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History of Task Group 7.4 Participation in Operation

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History of Task Group 7.4 Participation in Operation P 410486 42 ● =. HISTORY ,J.- of TASK GROIJp 7.4 paticiption in OPERATICE?CASTLE C2i -L/H. / HISTORY of TASK GROUP 7.4 participation in OPERATICN CASTLE 1 Januaq’ 1953 - 26 J~e 1954 Prepared by the Historical Ditision Office of Information Services Air Force S~cial Weapons Center . \ (Air Research and Development Command) Prepared under provisions of AF Re@ation 21G3, 21G3A, and ARDC Regulation 210-1 as a part of the lIMF Historical Program. “This Document contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U. S. C., Sections 793 and 794. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person Is-prohibited by Classified material in this report is classified under the provi- sions of paragraph 23, AIR 205-1, dated 15 December 1953, and in ac- cordance with Classification Guide for Atomic Energy, dated 6 l!ovember Classified material in this document cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without permission of the office of origin, except under pro- visions of paragraph 12, ARDC Regulation 205-4, dated 31 AWst 1953. Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mxico 8 November 1954 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 33!2 INTR~UCTIm . ..O. .00= OO” 00000 *O** 1 I. OPERATI~ CASTLE AND THE AIR TASK GROUP . .. A. Formation and Organization of the Air Task Group . : B. Organization of Task Group 7.4 . 7 II. AIR TASK GROUP PLANNING FOR THE OPERATI~ . 17 A. The High Altitude Sampling Problem . 17 20 B. Sampler ”Control . ● *O 0000 *ODD* c. High Altitude Suit Requirements . 22 D. Radiation Protective Devices for Pilots . 24 E. Planning for Air Shipment in Case of Einergencies. 25 F. Runway Extension for F-84 EinergencyLandings . 26 27 ; G. Aircraft Location for Positiontig . ● . H. Runway Arresting Barriers . 29. I. Exercise TIGER/CAT . .. ~*.. 30 J. Movement tothe Forward Area . 32 K. Construction Difficulties . 32 L. Final Rehearsals for the”operation . 33 III. FUNDING FOR TASK GROW 7.4.... 0 . .. 36 A. Inconsistencies in Funding ResponsibiMty . 36 B. Conclusions . .. t**. .soso*=o= **o* 42 Recommendations . ...* ● CO OO*” OS O.**0 43 Iv. %sKGRouP7.4A NDTHESH~SER~ .OO=O” OGO=OO 46 A. Nuclear Cloud Sap~. 47 B. Aircraft Effects Testings Projects 6.2a and 6.2b . a c. Sampling Requirements . ...=.-..-”””” “ 51 D. Technical Photography . 51 E. The lhter-Island and Intra-Atoll Airlift . 53 54 F. Weather Stations.... ..0000 ~ooco ● * G. Radiological Control, Mmitortig and Decontamination . 57 H. Effects Aircraft Control and Positioning . I. The Shot Series..**.* .OOOOO*O*O*O- 2: v. RADIOLCXIICALCCNTAMINATI~ OF PERSONNEL @l BRAVO SHOT . 92 VI. FLY~GSAF~,ROIL-UF~-~G . ..*c 102 A. The Air Task Group and Flying Safety . 102 B. Roll-up.....*** . *****””””””” ““ 104 c. A Comparison between IVY and CASTLE . 106 D. Planning for Future Overseas Nuclear Operations . 107 BJBLIOGMPHICA.L NOTE . ..6OO ..c=o*=**=o*o *o= 111 CHRCNOLGY . ...*.. ● **@*”””””””*””” “ 113 GLCMARYOFT=....*. ..=o=~ ******O” “ U6 INDEX . ...*..* ● ~”””””””””””””” 119 AFwtiHC -- LIST OF ILL~TRATI~S Illustration M22 1. Organization of JTF S_. ● . ● ● 1 ● ● ● ● ✎ 3 2. Organization Chart of TIC7.4 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● . ● ● ✎ ● 6 3. Organization Chart of Headquarters, TG 7.4 ● ✎ ● . ● ● ● ✎ ● 11 4. Personnel Authorized and Assigned - TG 7.4 ● ● ● 5* TG 7.4 Personnel by Actual Location . ● ● ● ✎ 9 ● ✎ ✎ :2 6. Aircraft Inventory bYTYP .. =.-=”” ● ● ● ● . ● ✎ ● 21 . 7. Status of W&a lfilita~ Funds - Operation CASTLE ● ● ✎ ● ✎ 35 . 8. Air Force Cost by Command Participation . ● ☛✎ ● . ● ● ● 37 9. TG7.4COSt &~* . ● ☛ ● ✎☛ ● ☛✎ ● ● ● ✎ ● 39 ✎✎ ● ● ☛ ● ● ✎ ✎ 10 ● Shot Data - Operation CASTLE . ● ● ☛ *O . 45 ✎ Il. Operation CASTLE - Danger Zone ● ● ✎ .** ✎✎☛ ● ● ● ✎ 55 ● ● ● ✎ 65 12 ● Bikfi Atoll and Location of Shots 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 u. Eniwetok Atoll and Location of Shot 6 (NECTAR) ... # ● ✎ ✎ 83 . hFwLfHO INTRODUCTION This concise history of the Air Task Group in Operation CASTLE (the spring 1954 Pacific thermonuclear tests) was produced in the Historical Ditision, Office of Information Services, Air Force Special Weapons Cen- hr by @C Dudley F. Saunders. It is not intended to b a complete history of Task Group 7.4 in that operation, but is designed to record the major features of Task Gnup 7.4’s participation. For a full account of Task Group 7.4 in the operation, tie reader is referred to the monthly hlstiries of the Alr Task Group for the pe- ‘ iod beginning July 1953 and ending & w 1954. These month~ rePorts- contain all supporting documents and pictures of the operation. Copies are on file in the ARWC Historical Archives, the Air Task Group’s pep manent records, and with the ARM Klstirian. Size and bulk of these historics have made it impractical to distribute copiqs, since they oc- cupy five Itiear feet. One additional document completes the Alr Task Group history. This is the Final Report of the Commander, Task Group 7.4, Operation CASTLE. Since copies are readily available, no attempt was made to ~clude it in this histOI’y. For the same reason, to prevent duplication of effort, documents and photographs included in the monthly Task Group histiries were not included b this document. For other repprts of the operation, consuit the appended bibliography. AFwLJHr Bnphasis in this short account will be found to be on broad o~or~- tional problems of the Air Task Group, and on Informtlon on the res’dts and significance of the operation to the Air Force.