| The Wetokian Web Issue | Burt's Diary . . . by Burton Abeles | November 1998 |
| Eniwetok Atoll M. I. Atomic Energy Commission |  Burton Abeles |
| The Wetokian Web Issue | Burt's Diary . . . by Burton Abeles | November 1998 |
| Eniwetok Atoll M. I. Atomic Energy Commission | Burton Abeles |
1. Arrived April 6, 1952
2. Fleet Arrived (3 Destroyers and 1 troop ship) on September 11, 1952 Project in full swing. Bomb Detonation Imminent.
3. Sept. 13,1952 - Gen. Clarkson, Commander of Task Force, arrived by plane.
4. Sept 23, 1952 - Heavy work load at weather station begins.
5. Sept. 24,1952 - Evacuation plan explained at meeting. Weather will be aboard flagship, USS Estes, A converted transport, at time of blast.
6. Oct. 2, 1952 - Aircraft Carrier arrived at noon. Planes (about 15) landed on Island - Name of Carrier - Escort Carrier, USS Rendova.
7. Oct. 13,1952 - Went aboard command ship - USS Estes - For 7 hours for "Familiarization, Did Nothing". Informed, again, that I will be aboard ship for blast. Hour of detonation referred to as H-Hour, indication that this will be Hydrogen Bomb.
8. Oct 18,1952, B-36 & 5 tanker B-29's overhead. 12 F-84 Thunderjets arrived as fighter protection for island. Navy, AF, Marines, Army, Coast Guard, Scientists, "Wheels", all here due to Go on ship on 25th Oct.
9. Oct 20, 1952 - Two more ships in the Lagoon, one a transport.
10. Oct 23, 1952 - B-50, taking pictures of Atoll, burned upon landing.
11. Oct 25, 1952 - Had "Dress Rehearsal'' of evacuation. Definitely going aboard Estes on Tuesday - the 28th.
Sunday, Oct 26,1952
Meeting at Weather station about what time we leave Tuesday (28th) for ship, and necessary preparations, such as rolling tents & stacking of equipment inside. We were told that the blast day has been designated as ''M-day, the hour as "H-Hour". Due to leave island sometime Tuesday. It rained all day, it was very dark & dreary. M-day stands for "MIKE"Monday, Oct 27, 1952 M-5
First stages of evacuation. Different organizations busy covering their equipment with canvas, bracing interior of buildings with wooden beams, removing doors, etc. Administrative section of station covered with canvas. Communication system cut down to a minimum. Station practically inoperative. Packed tape recorder and radio - also equipment I will take on board ship. All ready to leave tomorrow night at 4 PM. Things moving quickly now. Rain almost all day - dark & dreary.Tuesday, Oct 28,1952 M-4
During the morning we rolled over tent to the top to protect it against the blast. We stacked lockers & beds in the middle of floor, and covered it with canvas. I put the radio & tape recorder in the "R" section locker for safety. Prepared to go aboard with rifle, helmet, belt, canteen, mess kit, utensils, first aid kit, 4 uniforms, towels, toilet articles, blanket raincoats, etc.For the afternoon, I went down to the airstrip to see off fellow weathermen who were being flown to Kwajalein. At 3:45 PM we boarded a P-Boat. 20 minutes later, we boarded USS Estes. We were shown to where we sleep better than I expected, but not too good! I went to work immediately. I'll work swing shift (4-11:30) every night. Best shift of all - work when it's comparatively cool (?), sleep at night! Supper consisted of shrimp salad (no shrimp), corn fritters, a few other things - pretty poor chow. I put my clothes & equipment in locker. As usual, I'm not as miserable as I thought I would be. Work is easy. Ship is anchored in lagoon, about 11/2 miles off Parry Island. Lagoon is always calm, so there's no rolling around - Very warm below decks but I'll live through it.
Rain all morning - sky overcast & threatening the rest of the day.
Wednesday, Oct29,1952 M-3
Sleeping wasn't too bad below. Breakfast was good. Spent all morning looking for a comfortable place on deck to rest - felt very tired. Blast tentatively set for Saturday morning. Rumor has it that Truman ordered it before 4th of Nov. possibly to help influence coming election. Destroyer pulled alongside to refuel before going out on patrol.In the afternoon it was announced over the ships public address system that no more mail will be delivered or sent out until further notice. Rumor that blast will be set off 7:15 AM Saturday morning. Lunch was poor. Went on shift at 4 PM.
Had rabbit for supper - pretty good. After an overcast sky all morning, rain moved in after lunchtime. Appears like it will last quite a few hours.
Thursday, Oct 30, 1952 M-2
Slept on deck last night - too hot below. Breakfast was good. Overcast skies, but it appears to be breaking up. From now on, weather will decide date of blast. Nothing official has come through yet. No more mail until this is all over. It seems all they do in the Navy is chip paint, then put it back on again!!Lunch was fair. Spent the afternoon lounging around until I went on shift at 4 PM. Patches of blue in sky, but thunderheads to the east might give us some trouble. About 5 PM, helicopters landed on the 15 ft. square platform at the rear of the ship. 3 AF Generals and AEC Officials, Congressmen, & other "Wheels" came aboard for blast. There are signs of the weather clearing. Forecast for M Day is considered favorable for blast. At 10:00 PM came an announcement over the PA system "All Hands Turn To" and every sailor on the ship had to load food & supplies on board. Only those who were working at the time were excused. At 11 PM the weather was good & improving all the time. Don't think I'll sleep below anymore - too comfortable on deck. Tomorrow should prove very interesting.
