Task Group 7.4 Operation Hardtack (Deleted)

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Forae, through Task Ground. All phases recounts the activities of the United States Ah an operation conducted in the Enlwetok Proving of the series are treated from an over-view standpoint. For detailed information on various aspects of the operation, the reader 1s invited to examine other related documents, chief among these being the Commanderts Final Report and Task &OUp 7.4 @ration Ilan 1-58. ‘lhecited documents are retafned in the files of the HlsMaster Sergeant William A. Evans wrote all portions of this monograph. Airmen Second Class Joaquim S. Ceraldo Jr. performd the associated clerlcal tasks. The author is emlebted to the Staff of Task Group 7.4 for guidance and cooperation in the preparation of the doouThis monograph b subject to revision. Thus, additional information or suggested corrections will be welcomed.

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!%mo for Record, Conference on Support Requ5-renents z Jul. 57, subj.s Cormmts to “FiMl @ofi of the nel Robert Cattis, USAF, to Joint Task Tome SETW.N 11 Apr. 57, subj.; Staff Visit to Eniwetok, 24 !%r. -

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26 Jun. 57, subj.s Support Aircraft Required for HARW 30 Jul. 57, subj.; Air Operation Center (AOC) on 10 Jul. 57, mbj.~ Concept of Air Task Group Logistics Support, Operation IWACK. Ltr., Codr., JTF-7 to several units, 3 Jun. 57, ~M*$ Tentitive Vehicle Allocation for HARWYiCK. 12 Apr. 57, subj.~ Personnel Hannlng of the 4951st SupComdr., ARDC to Comdr., AFSUC, 16 Iky 57. subj.g Use of Military Police in I&m of Air Police on Eniwetok Ihwing operational Periods. “

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_~hoto, Test Array Board, YA@”Ni~OOD, 26 May 58. Photo, Test Arrqy Doard, Photo, pLi8 sion Lxecution photo, Mission Lxecution Photo, Test Army Board, Pnoto, Mission Acecution Photo, Test Array Board,

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on LiupportRequirements for Operation Issuance of message constituting authoity for initial planning for Operation as Commander of Task Gro’up7.4. Final bOOk message issued by United * ?1annh-g Jirective was published. l.!ovementMrective was published by United States Air Force. arrived at Lniwetok. Operation r’lan1-58 was published. Series of ,i!lltiT,direhearsals was bebun.

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tiUTTMNUT and FIR detonated in first dual shot accomplished for iiARIITACK, &lTTERNUT at YVONNE Island, tiwetok Atoll.,FIR at CHARME island, Bikini TOBACCO fired at J&~&T Island, iniwetok

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LINDEN fired at YVONNE Island, in.iAtoll, and HAIL4CODfired at FOX Island, Bikini Atoll in the third dual shot of Dual shot accomplished, MCKORX at TidlhIsland, Bikini Atoll, and OAK at .4LICLIsland, tiiwetok Atoll.

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1958 ORANGE, a high albitude shot, detonated near Johnston Island. 1958 Headquarters Iask GmuP 7.4 at ~iwe~k closed at 2400L hours.

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The first official amouncement of plans for Operation -ACK was provided to Air Force Special Meapons Center on 10 June 1955, when Colonel H. l?.Parsons of the tid Forces Special Weapons ?roject wrote that HARDTACK waB saheduled for the spring of 1957 at an undetermined looation. Approximately 10 shots were included In the planned series. 1 By the end of 1955, scheduling for the ~sting program had Eecoum more firm, for an u Lkxxmter 1955 Colonel Parsons stated that ‘present plans call for Operation PIUXtXM at the Nevada Test Site in the Spring of 1957 ad for Operation H~AOK at the pacific Proving Grounds tn tho spring of 1958.n He tion mncerning the test lar to that required for 1s available and it is assumed that the support horn De~mber 1955 tO February 1957 very little definitive infonutio>_concerning Operation HARDTACK was available. on 26 Februati 1957, hoveve~, the first version of the HARIY1’ACKschedule accessible in the HARDTACK was planned ‘to be held in the Pacific in the SFring of 1958.W

