Operation Castle
1954
US Atomic Veterans
John H. Wetherell
John H. Wetherell served aboard the USS Nicholas during Opration Castle and sent this email about his duty.
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997
From: "John H.Wetherell"
To: histgaz@aracnet.com
Subject: Operation Castle 1954
I served in Destroyers during the test series at Eniwetok and Bikini
during Operation Castle. My ship was the USS Nicholas DDE 449 part of
CortDesDiv 12, home port Pearl Harbor. The other ships of that Division
Were the Epperson DDE 719, Philip DDE 498 and Renshaw DDE 499. The tour
for us lasted as I remember from January to May something 1n 1954. We
observed all the shots from a patrol station midway between Eniwetok and
Bikini.
There was a long interval between the Bravo shot and the next since the
winds aloft dumped radiation a long way downwind. The decision to delay
each day was based on the prior night's RAWIN reports. We went topside
for the Bravo shot and the rest were pretty routine with no one topside
except the standing watch.
I understand the Philip, DDE 498 was caught in heavy fallout. Each ship
in the Division was equipped with a washdown system but they were
heavily involved in the fallout. The only ship thus affected we were
told. The Philip subsequently foundered in a storm long after my tour
(1952-1954).
The Bravo shot was incredibly beautiful in the early morning sun, creamy
white and purple after we removed the goggles.
I do not recall all the ships in the Task Group. We were the only escort
ships in the operation. I think there was a seaplane tender and some
other auxillary ships. As I recall there were Marine F4U's at the
Eniwetok airstrip and maybe a B36 or something. A hellish large aircraft
on the strip at times.
We visited Rongerik, Bikar and Alinganae (spelling) atolls to secure the
native villages after they were evacuated after Bravo.
The test shots at Bikini were fission shots ostensibly to test the
triggers for the fusion tests. While the island of Elugelab at Eniwetok
disappeared after the Bravo shot, the ground surface of the Bikini test
sites was barely disturbed.
An incredible tour of duty, wouldn't have missed it and wouldn't want to
go back except to enjoy the atolls of the Marshall group and the
weather.
John H. Wetherell
Des Moines, Iowa
jandjwet@dwx.com
formerly USS Nicholas DDE 449 LTJG USNR
Keith Whittle
December 19, 1997
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