Operation Redwing
US Atomic Veterans
Ed Ries
Ed Ries sent email about his duty at Operation Redwing.
From: "Ed Ries" fishned@bigvalley.net
To: "Keith" pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: Re: Redwing
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001
Operation REDWING
My principal duty on this deployment was as craftmaster in LCU 974 at Bikini and in 742 at Eniwetok. I kept a daily log, or diary, during this operation, so have a detailed record of my own activities. Departed San Diego 25 Feb. 1956 in USS BADOENG STRAIT (CVE 116) and cruised via Alameda, Pearl Harbor, and Kwajalein, arriving Bikini 20 March. Very busy getting squared away aboard 974. Had a crew of eight, including a BM3, EN2, EM2, Cook, and four non-rated men. We had a new W-2 Boatswain named Ludwig who was frequently in hot water with the OinC. His hobbies were pistol shooting and leather tooling. He decided to bunk on my LCU, much to my chagrin. The cramped officer’s quarters on the starboard side afforded little privacy as it was. He was not aboard much during the days and finally left for berthing on the beach at site NAN. All our spare parts and supplies had been loaded in a YFNB, a large barge acquired by the Boat Pool. An ATF had towed it from San Diego to Bikini. We replenished fresh water and chow from various ships including ESTES, MISPILLION and CATAMOUNT. We refueled from H&N tank trucks.
We hauled all kinds of equipment for the contractor and scientists preparing various instrument and shot sites: transit mixes, bulldozers, trucks, trailers, lumber, etc. Our LCUs were old worn-out wartime relics and very unreliable mechanically. We had a lot of engine, shifting, generator and winch trouble and it became embarrassing when we often couldn’t get underway when ordered. The engineman was incompetent and LT Watkins finally sent a replacement and Buell, ENC, to supervise repairs. One time when returning from a long trip in choppy sea the hinge pins on the ramp vibrated out and when we beached and dropped the ramp it fell loose. We couldn’t raise it without the hinges and we had to hurry and anchor up and secure the boat. It was D-1 and we had to evacuate. I was stumped until I noticed some damaged LCM propeller shafts lying on the beach nearby. They were the right diameter and by carefully waiting until the hinge eyes lined up on the boat and ramp I was able to slip the shaft in and restore ability to hoist the ramp. On another run we hit a coral head and punched a hole in one of the wing voids. It was later repaired in the well of USS CATAMOUNT, our supporting LSD. A log of wood was placed under the boat’s chine lifting it just enough for shipfitters to weld a patch on the hole.
The LCUs were anchored up in the lagoon during shots and after shot ZUNI we had 1.5 MR fallout in 974, but our washdown gear got it down to .1 after a few hours. Hot spots were where there was oil or grease such as under the anchor winch. Was sent down to Eniwetok on 26 June to replace crew in LCU 742. Spent the time until the final shot HERON on 21 July hauling liberty parties from ships and occasional trips for H&N. Boarded USS CURTISS on 23 July and returned to San Diego in her, arriving 8 August. I was later told I received 3.05 MR of Gamma, the most of any op I was on. So ends Operation REDWING.
Respectfully,
Ed Ries
Email: fishned@bigvalley.net
Keith Whittle
October 31, 2001
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