Their activities once outside the lagoon are found in the TG 7.3 singh
report
(Reference ll, p. 6-7):
During the night ships operated independently in their
assigned areas which were roughly 5 miles square, except
for certain project ships which were carrying out their
special functions in other areas.
Shots were usually detonated about one-half hour before sunrise.
As
shot time approached, ships were maneuvered to new areas, if the pred leted
radiological situation required, which would put them into safe areas
or shortly before the detonation (Reference ll, p. 6-7).
at
These "shot time
positions" were at least 30 nmi (56 km) distant from the shot site (R
erence ll, p. 6-6).
ence 14, p.
According to the TG 7.3 installment history (Ref
rI-
127):
Operational considerations required that the ships be
positioned at a distance no greater than was required
for safety, and demanded that some ships be stationed
until after shot time on bearings involving a slight
risk of being in the fallout area.
To maintain voice
communications and thereby tactical control, all oper-
ating areas had to be adjacent to one another.
The prevailing winds and predicted blast and thermal effects were
Major considerations in positioning of task group ships outside the a
he
ic-
ipated fallout area at a safe distance from ground zero.
Reentry hour was established after several postshot surveys were qpnducted.
About 24% hours after the detonation, a helicopter from HMR-36
left the Bairoko for the Estes to pick up the CTG 7.1.
This flight thn
performed the preliminary radiological survey and returned to the Bairpko.
Other helicopter radiological surveys followed shortly.
TG 7.4 cloud
nd
fallout tracking missions provided additional information on the early] radiological environment for the Radsafe Office on the Bairoko (Referenc
Pp.
ll,
6-7).
When the task force commander authorized reentry, the Estes moved
into the lagoon, followed by the Belle Grove and the Bairoko.
124
First
This orfer