COMNAVSTAKWAJ on 2 March.
In accordance with the CJTF SEVEN direc-
tive, the PHILIP got underway from Bikini on 2 March and arrived at
Rongelap Atoll early the morning of 3 March,
A beaching party was
sent ashore by whale boat and the situation was explained to the
native magistrate of the atoll.
Monitoring of the island commenced
immediately and readings of the radioactivity were such as to substantiate the previous belief that the atoll would have to be evac-
uated.
The natives gathered those personal belongings which would
be necessary for their stay at Kwajalein and were transported to
the PHILIP via whale boat without incident.
Personnel decontamina-
tion, procedures aboard ship were begun immediately.
The ship then proceeded to nearby Ailinginae Atoll to effect
evacuation there,
After the inspection of Fnibuk Island revealed
that no natives were present, a sloop was sighted of? Sifo Island
in the atoll,
Eighteen Marshallese were found on Sifo and were
transported to the PHILIP to join the others,
The destroyer es-
cort then departed at 1800 local on 3 March for Kwajalein arriving
there at 0830 on 4 March.
Utirik Atoll was evacuated by the RENSHAW on 4 Marsh.
Upon
arriving at the atoll it was diseovered that there were no naviga~
tional aids and besause of reef obstructions the ship was not able
to enter the lagoon,
After considerable difficulty a party, ac-
companied by an interpreter flown in from Kwajalein, succeeded in
getting the RENSHAW gig through the surf and to the inhabited is-
s
Once ashore the cirsumstances of the situation
“I
>
land of the atoll,