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Declassified record · U.S. Department of Energy

Memo to C L Tyler, Subject: Preliminary Reconnaissance of Bikini Atoll

Dated
Sep 25, 1952
Document type
Correspondence
Length
4 pages
Open the original scanArchive record OSTI ID 16096995 · public domain

Document text

Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.

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J-3, JTF 132; Harry Allen, IASL; Roy Stone, Claude Corey, BobCsrl,SamHoweU.,DaVidNarver, Ieighton Hazmond and John Paolozzi. The tripwasmade byaspecialPBMfl5ghtand duringthetime spent at BikiniAtoll,we were supportedw IST 836 under the Upon srrivingat the Atoll, a tour of the entire Atoll was made by air and Mr. Stone took photographsof each island. These photographshave been transmittedseparatelyto the Enivetok ming the &ternoon of Septemberl8th, a ground reconnaissance of Bikini Islandwas made. Becauseof the heavy jungle growth on this is-, it ~8s impossibleto gain access to the interior except for one primitiveroad which runs from the lagoon side to the ocean side in the south centralportion of the island. However, this islanddoes have satisfectorysourcesof aggregate, canbe landed onby IST andcanhave anairstrip k constructedup to about 4,000feet in length. k OnSeptemberl9th the entire Party spent the dsyuntilabout I ‘4, quite suitablefor a Mike type experimentincludingthe use of r $ fill for the causeways, It was determinedthat sn airstrip MrukTiji Islends. Later study of the mo

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indicates that the latterlocationwould he the best. In . connectionwith the airstrIp,there is attachedhereto a copg of a reportmade hy Brig. Gen. Wise which statesthe requirementsfor an airstrip. For your LnformatipnGen. Uise's -reportindicatesthat no more airstriplength is needed for . jungledbut it appearsthat the soil on the islandscontainsa an excellentsourceof aggregate. It was furtherdetermined that au IS!!lendingshouldbe establishedon Reere Islandwith little difficulty,hut that the best locationfor the camp in order to allowflexibilityfor locationof the zero pointwould be in the east centralportionof EMuman Island. As to possibleal&ate' locationsin the Atoll for a Mike type experiment,it appears thatE&k%niIsland and the two small islandsimmediatelyto the south would be most suitable insofaras the economyof constructionis concerned. However, could be made to serve for such an experiment. The northern group of islandsin which Aomoen is includedcontainsverg scanty land erea and it would be a considerableproblemto obtain enoughfill in this locationfor causeways* Should it be determinedafter IVI that the long run of eitherhelimu box or co-&.al cable could be dispensedwith, the latter group of islandscould be used and.itmay also be possibleto The party returnedtoEniwetok on the evening of Septemberl?th. In subsequentconferenceswith the Coxmmder, JTF 132 and Commsnder,!FC132.1,it was agreedthat constructionwould a campsite,&strip, marine landingfacilitiesand causewvs. Eore detail on this matter is given in my letterto Holmes& which has been forwardedto you,

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GeneralClerkson Deputyfor Air 20 Sept 1952 2. 1% activityduring this visit was to advise1-k.Spain end perty with respectto minisntnn&strip requirementsto accommdcte C-47B and of your views that only one cmp for cmductkg Cpretim CASTE should the use of Rik%i end authorizedthe iuitielsurveyp1u6 euzterltyuzd edge cf the runray to the merest obztructiouwould be the nininm require .'_.--. ,-'!. exceed20°, pcZ.ntingout that every hot of heedwin for t&c-cff end 4. It is regzizedth6t the above airstriprequiremEts ere fer short Eovever, fcr ekrcreftnot exceedingthe gross weightskdiceted above,they ae well within the ltiztationzexpressedin the EpproprieteEzudbcokof

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last stop. Therefore,ther shouldgross in th; neighborhoodof 55,000As a matter of informationto ~0x1,the empty weight for the C-54s eircreft is 117.5 feet; its le@h is 93.4 feet; its height,27.5 feet. r Frox~a laymx*s point of view it appearsto me that the runway criteriaset forth above is possibleiF et lea& two locationsof the "Alpha"Group identifiedin the HO~EESE:Marver Teport on Ltiliq