History of Operation Ivy (Partial)

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CONDUCTED BY JOINT TASK FORCE 132 under the Command ,oF LIEUTENANT H. GORDON BECHANAN, USNR

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The Origins of Operation I~~~___________________.__.____________________-________________ The Activation of JOIST TASK~ORCE 132.. .________________________________._______ Plnrming Prior to Forward Area Operations._____._...___-_._____-____~-__--___-__-___-____ Budgeting, Funding, and Control____________.___--__---_.-___-___________________________ Transportation of Materiel Overseas .._._______..._-..__..__-__________-.___..-____________ Transportation of Personnel Orerseas_____________..____________.___________._.__.________ .\Iaintenance, Housekeeping, Medicine, and Sanitation in the Forward Ares. _ _______________ Evacuation of Eninetok .~toll____________________________.____.._._...._._._._____________ MIKE Shot and Reentry to Eniwetok Atoll.________.________..___._._._._..._._.___-__-__ The Test Programsand Early Evaluatior~s_________________.____.._..___..__.._.___________

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Radiological Safety is a general term used to denote the methods by which the damage ancl rudiat.ion effects of an atomic explosion, or of radiological material spread by some other means, is confined and controlled, thereby preventing or avoiding hazards to the health of. personnel. Plans for IVY RadSafe evolved around the principlp that two distinct time periods exist when dangerous nuclear radiation is emitted following an atomic detonation. Protection against the primary radiological effects occurring at t,he time of detonation, the first time period of danger, was provided by removing personnel to safe dista.nces from ground zero points. Secondary radiation, occurring during the second time period of danger and caused by radiological activation of soil and water around ground zeros and by the p,ocess of fall-out, was a matter of great concern for CJTF 132 during the planning of radiological safety for Operation IVY. Consequently, the evaluation of meteorological conditions and tendencies, particularly that of winds at varying levels and their potential influence on radioactive roll-out,, was the subject of much study throughout both the IVY planning and operational periods. Detonation of the shots under unfavorable weather conditions could have subjected units of the Task Force and neighboring inhabit,ed islands to harmful radioactive contamination. Measures for protection against ‘these secondary hazards, by far the largest area of IVY RadSafe planning, were :Iccomplished through the use of instruments designed to indicate directly both the presence and intensity of radioacitvity at given places; by area reconnaissance; through maintenance of contamination situation maps; by the. posting of hazard-, ous areas; through minimizing the spread of contsminated matenal into uncontaminat.ed areas; :lnd by the devilopment and utilization of d,econThe anticipated yields of both the experimental 1V’E device and the KISG bomb scheduled to be tested during IVY were such that precautions to an extent never before taken became necessary to insure proper safety of Task Force personnel and of the population centers bordering the Enimetok Danger Area. The scope of test operations was such that,, in carrying out masimum safety measures, an evacuation of Eniwetok Atoll was necessary for Mm Shot. Early plans for evacuation of the Atoll during KING Shot were ultimately revised to provide for an immediate evacuation following .KISG Shot should that necessity arise. Although the early plans envisaged that the Firing Party for MKF, Shot would remain ashore in a specially constructed bunker, the final plans called for the compIete evacuation of all personnel. The bunker plan was cancelled due to the potential radiation danger and clue to t.he exckssive cost involved for The chief RadSafe Officer for the Task Force, the Task Force Headquarters Staff and was responsible for advising the CJTF on the measures necessary to insure the radiological safety of all personnel who would be connected li-ith the ment of t,he Task Force n-as Task Unit 7 of the Scientific Task Group. This unit had Task Force-wide responsibilities rrhile the other three Task Groups possessed essentially self-contained RadSafe units. During the period when the Task Force was afloat, the radiological safety of personnel became the function of the individual ship’s RadSafe facilities, subject, of course, to the instructions of the CJTF as promulgated t.h.cougb CTG 132.3. All RadSafe operations for IVY were treated as routine and complied with the established permissible radiological exposures for routine work, except for t,hose activities which specifically were designated as special operations In order to better control and record these

