Document text
Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
Page 1
The followfn,g proposal IS an attermrgL to draw a comparisonof the advantages and disadvantagesof the geographicalareas concernedin connectionwith the field testingprogramsof the Universityof CaliforniaUdiation Labomtory at Livcrmrc. Althoughft is writtenpr:lssr-ilyfrom this point of view, it is hoped that, if apprmrcd, this effoz% could semfe another usefulpurposeand become B fx-amewoz-kand guide for detailed Sll~~tiplaming ard the evolutionof an operational plan for pre@mation of the propossl.
Page 2
The proposalfor the use of TaongiAtoll is based on a scope of operationfor Hardtackas statedin a meting at Los Alamos ScientificLaboratory,31January 1957 (Eef - JDO 632, Waves to Distribution,MeetingMinutes). The assumptionis made that the followingscope is representativeof the program as it will be epprovedwith the exceptionof the possibledeliiion,oftwo to six devices. Three agencies desireto field test a total of approximately 25 to 31 devices. The Universityof CaliforniZRadiationLaboratorywill fire 14, Los Alams SciexttificLaboratorywill fire 12, and the Departmentof The followingtable givesthe approximateyield categoriesby agency: The conceptof Opemtion Hardtack, as outlined representitivesof UCRL, LASL, DOD, and Sandia above mentionedmeetingon the 31st of January,is as follows: WRL shotswill be fired at BikiniAtoll and Tsongi Atoll,or Bikiti and tentativelyagreedto by LASL shotswill be fired at EniwetokAtoll with the exceptionof their largestyield shot (alqroximately7 IU) which will be fired at Bikini. DOD will attemptto fire the three high altitudeshots at BikiniAtoll and the underwatershotsat Eniwetok. The startingdate of 11 May 1958for OperationHardtackwill be maintained. UCRL will fire P'ivebarge shotsat Tao@, if available,with the first zero point chosenso as to broachthe mef, probablytowardthe northern end on the leewatiside.
Page 3
mutual interactionsbetveenthe program of Wvldual agencies. The assignment of testing areas by agencyvas also based on the assumption 14O, &%, 285 miles notieast of Bikini Atoll and 324 miles south-southeast of Wake Island. The surf'acevind8at'paonglaresllghf&rmoreuortberly, five to six degrees,and their averageVelocStyis 'higher ia that there are face vlnds drop belov five knots. 6. Logistics and Iiupport - The atoll is a lunar shapedcrescentapproximatelyten miles long&d four miles tide at its smximumwidth. A chord Joining the tips of the crescent lagoonlstotallylandlockedexceptforavery namov channelIn the leeward reef. Harrov,long sand Islandslie alongthe southeasternside of the atoll, runningin the approxlmte directionof mast to southwest. These land msses &an a distanceof some eight dies. weable firingsector f’rcm the falloutstandpointis much greaterthan at eitherBlkiaior Exxlvetok. This Is only true If one accepts as a conceptof operationat Taon& the basic principleof treating the Taongl islandsa8 Inaccessibledue to falloutradiation.levelsafter the first large shot, which vould be the proposedplan of operation. Anotherof the importantfactor8bear- on the feasibilityof the use of Taongl is the dollarcost for initialerrtrya& establishmentof whatever beachheadand mlnlml facilitiesare necessaryto fire large yield shots in The magnitudeof logisticssupportcost added to tbs costs of Xtem 5 above mustbe evaluateda@nstthose realsavings ofoperationaltimevhich accrue througheqloynrentof tripleatoll operationsversus dual atoll
Page 4
1. scope of operation The full scopeof OperationHardtackrepresent an Ancrease ineffort over hand seem to Indicate that OperationEamitackwill be 759lOO$longerin the operationalphase.From the UCRL point of view, this Is not necessarily so as the schedulesfor firing at BikirdandTaongivlu show. It 18 our opinionthat the entireHardtackOperationcan be concludedwlthlna period of time equal to, if not less than, that reqplred-feyaccomplishingRedwlng, Reasonsfor this differenceare pointedout in the followingdiscussfons: & 6 total of 14 devic is exg&ted.to yield 300KT and m oe fired as a ratherheav%.lydiagnosed surfaceor short tower shot. This'shot,plus two or three of the.