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The following is quoted It should be emphasized that this is the first information available relative to this opration; therefom, the schedule should b considered as very preliminary and will probably change considerably before a final program in established. Some 12 devices of the las Alamos Scientific Laboratory were Mstid in the test program, the largest king of * yield end the ma 11Stiteen devices of the University of Califofi nla Fkdiation Laboratory vere included on the list, several of these shots bing dependent upon the results of Operation PIMRU*; the largest was expect-+ to produce a yield of ‘ and the smallest (h 6 June 1957 another schedule containing Wry preliminary inrormationrfwas issued. 4 This schedule revealed several chnnges to the proposed .mogram. Ten Ias Alanos Scientific Laboratory devices were listed, schedule. ~;eventiendevices of the University of Califorifia.Radiation this histo~y the t~,{odesignations are used interchangeably.

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In add~ion to these of Ios Alamos ard the Badiation more shots, listed as Department of Def~ devices? readinees dab of 1 Hsy 19s8. ThlB Was to bS a very hl~h altitude test, at 92,000 feet, the d-oe being ~igh &ltitude test from a Redstone missile carrier, the device was to be detonated et 250,000 feet. ~~f+~’ . yield, having a readiness date of 8 ~ 19%. :, 1 e carrier of thla wea~on was Unspecified, although the test was listad as ~ vexy h~gh-altltudo tist a readiness date of 1 Juhe 195$. This shot, namd PERCOLATOR, was scheduled as Q shallow water test. a readiness date of 22 June 1958. Known as LITTIJI ‘dIGdAM,this was to be a deep inter teat. Because of the lack of specific FIACK planning information, the 4950th Test Group (Nuclear) concentrated its effort during lata 1956 end early 1957 on Operation PLUMBBOB, which entered its opemtional phase in &y 1957. Nevertheless, several noteworthy mACK planning activities were conducted by the 4950th during this Pz50d. &ilonel William B. Kieffm, the fiture Commander Task Group 7.4,

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togothar vith prlnoipal meabers of Ma staff, attended the Joint Operations, Supply, Constxuution, ad Transportation Conference on 19 ati 20 February 1957 at Headquarters Joint Task Force SEVEN. This - conference had as its objective the establishment and coordination of equiprmnt modif$.cation,tranOApotitlon, and other logistical concepts for operation HARDTACK. The a~enda was divided into several subconfe~ Colonel Donnell Massey presented to the conferees of Operation HARDTACK. 5 The tist series, accotiin~ to shots. A point of great importance was the announcement would differ somewhat from RJ?DWINGin that the ‘University Radlatlon Iaboratiry, hting a large percentage of high yield shots, would conduct nmt of their opsrations at Bikini Atoll and the Los Alamm Scientific hborato~ would utilize the Eniwetok compleX+ The shots under sponsorship of the Department of Defense would be fired in both atolls, the underwater shots being conducted at Rniwtok and the high altitude shots probably at Bikini. In sorm Instances ‘it my be necessary to move som of the shots from Eniwetok to Bikini and vice versa~_u&ing imperative the maintemce of oprat io~l flefibilitya The re?!uirementfor a high yield dual a’.ollcapability was thus exnleined