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routine exposures, criteria governing radiological physical esaminations for Task Force personnel n-ere promulgated by the Task Force Headquarters early in 1952. It was stipulated that: 1. Radiological physical esaminations would be required for all civilian personnel of the Task Force ~-hose duties would require that they handle radioactive material, or n-ho would be in the Forward Area during or after Shot times. In addition to the military radiological monitors, all military personnel who would work in areas containing radioact,ivity; on shot islands after detonations; on contaminated aircraft,; and with radioactive products would be required to have radiological physical examinative and housing islands x-cre not to be considered as contaminated areas, however. 2. Examinations tvere to be accomplished within three months prior to movement to the Forward Area, esccpt, in the case of civilian personnel employed at LASL for whom special arrangements had previously been made. One including analysis of chest X-ray, complete blood count, and urinalysis--was to be forwarded to CJTF 132, and one copy retained by the Task Group concerned. Finally, personnel who would be required to have the examination would not be allowed to leave the continental United States prior to compliance with t*hese procured for Task Group 132.2 and of the military personnel procured for Task Unit 7 by t.he Task Force Headquarters, the responsibility for providing RadSafe personnel w-as a function of the respective Task Group Commanders. The personnel procurement problem facing CTG 132.1 was much greater than that of the other Task Groups. In addition to hisduties ns the Task Force RadSafo Officer, Captain lfayynard was designated as the Commander, Task Unit 7. Following his designat*ion, the initial action to meet Task Unit 7 pcrsonncl requirements was taken when letters from CJTF 132 were sent in early March 1952, to the follorring headqunrters with requests as 1. Commandant, USMC, through CNO, for five radiological monitors, including one officer and four enlisted men. , (seven officers and txo enlisted men), four photographic assistants for photodosimctry, 011~ stenographer, and one clerk typist.. 3. Chief of Naval Personnel, through C-WO, for five radiological monitor officers, one elcc.. tronics officer, three radiological instrument repairmen, and one yeoman typist. for seven radiological monitors, one laboratory nicians (Chemical Corps), two supply clerks, and Since the assignment of military personnel to the RadSafe Task Unit was t,o be of such short duration, it was recommended that t,hey be assigned on a tempora.ry duty basis for a period oi approximately four months at Eniwetok beginning on or about 15 August 1962. The majority oi these requested personnel were RadSafe engineers: graduates of the three-year military courses iti highly trained personnel was based on the csccllent opport.unity which IVY would provide for field training. Also, there was a need for a wrtain number of personnel who would be able ti, following, CTU 7 submitted a request to CTG 132.1 for the civilian personnel needed to complctc the RadSafo organizationa requircmcnts of the Task Unit. Personnel from Los .\lnmos, fro];: Oak Ridge, and from the Evans Signal Laborator! got underway, the planning problems nss-o(~~r:t(~ti preopcrat,ional considerations and postopcra t iom 1 a problem in connection with the rcsidu~il rn(l~:ltion of previous tests and from the slupnl( :~t t& cated on islands which had served carlwr !I. +)! equipment and through the mcdmm of 1r:ll~%

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loglral operations, the remainkg preoperational I)l.ol)lcms were ensily enough resolved. In September 1951, CJTF 132 had sent a letter 10 C’TG 132.2 requesting information on the status of KaclSafe facilities at Enimetok Island. He was ill fnrmcd that no Radiac equipment was akailable [,,I*use by Task Group 132.2; no personnel trained ill the use of Rack equipment were available in tlw Task Group; and the AEC Resident Engineer I1:1tl no technical facilities with which to advise ~txntitig access to the previously contaminated i&r& of Runit, Eberiru, Engebi, and hluzin. 13~ late September, a request had been made of tlw _1rmy to furnish a limited amount of standard Kluliac equipment to CTG 132.2 in order that he would be provided with the means for fulfilling III) period. By December, CTG 132.2 was informed that the following Radiac equipment was lwillg procured and would be shipped as it became Low Range Dosimeter, with suitable charg- 20 ea. ing and indicating instrumentation. High Range Dosimeter, with suitable indi- 20 ea. Portable Alpha Ilfeter___________________ 2 ea. Radium Source, 25 mg__________________ 1 ea. ‘I’hr first shipment, consisting of the first three itrms listed above, was made in late December, \vhile the balance went forward in subsequent Procurement of equipment necessary to meet the needs of the tecbnlcal RadSafe Unit (Task {‘nit. 7 of Task Group 132.1) was initiated in J Larch 1952. A set, of tnemoranda was prepared in the Technical Bm.nch of the J-3 Division of the Tusk Force Headquarters. These memoranda listed available equipment, then in storaie, which could be shipped to the Forward Area without renovation as wellcas that equipment, also in storage, which could be shipped to the Forward Area after inspection, tests, and renovation. At the same time, n total listing of equipment required by Task Unit 7_had been prepared by the J+l Division of Task Group 132.1. This listing gave descriptions, possible. sources of supply, and action agencies for each item. Following a study of the list, it was evident that the majority of the equipment items could be procured from I1EC stock or from the militar)- Services. At, about that, same time, Major Servis inspected ant1 selected certain types of Rndiac instruments then un:ler,aoing renovation in the instrument repair section at L.4SL. Generally speaking, these instruments were acceptable though a number of beta-gamma survey meters were lacking in Geiger-Jliiller tubes. Information, nevertheless, indicated that the tubes could be procured from LASL prior to shipment. Procurement of film badges and calibration standards was initiated as soon as Tasli Unit 7 appropriation numbers were obtainecl from JTF 133. agreed to activate a project for the phasing and t,ropicalization of the selected Radiac equipment. The acquisition of additional items of RadSafe equipment continued. A conference with personnel 01 the AFSWP Test Command in Kew Mesico concerning the possible use of Test Command radiological detection instruments during IVY indicated that AFSWP would concur in the SIX-5 survev instruments to Task Unit 7. An inspection made of a mobile radiochemical laboratory at Kirtland AFB resulted in the conclusion that it was unsatisfactory--consequently, eft’orts to obtain a new model from OCSigO were continued. The initial request had been for two such laboratories, one to be placed on Parr: Island and the other aboard the RESDOT’a as part of the RndSafe Center afloat. The problem of evacuating the unit from Parry without, damaging it, however, was the basis for the dowmvard revision of the initial request from two laboratories to one. It was later ascertained that van was not possible prior to 15 September 1952. Delivery at such a late date would preclude its use in Operation IVY since it would not be available for loading aboard the RESDOVA prior to her scheduled departure from the Kest Coast. This problem was resolved w-hen the Army agreed to fabricate and instrument, some required special equipment. in a van which was available at that time. In addition, since certain ment needed for installation of a Photo Laborntory in the RESDOVA could not be procured commercially- in time for installation, the Evms

