Of
particular interest were Bikar and Taka for BRAVO fallout and Taonpi for
future shots.
These atolls proved to be unpopulated as reported;
rhe peo-
he eRe ehart
ple on Ailinginae were not permanent residents, but only temporari ly at
=
Ailinginae to fish.
The offsite fallout findings, summarized by a member of the CT
EO Te TE ey Rae a
ET ay nT ee ee
was obtained from the Trust Territory representative at Kwajalein.
ee
firmation of the status of other atolls involved in significant fafllout
pr
, con-
(reported to be unpopulate
ee er
Because of the 18 people on Ailinginae
7.1
mente ems
Advisory Group, are presented in Table 22.
PATAPSCO CONTAMINATION
The Patapsco,
a gasoline tanker, was moored at Enewetak to unlq ad avi-
ation gasoline 2 days prior to the BRAVO detonation.
The ship was ordered
to leave and proceed at full speed from Enewetak to Pearl Harbor b
it lacked adequate radiation equipment and protection gear.
cause
The sifip's
speed was reduced to one-third full speed on 28 February, however, because
of a cracked cylinder liner.
The ship was about 180 to 195 nmi (333 to
361 km) east of Bikini when BRAVO was detonated.
The ship had been vectored approximately along the BRAVO cloud not
line by the transient shipping search aircraft on D-day afternoon.
In the
early to mid-afternoon of the following day (H+31 to H+32.5), ata
ange
of about 565 to 586 nmi
an to
receive fallout.
known.
(290 nmi
(1,051 to 1,084 km)
from ground zero,
it b
The intensity of the fallout radiation is not ac
rately
Flight Able reported that a little later in the afternoon Bikar
537 km
east of Bikini) was reading about 0.600 R/hr.
Esfimates
made by analysts working with the rates measured when the ship arrifed at
Pearl Harbor range from as high as 0.620 R/hr (Reference 85) to 0.1B3 R/hr
(Reference 86).
No steps to decontaminate the ship were taken en route to PearlfHarbor
because it appeared to those on board that the level of radiation was too
low to cause concern.
The ship arrived at Pearl Harbor on 7 March
230
ind was