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faoe transportation in sufficient quantity for sampllng and for emergency evacuation at both atolls simultaneously. As early as 3 December 1956, the Ah Form ~Pcial ~aPOnS tinter had anticipated the possibility of providing and cw&Aalnlng a dual shot capability during HARI?TACK,as well as testhg in both the Pacific &iwet& Sits.m 6 Center had learned from Joint Wle possibility of simul.lxlneous Proting Ground and Nevada Test The current concept being envisaged for operation HARDTACK contemplates the probable fifing of two shots on the sam day on so!mJoccasions, and @rhaps in a few instances, at the same tine. However, while som additional aircraft will be xwqired, it is realized that a oomplete dual sampling capability prohbly cannot h supported, nor is it justified. Therefore, in order to have an adequate number of sampling aircraft available on dual shot days, attempts till h me to ~W o~ of the scheduled shots a low yield detonation reo.uiz%ngretitivelg limited participation so far as sampling aiz= At the Jcint Task Force JTVEN conference, Dr. Gaelen Felt of the Las Alamos Scientific Laboratory outlhwd broadly the scope of the HAIi& TACK technical phases, which included, besides the propmmd numlmr of shots, the readiness dates and predicted yields, stressing especially the two-atoll (or dual shot) concept of firing. The ove=ll HACK operat~~n was to follow generally the W.DUING concept; the two-atoll

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ad YUMA was fired in the Enlwetok Atoll, and HEAD was aacompMehed in the Bikini Atoll and BIWKFOOT was f~red in the After these introductory addresses by Colonel Massey and Dr. Felt, the conference was given over to a general discussion of an support requirements which were to b presented to the Joint Chfefs of Staff for approval of adequacy. Subsequently, detailed consideration of the various aspects of HARDTACK was accomplished in the subconferwces. Indication of Task Group 7.4 plans for COping ~th the d~l shot 8to Joint Task Force SEVENon 2.4Jul+problem was contained In a letter 1957. The letter statidi When definiti aircraft participation is determined a turn—around study will be made for all aircraft and results will be given to TG 7.1. TG7.ldllbe m quested to consider the tuxn—around oapabilit ad t~ will be available for smpling operations and this should be sufficient to give us a dual shot capability. “The letter of 24 July also outlined the Task C~OUP 7c4 plans for rehearsal programs to take place before the lmginnlng of the opuxational 9period of HARDTACK. Overseas rehearsals wexm to be scheduled on a scope sinllar to that of KEIXJING(which hed six, one of which was a dual shot rehearsal) but dependent upon the nuiiberof participating aircraft.— TACK, there anpenred a need for fewer rehearsals. A rehe~rs~l.program

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was to b determined upon the reception’of definite information on the— . The use of Taongi.Atoll as an additional firing site in the Eniuetok Proving Ground was contemplated in the early planning stages of HARl& TACK. Task Group 7.1 in January 1957 expressed a deeire to h&e an ea> Iy decision whether or not the additional atoll would be used.10 * oporatioml problems were inherent In the use of Tao@, and of the greatest importance to Task Group 7.4 was the neasgity for e~bMs~ control faci~ties for aircraft in the ‘faongiaxwa. Colonel l%ssey of Joint Task Force SEVEN stated that the use of Taongi appeared to require a = policy deuision from the Atomic Energy Commission and the State Depa* mmt. Until a decision was protided, no definite planning to include shots at Taongi could be completed~ By 1 May 1957, no decision on the Taongi issue had been reached, although the University of California Radiation hboratory -s still attempting to secure approval of the atoll as a shot slta. A memo on Operational plans etision that all operations &olting be stationed ashore, and no runway to be constructed. Since Tao~i lies 475 NN frou %iwetok, 324 from Wake, 256 from Kvajalein, and 285 from Bikini, there should at lsast be a strip prepared for real emergencies. This recommendation is made ewn in Ifght of the heavy contamination Taon@ will SUIWQ Get. Again, on 16 l%iy19s7, a letter 12 from Joint Task I’orce.%VEII,

