UNCLASSIFIED
(chorale toemegigars
Chenadumadh
i.
CONFIDENTIAL
At this time, about 1015k, the ship wes advised by the X.0. that the
evacuation would commence about 1100 and a life raft was requested for
use in shuttling the natives over the reef and through the surf to the
boats standing off about 50 yards,
with the
At approximately 1O4OM the boat arrived
raft and the evacuation commenced at 1050.
Ey this time the ma-
jority of the natives were gathered on the beach and ready to go. Women,
children and old people were shuttled out to the bk .ts first, with their
possessions, followed by the men.
Much cooperation and assistance were
realized from the able native men whose alertness, willingness and ability
to swim proved invaluable during the evacuation and reduced the number of
Ship's personnel required.
at about 1200 the evacuation was about half
completed but the wind was freshening, the tide was flooding and the surf
was kicking up. The operation became increasingly hazardous and two raft
loads of evacuees were very nearly upset in the surf. The coral was ~newing up the suspension ropes and lattice work of the raft and in a redio
consultation between the X.0. and C.0O., serious consideration was given
to ceasing the operation and trying agein from the lagoon side. Since
this would delay the operation several hours and also was fraught with
danger as already indicated, and since we could see the end in sight, it
"was decided to continue.
Most of the women, children and aged were al-
ready gone and no one had been hurt other than a few coral cuts. another
raft was dispatched and the pace was stepped up, though less people were
loaded on each raft and extreme care was exercised,
Ten UWB loads of about 15 people each were required to complete the
evacuation of the 154 natives. tne last raft load left the beach at about
1245.i leaving as forlom a set of dogs as you nave ever seen. at 1251. ali
the natives were on board and none too soon because the wind and surf continued to increase. The native chief named Compass, has been repeatedly
asked how many natives were on the atoll and if we had them all. He was
insistent that all were on Utirik Islend, none were on other islands of tre
atoll, and none were on Taka Atoll, 4 - 5 miles away. He first seid there
were 16] natives present and proudly brought out a card index file to prove
it. Careful questioning however indicated that at least two infants had
died a dzy or two before and that the cla boy didn't have this PALO records
up to date. The next figure we got was 157 but further questioning indi-~
cated he was counting two or three imminent but as yet unbom babies, The
last figure of 154 was arrived at after a count on board and was concurred
in by the chief and Trust official. « breakdown w2s as follows: men 47,
women 55, children under 16, boys and girls, 26 cach.
At about 1300 when rafts were secured and boats were hoisted, course
was set for Kwajalein to arrive at dawn on the 5th. at about 1345L. we met
tne D.aA. Munro (DE-422) coming up from Kwajalein to assist us but there
COPIED/DOE
LANL RC ~
CON FIDENT aL
Hf!
was nothing further for her to do but fall in astern and return to Kwojalein.
5
ENCLOSURE (1)
UNCLASSIFIED