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study hydrodynamic motion o
_jand to measure yield by fireball. Program 24,
Phonex, measured the energy spectrum of the neutrons from:
_. aw.. mM general, all experimental equipment worked satisfactorily, but bad weather ‘caused a serious loss of data in

Program 23.

4.10

TASK UNIT 13, DOD PROGRAMS

TU-13 was assigned the mission of directing the activities of the various DOD groups
participating in the Military Effects Program of the operation, A total of ten officers and five
enlisted men were assigned to the Task Unit Headquarters Staff. The total personnel in the
participating projects varied from 150 to a peak of 350 during March and April. Of the Headquarters personnel, six officers served as Program Directors for the six DOD programs, and
the remainder performed necessary administrative and operational support functions. In addition, several of the Program Directors performed various support functions outside their
particular program.

Because of the split nature of the operation between Bikini and Eniwetok, it was not possible to maintain as complete a staff at both atolls as would have been desirable. In general,
project planning was done at Eniwetok since this was the main base of operation, The majority
of the on-site preparatory work was done at Bikini, where five of the six detonations took place.
The principal staff agency of TG 7.1, with whom continuous coordination had to be effected during the operation, was J-3, and, since coordination of all Bikini operations was exercised by a
J-3 office in that area, it was frequently impossible, because of the imited number of supervisory personnel in the Headquarters of TU-13, to maintain the close liaison which is essential
in an operation ofthistype. This situation was “further aggravated by the shift to a ship-based
operation after
_ shot and by the necessity for maintaining readiness status for two shots,
one at Bikini and one at Eniwetok, simultaneously.
In spite of the above, participation of TU-13 in the various shots was in close agreement
ent

with the original plan. In some instances the scale of participation had to be reduced consider-

ably. This was due to loss of equipment in a fire on Eninman, the attrition of test equipment
due to repeated delays, and the lack of sufficient equipment to maintain complete readiness at
both atolls. However, in other cases (for instance the fall-out program), the weather delays
allowed sufficient interpretation of results to conceive and carry out additional measurements
which contributed appreciably to the success of the over-all program. Results of the various
programs are summarized in Chap. 2.
In general, it is felt that participation in the operation was successful, particularly in view
of the many changes which were necessitated by weather delays, changes in yield, changes in
shot locations, and the cancellation of one shot for which a complete blast line had been constructed, In future operations of this type it is believed that the DOD test organization should
follow the general pattern of TU-13. Closer supervision of project activities and better liaison

me ”

and coordination with other Task Units and Task Group Headquarters should be sought. Irdividual projects to be included in a future test of this scale should be designed with a much greater
degree of flexibility.
4.11

TASK UNIT 14, UCRL ASSEMBLY
TU-14 was concerned with the design of two devices to be tested at the PPG during Opera-

tion Castle, During the continental phase of this program, this group was concerned with the

design, fabrication, and mock-up assembly of the two devices,

an

In

mm Rathom

addition, coordination work was done with GMX, W, and J- DivisionsofLASL; Camco; NBS
Boulder; and Consolidated Western Steel, who constructed and assembled the case and supporting structure,

The associated coniponents for the two devices were shipped to the PPG in December 1953,
and the classified components were sent aboard the USS Curtiss. The
was shipped to the PPG early in March 1954 by C-124 aircraft.
76

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