&wer yield two-stsgedevices,and the five singlestage deviceswill be committed startwith the beg%nningof the operationalphase and be concludedas rapidly as possible. At the samtlue, preparationsandfiringof largedevices can proceedon the northernside of the atoll. Also, concurrentwith the Bikiniphase of the testing,and If the proposalis approved,fdringof the large yieldbarge shots canproceedrou$lnelyatWcmgl. The acceptanceof the basic princlp?-eof dieding the progmns of the two laboratoriesby locating their reSpeCtWe testingsXte8 in separxite atolls insuresthe mximutaIn flexibilityinsofaras praintenanceof ready dates is concerned. Underthisplaqeach laboratory18freetochsnge the other of Its own firi% with a minimumof interactionwith other shots. LASL~s occuaffordsdual large shot capabilityand dual snmll shot capabilitybetween the two atolls,but with a xmsimumof two shots on any one day. larger in yield t&n the mm it 8eems reasonableto fire at Enivetok. area avallabletothe agencywith shots mmlningtobe fired. TheUCRL planningincorporate8 the use of Tsong$ in arder to relhve both Bikiniand Etiwetokofyieldswhich wouldbe difficult to lnterweavewithsmallershots and which would necessifafe being much mre selectivein choosinga Safe shot day, e8peciallyat Eniwetok. Following are two schedulesfor UCRL shots thereforenot Just exmples, but typicalof the final EardtackmAsdules. These prospectiveschedulesare the culminationof severalplaming conferencesin our own orgjnjtzationat Livemore and reflectthe UCRL point,of view towardacccmpUshingthe operationin the shortestt3.m practical for each of the two ca8e8:
Page 7
The interval between shotsfor 8 giventestlocation;i.e.,the Tare shotslnthe northernpartof the lagoon. All1Dstallationsat!J!are, of the use of 50 foot stubtowersis aimsdat circumventingdszs3ge from suchan effect. As pertains alsoto Schedule1,the firiagof for, as we&las the Tare 6hot8,necessitates4&e evacuationab all Tarepersonnelto Ean for protectionironfallout.Shotsgreaterthan 5 2&P,such as ScheduleI Events 12, 13, 14, and 15 will make ccsqplete one of eachbeingin zmdiness,the large yield or most difficults&t would take precedence. Ho insertionof DOD shots Is shown in ScheduleI. It is believed that BikiniAtoll is best adaptedfor theseshotseven if Tsongi ,ismavailableand it becomesnecessarytoinsertthemintoaschedule typical of ScheduleI. The infmtion avaimle at the presenttime itiicSt&S uMm highaltituderocketshotsreadyfor a 1 B&y readydate. Both Even tbougbthe scopeof tNs progrsmis not fim, the ineLusionof teedfortbesmmed diagnosticrocketstatiansvhiehafe mmeor less
Page 8
safetylatheatoll. This conditionwill exist on four evelltls, 12, 13, 14, and 15 In SchedulaI but on only ona event in ScheduleII. at Bikini iDthe~ortbbm~natCharlieorFo&/Oe~~ cotild result plus Station132l on Dog if firad at Fox/Geor~. the shot is fired lntheFox/Georgeragion. Ines of Station1319 and Stationl2W on Charlieif the c3hot is a fired inthis regioa. aud the technicalpreparatia;rperiod is not affectedby aimltamous firirrgof large yield shots in the northerntest areaa. atBM.ni for the inclusionof the DOD shots In the schadulewithfull assurauceand reasonableguaranteeof beirg able to conductthis prolauuchingsitestobe muned duringthe UK4 shotsare concerned. This time can be extendedto 8 June if one assumesthat the possiblefallout interferencefronDvent 12 does not constitutea major delay risk. . From the WCBL vlewpoitrt,the conceptof operationat Taon@ would be conducted in a mnner involvlugan absolutemiulmm of lnatallatlonsashoreon the islaudsor reef. It is ouropinlouthatallthe datarequlradfordlagnosing these shotscould beobtained frcmad%agncmticsand firingshlpoperating
Page 9
lagoon,probablytovardthe northemend. me rmtof these shotsvoti on the edge of the_~zwiouslyforned crater in order to o]~ena navigable deep water channelintothe lagoonandtoform,viththe largestshot, aturnlq basin at its end. This stepwisestrategicpIacementand ezuzroacbunentinto the lagoonwouldresultin a mxwmde deep water anchoragefor possibleuse ia the future. barge. Such a method is very feasibleand the rel&&ility of the systemhas beenprmen lnpast operations. The fim of Edgertoa,Cermshausen,and Grim, One of the greatest gains tobe m&ted in this use of Taongi Atoll is the least 1,500 miles. To the north,the nearestpopulat%onis on W&e bearing for southerlyccmpone&3Gthelevels f&m20,000 feet to the tropopause.