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regarding an aspect of airlift in the proving ground, that the use of Taongi as a tlx!rdfiring site had not approved or disapproved. The letter made note”of the yet been either of Taongl would modify the requirements would have to The problem was elhinated be revised accordingly. when, on 30 July 1957, Joint Task Force SEVEN infomed the 4950th that Taongi ‘will not be a ffrfng site on Gperstion HARDTACK.H Themefore, among other efinsive problems circumair control area in the Rniwetok Proving Ground will not Kieffer and the 4950th Commander, vith principal members - of his etaff, visited the Etiwtok Proving Ground in late lkrch 1957. The group inspected several areas of aatlvity of the 4951st Support Sqyadron (Test), including manning, flying and ground safety, control and maintenance of supplies and equipment, and operational proced-s. Of particular interest to the Cormander was the proving ground construction program which appeazwd to be adequate to sup’.ortthe needs of Task Gro:.n 7.4. Airfield rehabllitition, especially runway repsir, was proceeding z~tisfactorily, although the rummy seemed to be less well sealed then was the older surface, giving rise to the possibility of deterl.orationunder the effects of jet blast and constant u~sqe. A development of major importance in the planning fir }MR”W,WK,

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establishment within the Special.\JeaponsCenter of the position of D8puty Commander for Overseas Tests~ Colonel William B. Kieffer, who was relieved of duty as Special Weapons Center Wputy &mmander, was assigned 15 This positionto the previously unfilled position on 15 July 1957. was designed to provide for Colonel Kieffer, and for those officers who would later occupy the space, a pcrfod of orientation and obsemtion preparatory to assumption of command of Task Group 7.4 upon ~tg actimtion. ‘i’henew cotnmanderof Task Group 7.4 would automatically aseum the command of the L950th Test Crop (!bclear). engajed in the conduct of air support for Nevada Test Site. Several HMUYI’ACK were accomplished, however. Plantlin&?Schedule. The Joint Task Force SEVEN schedule ;or HARJX;.CKwas published on 27 November 1956. The cover letter to the schedule advised that, because of a lack of firm information,_the schedule WLS based upon the assumption (1) tit the scope of—

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Based in part upon the Joint Task Force ~chedule, a planning sc~m Operations M-rectorate. ~7 This schedule, listing all known requirements ad projects, wes designed to protide a constant mmitoring of all planning programs to insure punctual completion. According to this echedulet Aircraft modifications vere to be completed 2. The Task Croup 7.4 operation Plan/Order was to & completed by 15 February 1958. 3, Materiel was to be pre-positioned in the forward area by 1 March 1958. 4. The Alr Operations Center was to be in place w c The edvance echelon of Task Group 7.4, the Test’~rcraft Unit, and the Test Services Unit was to depart for the proving ground on 1.February 1958, ‘the move to be completed by 15 Februa~. 6. Headqwrters of the Test Services Unit, Test Aircraft Unit, and Test Base Unit were to be activated in the forward area on 20 March 1958. 7. Air rehearsals were to begin on 25 Harch 1958. ~. The roll-up phase was to be aompleted 45 days Significantly, no estimated date for the termination of the opera-

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as it; purpose the constitution of authority for Air Force comands to begin initial planning for HARDI’ACK,was prepred by t~ 49flth Test Headquarters United States Air Force on 29 APfil 1957. 18 The message stated that the tentative starting datm of HARDTACK was 1 lky 1958, and that approxlmatdy 30 devices would be tested. ~sos The United States Air Force will km the executive agent for the test series and Air Force ,anticipation will follow the general pattern established during previous ovedsecs nuclear fasts. ARDC will ,nan,train, and organize Air Task Croup 7.4. The Air Task Group will consist of three units, (1) a Test Base Unit provided by W, (2) a Test Alrcra.ftUnit prodded by major l15AF w Commands and (3) a Test Support Unit & st Services Unit~ provided by MATS. The nission - function of Ta& Group 7.4 and admrdinate units will parallel those assigned for Operation REDWING. A draft of the final book mssage E more extensive and detailed than the preliminary book mssage, was prepared and forwarded in August 1957 to Special Ueapons Center for sulxdasion to Headquarters IMted States Air Force. The final keok message had not …