responsible for receiving, transporting, and safeguarding speci
devices;
Providing shipboard facilities for assembly of these devices andj
space for
TG 7.1 administration and laboratories; acting as the flagship
r CTG 7.3
en route to the forward area
(after 6 March);
providing transpor
the forward area for approximately 100 officers and 50 enlisted
of JTF 7; and assisting JTF Weather Central by taking surface re
hourly, and radiosonde balloon and radar wind readings twice daily.
Per-
sonnel decontamination facilities were located near the ship's sfern, which
Proved to be an awkward location because personnel requiring dec@ntamination had to walk through the ship.
Due to overcrowding on the U§S Bairoko,
CTG 7.3 shifted his flag to the Curtiss on 6 March.
The. operational activities of the Curtiss for each CASTLE sh
described in Table 60.
The Curtiss' assigned duties should not
posed it to radioactive material, as the ship’s crew did not assi
decontamination of other units.
The Curtiss was contaminated by
BRAVO, however; from 0800 to 1800 on 1 March,
it was exposed to
and was required to use its washdown system.
No crewmen receive
sures in excess of 3.93 R.
Task Unit 7.3.1 (Surface Security Unit)
This unit consisted of four escort destroyers of Escort Divisfon 12,
the USS Epperson, the USS Nicholas, the USS Renshaw, and the USS
and one patrol craft, the USS Grosse Point.
Philip,
Escort Division 12 povided a
screen for the Curtiss from Hawaii to Enewetak, acting as Task Eld@ment
7.3.0.1.
curity.
The general function of the unit was to assure the atol]Js' seThe operational activities of each vessel during the CASILE shots
are described in Tables 61 through 65.
At Bikini, the destroyers were assigned to search and rescue
missions to investigate submarine contacts in conjunction with the
Plane Unit 7.3.3, to warn and divert unauthorized shipping from t
AR)
Patrol
danger
area, and to function as Task Element 7.3.9.2 of Transport Unit 7.B.9,
escorting ships transporting shot devices from Enewetak to Bikini
Tables 61 through 65).
340
[see