Page 10
Acceptable patterns at Bikiniand Eniwetok am e toalwaysffreetTaon@ On the stable longlived weatherpatternwhileat spaee/thpzvariation&&is8 has led Ccmmder &3X'S state to state: -3bmgi althoughlocalfallouton the shot sitemuld havebeen eqperusually be observed& the upperwesterlies .atTam@ and the
Page 11
are shovn in Figure 9 for the two locations.a Dr. Pay Sheltonhas stated: would probablynot be acceptableto thoseresponsiblefor f&ring. Re considemdadayasgood ifthe falloutaxbtisseda3.l oftbe inhabited m shootin&daysversus7 for Bikiniout of the totalof 45, the probability ofbeingableto firethe firstshot at!&&& or Bikini on anydayduring whateverthe averageweatherdelayat Bikiniis, the sameavemqe is l/3 as avessgeweather delay. AtTaongi,we havebasedthe shotintervalsonfive Cmmnder Rexbelievesfhe interpolatedhodographdatafobeaccurateto on3y consideringThong%as a test site. m problemof checkingthe validityof not only as a &e&on the interpolateddataaccuracy but wouldlendcondiagnosticsship. 1% is alsodeemd necessaryto observethe we&her furthe%' on the weatherin suchlocationscan likelybe obtainedfromdestroyers.It $8 nab obvious that weathershspswhosesole missionis weatherobservatfm’ are necessary for thAs purposes.
Page 12
as comparedto Bikini,of less rainfalland decreasedshoweractivityare The possibuityof transmissioninterlocksstoppinga shd Is lesnlikely scientificstationsa~& to preparethe next shot. Hsny yardsof concreteare rse to pzwlde adew&e shseldbg for filmdata In such stat:lods, in add&+&m to assuringstructuralstrengthia closeproxlnityto the blast. rids a consIderableportionof the operationof recoveryand construction alto large, is nut so surprisingwhen it is lwB&eredtbat'Ilaangiis fromthefacttbattbe reef he cont%mxmsexceptforPoksakJn2passageand this outflowis mt enou@to allowthe lagoonlevelto equalieewlththat oftheocean. It is est%rimte&tbatthemlnismmdifferencebetweenthetvo Inthe case of reef break-tbroughontbefirstshot,thesmilllagoonvolume !Fbs storage of radiosctive con~t in any flowlessstagnantpot holes sub-smface currentpatternswill revealany possibflityof suchstorage. Theseare afl factorsbearLogon the choiceof zero points. The feasibility ofbu%ldlngamdelto aid inthosedekemdnatlons fsbeinginvestlgated.
Page 13
!me northerly cqnent of the westerly layer in the wind stnxture at!bon@ each sideby a genemus 19 miles. tional lo@tic stqqort, in developingTaongiAtollto the stsgewhich would allowthe moorlngand~~tion of the tirstdevicebarge. This studywas andwhenthe laboratory was not inaposltionto evaluatetheplanfor shipwithoutknewhether or not Baajorland statlopswouldbe reqplred,two en&neerswe= thenaskedfor dollarestimtesof the costof prepa~a for eachof the two situations. . constmctlonfor eachof thesetwo situxtionsare stafedin a letterforconstractionand 80 operatfonpersonnelfor a periodof sevenand one-half m%teFia1andequipaaent;.331estlmatingtbetiaeschedule, it has beenassurrsed jbnandthatbeaches for baniungcraf’t,pral deposits, trees, tntderbrush
Page 21
until just prior to the HardtackOperationalphase. Thisviewpolrrt has alreadybeen expressedin a letterdated2.lJanuary1957,Dr, qulredfrom the contractorat T-eon@. * 4. Fix the method and reC3ponSibility for the openingof the channel8~8 5. Accomplishthe task of choosingand obtainfngthe diagnosticsship just as early a8 possiblein order to begin the tin+ consuming