Bob Carlomagno sent email about his duty at Castle.
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000
Subject: Atomic Veteran
(Operation Castle)
From: Robert W Carlomagno bobcar4@juno.com
My ship was the PC 1546. No name but the PC stood for Patrol Craft
(Pocket Cruiser) or other things depending on how you felt about her. She was actually a
subchaser, 174 ft long and 24 ft wide. Click on the pictures for a larger view. The pictures were taken on the day of the Admiral's Inspection, 1953. | 
|
We carried 2 depth charge racks
and K guns plus a 40mm amidships a 3 in cannon forward of the
superstructure, 4 dual 50 caliber machine guns and rocket launchers on
the bow. A floating bomb. We never caught a sub.
| We were assigned to air sea rescue duty. 3 months at Midway then 3
months at Pearl to rest then to Johnston Island then Pearl then Kwajalien
and back to Pearl. In late 1953 we got a new captain and he had enough
influence to get us assigned to patrol duty for Operation Castle. I was
the radarman. My area was the size of a telephone booth. |
The PC 1546 during the Admiral's Inspection.
|
The first shot was Bravo and they underestimated the yield and
ignored the wind direction change which would now drop all the fallout on
us and the rest of the ships. I only recently learned that they (whoever
they is) knew about the wind direction change 6 hours before they set it
off. But they set it off anyway.
After the blast we had to go below decks and turn off the
ventilation while the hoses we had attached all around the ship pumped
seawater over us and washed us clean of radiation. It was really hot
below decks but I suppose it was hotter above. Remember the Japanese
fishing boat that was caught in the fallout?
Everybody had to wear a dosimeter around their neck and it was
checked for the level of radiation you had absorbed. If you had gotten
enough radiation you were sent home. Those of us with geiger counters
would try to find the hottest spots and put our dosimeters near or in
that spot hoping to get a free ride home.
| No one knew the danger at that
time. The hottest area was the canvas covering the front and sides of
the flying bridge. We had to unlash this huge piece of canvas after each
shot and tow it behind the ship to wash it clean of radiation. |
The PC 1546, Admiral's inspection.
The dents are from running into ships at sea.
|
We were sent to Rongerik Atoll or Rongelap Island, I forget which was
which. We were to check on the relocated natives from Bikini. I have 8mm
film of those islands and the natives. The islands were really beautiful
but I think that the natives always
wanted to go home to Bikini. While we were there they set off a bomb at 5
o'clock in the morning. When it went off it lit up the sky like the sun
had come up. It only lasted about 1 or 2 seconds but at 250 miles it was
impressive.
It was an adventure for a 20 year old but I had nightmares for
several years afterwards but no other effects that I know of. I still
have my certificate hanging right above my desk at home.
Bob Carlomagno
Email: bobcar4@juno.com
Keith Whittle
January 2, 2000
Bob's Rongelap Photo Album
[ Operation Castle ]
