Operation Ivy
US Atomic Veterans
John R. (Jack) Hensley
John R. (Jack) Hensley sent email about his participation during Operation Ivy.
From: BlxJac@aol.com
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: M.S.T.S. General Collins,
John R. (Jack) Hensley, 3rd Mate
|
Photo from Stacy Blackburn.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
|
The General E.T. Collins was a troopship ( on a C-4 type hull) operated by theMilitary Sea Transportation Service. ( During WW2 this was A.T.S.; Army
Transportation Service. After the war, it was given to the Navy to run.)
M.S.T.S was operated by civilian crew. All officers were licensed Merchant
Marine and most held Navy Reserve commissions.General E.T. Collins normal run during 1952, was San Francisco (Ft
Mason)Yokahama. Sasebo, Pusan, Inchon back to S.F.
In the spring of 1952 upon arrival S.F. I was relieved (with no explanation)
and told to report to the Navy Damage Control school on Treasure Island.
In addition to the normal Damage Control school, we were given training on
Nuclear Decontamination Procedures. We were told that upon completion of the
course, we would be reassigned to our regular ships and would be responsible
for setting up the procedures on our respective vessels.
I rejoined the ship in late summer and we resumed our normal run to Japan.
Around October, after making our normal run to Yokohama, we were diverted to
Eniwetok "until further notice"
Upon arrival and anchored in the lagoon, we were told that we would act as a
"hotel" for all of the military personnel stationed on the island during an
'atomic test'
At this point we had no idea that it was going to be thermonuclear.
We established the seagoing decontamination procedures and drilled crew on its
use.
It was at this time that I experienced for the first time in my seagoing
career, the use of helicopters.
We approached Eniwetok at night, and had been in contact with the Navy
security screen, and had identified our vessel. Our seaman on the bridge watch
reported a strange noise coming from starboard side and I walked out on the
bridge wing to see if I could identify the source. As I stood there peering
out into the darkness, a brilliant
spotlight illuminated the bridge from the direction of the strange noise. Only
then did I realize that we were being observed by a helicopter (The ships
name is painted on the superstructure just aft of the bridge. This was what
the security force in the helicopter was looking for to verify our identity.)
Several days later we received a message from the command ship Estes that they
would be sending our mail over to us. We made preparations to receive a boat
alongside. Instead, a helicopter approached, hovered momentarily over the
fantail and dropped our mail bags. Old seadogs wondered what this world was
coming to.
As time progressed we were advised that the tests would be of a
"thermonuclear" nature.
On "shot" day, loaded with all of the personnel from the island, we proceeded
out of the lagoon and took up station 30 miles south of ground zero.
After the "shot" ( no "blast" the sound was like a firecracker going off) the
mushroom cloud soon filled the sky. At our location, 30 miles south of ground
zero, it was thought that we would be well clear of the cloud. Shortly, the
edge of the cloud was directly overhead and we received a message from the
Estes for "all ships are to head south at all possible speed."
Our first thought was that someone in the planning had misplaced a decimal, as
it was well known that the scientific crew was not all that sure about just
what WAS going to happen when the device was fired.
Later in the day we were cleared to return to the lagoon. We experienced no
fallout for 48 hours. Then during the evening after a series of rain squalls we
found that we were mildly contaminated. We instituted our much practiced
"decontamination" procedures and soon returned to normal readings.
A few days later we had a test of a conventional atomic device, but after the
thermonuclear shot it was not that interesting.
After this were released from Task Force 132.2 and returned to San Francisco
and resumed our normal duties
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: Re: Atomic Veteran
Tape arrived today OK. Thank you very much for your help. It was very
interesting. In the last few minutes, as the guy is sitting on the beach doing
the wrapup of the film, the ship in the background is the General E. T.
Collins. She is easy to recognize because she was the only C-4 type vessel
that was there. The C-4 has a unique profile in that the bridge structure is
placed well forward on the hull, and the structure that sets over the stern
houses the engineering space.
Again. Thanks for your help.
John R. (Jack) Hensley
September 23, 1998
2065 S Abrego
Green Valley, Az 85614
Phone/Fax 520 648 7148
Email: BlxJac@aol.com
Keith Whittle
September 23, 1998
[ Operation Ivy ]
