Atomic bomb -- New Mexico -- Testing; Nuclear weapons -- Testing; Radioactive fallout -- New Mexico
At the time of detonation, 99 project personnel were in the three
shelters: 29 in the north shelter, 37 in the west shelter, and 33 in
the south shelter. Dr. Oppenheimer, Dr. Bainbridge, and other key
personnel awaited the firing at the south shelter, which served as the
Control Point. Figure 2-3 shows the exterior of the south shelter;
figure 2-4 gives an interior view of one of the shelters, most likely
the south. Although most of the shelter occupants were civilians, at
least 23 military participants were spread among the three shelters
(1; 12).
The remainder of the test site personnel were positioned at the Base
Camp 16 kilometers south-southwest of ground zero, or on Compania
Hill, or at the guard posts. Important Government officials, such as
General Groves and Dr. Vannevar Bush, Director of the U.S. Office of
Scientific Research and Development, viewed the detonation from a
trench at the Base Camp. The Base Camp is depicted in figure 2-5.
The military police of Guard Posts 1 and 2 were instructed to be in
foxholes approximately five kilometers west and north, respectively,
from their posts. The military police of Guard Posts 3 and 4 were
instructed to be in foxholes south of Mockingbird Gap. A radiological
safety monitor was assigned to the group from Guard Post 4. Guard Post
5 personnel were to be in the south shelter, Guard Post 6 personnel in
the west shelter, and Guard Post 7 personnel in the north shelter.
The military police of Guard Post 8 remained at that post, 400 meters
east of the Base Camp (9).
An evacuation detachment of between 144 and 160 officers and enlisted
men was stationed near Guard Post 2, about 14 kilometers northwest of
ground zero. These men were on standby in case ranches and towns
beyond the test site had to be evacuated. Five radiological safety
monitors were assigned to this detachment. Ninety-four men of the
evacuation detachment belonged to Provisional Detachment Number 1,
Company "B," of the 9812th Technical Service Unit, Army Corps of
Engineers, from LASL. The identity of the remaining evacuation
personnel has not been documented (3; 4; 8; 10; 15).
With the exception of the shelter occupants (99 personnel) and
evacuation detachment (between 144 and 160 men), the number of
personnel at the test site at the time of detonation has not been
documented. Film badge records show that approximately 355 people
were at the test site at some time during 16 July. The shelter
occupants and 44 men of the evacuation detachment are on this list.
It has not been possible to pinpoint the location of many of the
remaining personnel. Some were at the Base Camp or on Compania Hill.
Since many of these people returned to the test site after shot-time
to work on experiments, their film badges registered exposures from
residual radioactivity on 16 July. Based on the documented personnel
totals, at least the following 263 individuals were at the test site
when the device was detonated (1; 4; 8-10; 13; 15):
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account