BOMBS AT BIKINI 



few minutes later three other B-17's swung across at 

 altitudes of 30,000, 18,000 and 13,000 feet. Three F6F 

 drones made transits at 20,000, 15,000 and 10,000 feet. 

 The planes collected air samples and returned to base ; 

 their samples were sent to Kwajalein for radiological 

 analysis. 



Four TBM planes were launched from SAIDOR a 

 few minutes after Mike Hour. They obtained valuable 

 photographs of sinking ships, but their main job was 

 to assist the controlling of drone boats soon to be 

 launched. No manned planes flew directly over the 

 Zeropoint until four hours after Mike Hour. 



The LVCP drone boats started towards the target 

 array forty-four minutes after Mike Hour. Their 

 progress was controlled by radio signals sent from 

 BEGOR, which lay just outside the long Bikini-Enyu 

 reef. The leading LCVP reached the target center in 

 one hour, and picked up water samples. Two hours 

 later these samples had been put aboard the destroyer 

 MO ALE, which was soon speeding to Kwajalein where 

 the samples were to be analyzed. 



Manned boats first re-entered the Lagoon two hours 

 after Mike Hour. First to enter were the six PGM's 

 of the radiological safety party. A little later, twenty 

 LCPL's entered also. These boats cautiously threaded 

 their way throughout the target area, using their 

 Geiger counters to detect any unsafe areas. Few such 

 ''hot" or "Geiger sour" areas were found by this 

 patrol party. 



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