BOMBS AT BIKINI 



through successfully. However, the weather was dis- 

 appointing and much of the aviation program had to 

 be cancelled; luckily a complete aviation rehearsal 

 had been held separately a few days before. 



The weather prediction for July 25, 1946, which was 

 to be B-Day, was indecisive. Colonel B. J. Holzman 

 and Captain A. A. Cumberledge (Navy), in charge 

 of weather forecasting, studied and restudied the bulle- 

 tins being sent in continuall,y from weather reconnais- 

 sance planes, land stations, and surface vessels ; by bad 

 luck, a so-called tropical front lay almost exactly above 

 Bikini Lagoon. But the odds appeared good that the 

 front would move oif slowly in favorable manner, and 

 at 8 :50 a.m. on July 24, Admiral Blandy made the de- 

 cision to get the B-Day program underway. 



Final inspections were made of target vessels, and 

 final attentions were given to test animals and scien- 

 tific instruments. 



Then the evacuation began. The majority of the 

 support ships quit the Lagoon by the evening before 

 B-Day. The remainder left by 6 :20 a.m. on the morn- 

 ing of B-Day. Among the last persons to leave the 

 lagoon was a group consisting of Admiral Parsons, 

 Dr. M. Gr. Hollo way, Mr. R. S. Warner, Jr., and a few 

 others. This group made the final adjustments aboard 

 the bomb-carrying ship LSM-60, and quit her at 6:07 

 a.m. Just 148 minutes later, this ship ceased to exist. 



Shortly before How Hour, Dr. M. Gr. Hollo way on 

 the CUMBERLAND SOUND periodically closed 



150 



