WED 3/4/1410
Derartment of Public Health,
RABAUL.
7
July *4, 1958
Director,
Department of Public Health,
ORT. MORES
Supiect: Adiitional Report on raiiation
contaminateli Japanese vessel,
My NBD 3/4/1376 of July 21, 1958, refers.
On July 22, 1958,
at * pem., ac‘ompariel vy Sub-Inspector
Stesart of the Police 3. -artment,
interviewed the officers
of the "TAKUYO" rc csariing furtner details and clarification on some points.
Sub-inspector stewart was, ofter the War, station?i in Japan
for a tong period
Japanese language.
en: has some practical knowle ipe of the
We found also from the "SATSUBO" one officer
ith practiceable
English and with the nelp of the tro officers, we couli gath-r
information regar:in= the acciient.
"TAKUYO"” was maiinr routine checks for raiiation iaily.
The
ship is equipped with a geiger counter ani ecintillovraph.
On July 13, 1958, the sky was slichtly overeast eri a strong
south-east wini was blowing.
_ On July 1%, 1958, about 1,100 miles from Kabaul, at 11.30a.m
they notice that the counting ner minute on the scintillorraph
was 3,600 (the normal counting 1s 2,400),
At 8 pers a squall
hit the ship an] at 8.16p.m ‘the seintili ograph showel 35,000
counts per minute. At 830 the rain stoppcei. At 1Op.m the
maximum count of ratio sctivity was reecr lei at 37,000 counts
per minute.
Tokyo was contacte! as soon as posible -ni the ship was
savyisei to leave the area at the highest aneed possible,
They were also aivisei on how to clean the ship with a
neutral cleaner.
Eadietion was mainly observed on the
deck of the ship but was .also observed in a small quantity
below the deck.
Rooms below the deck were cleanei on July
15, 1958 Clothes of the crew, canvas, etc., were also
washei and checked. At Rabaul, a haircut for each menber
of the crew was ordered ani] carried out.
Regariing the evaluation of the counting I have been advised
by the specialised officers of the ship that the geiger
counter normal walues are between 23 and 50 per minute.
Seintililation count is 2,400 per minute normally.
teck,
ph unthe
eta. apinttllograco
eniv
; #000 ver min
Aa far as I can ascertain, the ship was instructed from
Tokyo that 50° scintillograph counts per minute are equal
with radiation of 0.7 miliroentgen.
36,000 scintillations
would mean 42 miliroentgens per veek,
They were eavised
that this war not a dangerous jose.
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