___— — ----..—.— .— - . .~ ~- “ Operation CASTLE also showed that the system of fining thermonu- clear detices from anchored barges (no thermonuclear device or veapon has to date been detonated as an ti drop) In BlkM. and EMwetok Atolls was practical. By firing from barges anchored In the craters of pre- tious shots, the limited amount of available real estate was thus pre- served for future tests. By leavlng the reef intact, the lagoon was presened, and lagoon operations we~ protected from st~~ oce~ cm rents and roughness. The high-yield thermonuclear detices detona-d on the surface at CASTLE caused radiological contamination of personnel and natives in the atolls to the east of Bikini Atoll followtig BRAVO, and made it evi- dent that the Pacific Proving Ground had outgrovn its previously -- r established Danger Zone. The boundaries of the Danger Zone were extended considerably following BRAVO. The Alr Control System for aircraft used on CASTLE was of an advanced nature. It proved considerably superior to the systems used on previous operations.* Prior to CASTLE there had never been apositiw Ah Control System in the Pacific Proving Ground during a shot series. The M @ra- tions Centir (AC) and the USS E3TE exercised positive control of all aircraft in the Proving Ground and at all times knew the location of every participating aticraft. This was made possible by the installation of R?F scopes in the Air @rations Center and on the IN EST=. This in- . t stallation gave the control centers (the AOC and the Combat Mormation Center on the USS E3TES) the capability of directing the aircraft and of ascertaining their location in case of any emergency. This new system will be adapted for use on all future tests~ both o=r~eas ~d contfien~l- (For additional information on this system see the Final Report of the Commander, Air Task Group 7.4, @ration CASTLE.) ‘ Participation of the Air Force in Operation CASTLE-was of great bene- fit, particularly in the field of increased lamwledge of weapon effects on aircraft. Details of this knowledge will be found in the text. * Task Group 7.4 personnel affiliated with the Air Control System were generally in agreement that the only possible improvement to the System used on CASTLE would be the addition of a GCI (Ground Controlled Intercept). — I i -. 1+ , &iiiiialBIBBm. bukluticl CHAPTER I OPERATION CASTLE AND THE AIR TASK GFff)UP Operation CASTLE, the fflth in the Atomic Energy Commission (~) series of overseas nuclear weapons tests, was conceived in April of 1952. Originally the operational phase was scheduled for about 1 September 1953, but this date was la~r set back ~ J~USXY Of 19540 The tieta were conducted in the Marshall Islands, at EMuetck and Bikini Atells h the AEZ Pacific proving Ground. b * of 1953, the Jotit ~efs of Swf an~=d tie re~~d I“ CASTLE force requirements and directed the Ch$ef of Staff, United Sta&s Mr Force (IEAF), to support Joint Task Force SEVIX (JTF SEV@ by pro- tiding an Mr Task Group (7.4) composed of units and detachments to’con- 1 duct the Air Force 1s role, and allied functions? in the o~ration. ILLmTRATION 1, opposite page, shows the organization,of Joint Task Force sEmV. The mission of this Air Task Group (ATG) was to: - 10 Prodde, operate and sqport the aircraft necessaxy to col- lect and record data as specified by the scientific programt 2- 0p3ratx3adequate aircraft operations and maintain facllltie8$ 3. Provide intra-atoll and titer-ialand air transportation, 4. Provide weather reconnaissance, analysis and forecasting services, 5. Augment efisttng search and rescue actltitles, 6. Augment logistical and adminlstrative comnunlcations facill.ties,and 2 7. provide and operate aircraft control facill.ties at Mwetok. E —.I J I ‘–Tr=––– (’‘ . ILLU5TMTICN 2 . :t . .:1 . ● I The Air Task Group was to be compoxd of Headq~ters~ Task GrouP 7*4s Provisional; the 4930th Test Support Group; the 4931st and 4932nd Test Sup- port Squadrons; a cloud sampling and control detachment; an effects test detachment; a weather reconnaissance detachment; a documentary photo de- tachment; a weather detachment; and an alrcraft control and warning detach- ment.3 ILLTSTRATICN 2, opposite page, shows the organization of TG 7.4. A. FORMATICN AND ORGANIZATION OF THE AIR TASK GROUP The Commander, A1.rResearch and Development Command (ARDC), was given the ove~all responsibi13.tyof organizing Task Group 7.4 for Participation in CASTLE.
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