-.
small structures to dumps around the structurestoo large to be moved,
these latterstructuresto be blown if sufficient explosive was ava3.lable. As the matter of destruction of these structures had been overlooked in the pl~ntig phases,it was necessaryto destroy them by the
use of depth charges. Thefi,destruction was successfully accomplished.
Yoke Day operations were initiated on schedule at the Y &us
three day meting
held in accordance with Operations Order No. 5. The
forecasted weather was uncertainbut as all Task GroupComanders
reportedthat theh preparations
were ready,the decisionwas made
to proceedwith the Evac~tion Plan. The four big shipswere to
remaininsidethe Lagoonas on X-Ray Day.
Here it is appropriateto mentionthe conditions,
which had to
prevail if the test was to producethe best resultswith mzu@nuM
safetyto personneland equipment.
First,the winds at all altitudeshad to be such as to reduce
to a mintiumthe chancesof a “fall-outr’
of radioactiveparticles
from the atomiccloudon the shipsand Parry and EniwetokIslands.
This is coveredmore completelyin the reportof the Radiologistso
it sufficesto say here that light,variablewtids whichmade forecasting.noredifficultand winds with a northerlycomponentpresented
unfavorableconditionsfor firtig.
Second,clouds which interfered with the visual direction of
drone aircraft through the atomic cloud made firtig conditions
unfavorable. Additionally, too large a percentage of cloud cover
24
Section III
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