required. The finall
fplan was issued on
February 20, as an appendix to TG 7.1 Operation Plan No. 1-53. It included information on ship
positions; evacuation deadlines; instructions for the use of boats, helicopters, interatoll surface
and air transportation; trailer movements; and other general subjects. As the events on this
close cooperation to determine the disposition of the Task Group personnel aboard ship. It was
agreed that as soon as an individual’s contribution to the shot was completed, he would be evac-
uzied either to Eniwetok Atoll or to one of the evacuation ships, depending upcn the location of
his required postshot activities. The opers*. nal functions of the principal evacuation ships
were as follows:
USS Estes: Command, Staff, and Ac-‘sers
LSS Curtiss: Weapons assembly and shot barge support
USS Batroko: Rad-Safe and recovery parties
USNS Ainsworth: Personnel required in the area but not assigned to other vessels
Instructions issued to personnel to be evacuated|_
jincluded disposition of clasified documents, personal effects to be taken aboard, shuttle boat schedulebetween ship and
ino
A
ee
ver
we:
wives
we
Wrwan
check list took place, they were checked by J-3 to ensure completion. The check list was kept
current by nightly conferences. It was necessary for the J-1 and J-3 Staff Sections to work in
hore, and the like. A passenger list for each ship was initiated:
{
—_—
Jcorrected and final passenger lists were subrnitted to JTF SEVEN. Each individual
at Bikini was issued a card indicating his assignment to a room aboard a specified ship.
Subsequent evacuation planning at Bikini became a much simpler process owing to the
waterborne nature of the operation. _
___ With island camps no longer available, the
movement of personnel and equipment between ships and islands was more subject to control,
znd preshot evacuation became largely a matter of moving the vessels out of the lagoon. Planning for these evacuations accordingly was simplified and consisted of check lists for the final
day’s activities.
,
At Eniwetok a plan to evacuate the upper islands was prepared{ _
tion was halted when the shot was canceled
au
but the evacua-
Most of the personnel and equip-
ment were drawn out.of the upper islands of Eniwetok Atoll, and the Ursula camp was abandoned
soon afterward. For
3.8.2
a similar plan was prepared and executed.
Personnel Evacuation and Muster
On
y-2 the evacuation to the ships began for this shot. J-1 representatives went
anuard their respective ships prior to the embarkation of passengers to assist Task Group
perscnnel ip locating quarters, offices, etc, A mgjority of personnel moved to shipboard on the
morning of
-1. At approximately nocnon_____—s- 1 the vessels left their anchorages
off the various islands and assembled at anchorage off Enyu. Here the remainder of the personnel were taken aboard, and personnel were transferred as necessary to be located on the
proper vessel. The ships then left the lagoon.
The plan for a complete sight muster involved assiznment of Task Group personnel to 25
muster groups, each representing a specific organization or working unit. For each muster
group a muster officer was appointed. Muster lists were prepared by J-1 and distributed to
46