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Signal Laboratory generously agreed to provide a portable field-type Photo Laboratory van $0 Task Group 132.1 for jobt use by the Task Force. Inasmuch as neither of these items of RadSafe equipment ras standard, the cooperation of the Srmg and Evans Signal L5boratory resulted in substant,ial ssvings to the Task Force. One of the RadSafe equipment problems peculiar to Operation IVY n-as the necessity for procuring gamma intensity reading meters to be used under water. This requirement was brought. mander of the Scientific Task Group. He was of the opinion that after the detonation of MIKE there would exist in the MIKE area, for a reasonnble length of time, a f5irly large flus of both slow and fast neutrons. The shallow parts of the reef, toward both Bogallus and Engebi, would be exposed by the blast n-are, thus permitting the reef to become activated by slow neutrons. In a matter of three or four dnys, the xater in this area would become decontaminated by the normal flow of currents to the ocean, but’ the reef, itself, could remain fairly radioactive. If it became necessary for recovery parties to xvork in this area, standing in the lv-ater, the norm51 beta or gamma intensity reading meters would indicate little reef contamination due to the shield of xater. Hence, it was believed prudent that these special meters Concurrent with RadSafe training in Task Group 132.3 was the procurement of certain items tributed to ships of the Task Force. This equipment was designed to be used in combating the Items of special clothing supplied to Task Group 132.3 were standard stock items and the ships’ allowances had been established by the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts (BuSand-1). Units of t,he Task Group were .indiridually responsible for procuring their own Radiac equipment in accordance with Op-Nav Instruction 96iO.2, Ship Type Electronic Plnn, and were responsible for the maintenance of the equipment. For repairs beyond the capacity of individual ships, a repair shop nnd reserve iustrumcnt pool were established abonrd the REXDOVA to be used in conjunction Safe in February 1952, and in Mtlrci;, a list of supplies and equipment required for use in the Task Group Radiological Section 51 Kwajalein was submitted to the Air Force Director of Materiel. On 7 April, a supply directive was received indicating that procurement action on the requested material was being t;rkcn. Enrly in March, the Task Group 132.4 Rad%fe Sectiou had been assigned an aircraft decoutaiuin5tiou area at Kwajalein; the area proved to be uusuitable, however, since it was located ou the parking ramp and in such close prosimity to the engine tamination “over wide areas was introduced. In addition, the pavement was of asphnlt which easily collects contamination. It wns nlso of insufficient slope to permit drainage of coillaminated washing solutions. An isolated area ou the downwind end of the Island was obtain& and plans were made to construct a decontamiuntion ramp, ramp wash area was sloped one inch per ten feet for easy flushing and positive dra.i_nngi! into the - open seas. This area was so locclted on the Island that it could be roped off if cont.amination persisted without hindering operations in more congested areas. Approval of the CTG 132.4 request for construction of the decoulaminstion ramp was given by CJTF 132 toward the cud of During the same period of planning for aircraft decontamination, txo buildings on K~vajoleiu were obtained for use as a Personnel Decontamination Center, one building (formerly a latrnie), smaller building was used as an office aud the shower room was converted into the 5~1~5~ sp5ce where personnel decontamination would occur. Additional facilities were constructed iu the Center for the storage and issue of clothing 5nd for the repa.ir and calibration of Radiac instruments. Beginning with the early planning phase, torisiderable thought was given to the …