Friday,Oct31,1952 M-1
Cameramen, civilian 8 military, arrived from AF Lookout MT Observatory in Hollywood. TV cameras are mounted on upper decks. "Wheels" will probably watch the first few minutes on TV. At the regular morning muster of Navy men, they were told that the blast will be tomorrow morning, Saturday. Only the weather will postpone it now. There aren't enough dark glasses to go around, so some will have to turn their backs to the blast and cover their eyes. Permanent blindness can result from looking at that blinding light during the first ten seconds. This morning is perfect - only a few scattered clouds. Breakfast was pretty poor. "R" section on island, taking continuous runs. At this time, winds are NOT right. They want winds from a general southerly direction to blow the radioactive cloud away from the islands. At the present time, they are from a general northerly direction, which would blow radioactive cloud down over the southern islands, ours included.In the afternoon, Parry Island was evacuated of all personnel most of them going aboard the Shanks. Lunch was poor - all the meals on the ship are terrible. At this time it looks as if blast might be delayed - winds are NOT right. We're due to sail out of the lagoon 3 AM tomorrow morning, 4 hours 15 minutes before blast. "R" section ashore taking runs - will be there until 3:30 AM. They'll have to hurry to get off the island They are the only ones remaining on the island. WX Central all hopped up. As late as midnight, they weren't sure of the winds for tomorrow morning. Late runs from the island show winds shifting slowly to southerly direction. Blast will be at north end of island. Will sleep up on deck tonight.
Saturday, Nov 1,1952 M-DAY !!
At 5:15 AM, I was awakened by a voice over the PA system saying, "This is H-Hour minus 2!! I hurriedly took a shower, and put on a long sleeved shirt and long trousers to protect as much area from radioactivity & possible burns. Breakfast consisted of beans & bread - that's the miserable Navy for you! At 6:15 AM, they gave another time check. "It is now One Hour to H-Hour!" I was lucky - I received a pair of 5 density glasses, so l will be able to look at the explosion too. Those who don't have any will have to turn their backs and shield their eyes, or permanent blindness will result. I went up to the very top deck, where movie cameras & TV cameras were ready & waiting. The front of the ship was pointed right at the place of detonation. The islands were still visible, so we couldn't have been more than 30 miles from the blast, which was at the north end of the Atoll.What happened in the next 2 hours is indescribable, but here is what happened. The PA system kept blaring with the time, and not coolly or casually, but in a voice that was in keeping with the drama.
The time checks came at increasingly closer intervals, and this is the way they went:
At 5:15 - "This is H-Hour -2"
" 6:15 - "This is H-Hour- 1
" 6:30 - "45 Minutes to H-Hour "
" 6:45 - "It is now 30 Min. to H-Hour "
" 7:00 - "It is now 15 Min. to H-Hour"
'' 7:05 - " " " 10 " " " "
" 7:10 - " " " 5 " " " "
" 7:11 - " " " 4 " " " "
" 7:12 - " " " 3 " " " "
" 7:13 - " " " 2 " " " "
" 7:13 - " " " 1 " 45 sec to H-Hour
It is Now 1 Min 30 sec to H-Hour
It is Now 1 Min 15 sec to H-Hour
It is Now 1 Minute to H-Hour
"Put On Glasses"
It is Now 45 sec to H-Hour
" " " 30 " " " "
" " " 20 " " " "
" " " 10 " " " "
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Even through those dark glasses, which practically blot out the sun, I saw a blinding white flash, followed by a billowing red ball of flame shooting skyward, like a gas tank exploding. After the light grew dim, (a few seconds), I removed the glasses & the mushroom began forming. The "stem" was a vertical updraft of flame & clouds, flowing into the mushroom shaped top. I shall never forget that stem -- the speed with which the center was moving upward, taking the island sand & water up with it. Within a few minutes, the top had reached 60,000 feet & was 60 miles across. When some of the power was gone, all the particles began to fall earthward and a "shelf' formed on both sides of the stem. 15 minutes afer H-Hour, the cloud was blown apart by the winds & formed every type of cloud known to a meteorologist It was a beautiful day before, but after, it was overcast -- & the color and shape of all the clouds gave me an eerie feeling. 
My reactions were many -- About 3 seconds before the blast, my legs gave way & I had to grab the rail to keep from falling. I have never, and probably never will again, experience the drama & tension which built up inside me before it went off. As soon as it went off, I felt as if the world were coming to an end. It was the ultimate in all emotions -- the most magnificent sight I have ever seen, and also the most terrifying. 
The heat wave hit us a few seconds after it went off -- it felt as if I were standing near an oven & someone suddenly opened the door. That lasted only a few seconds. A few minutes later, the shock wave hit us. It was like stepping out of a house into a hurricane. Had I not been holding on, it would have blown me down. The difference in pressure caused my ears to stop up, & I was quite deaf for a few minutes. They felt that shock wave at Kwajalein, almost 400 miles away!
Some facts I learned later: 1. We had sailed out of lagoon at 3 AM that morning. 2. Cloud eventually reached 130,000 feet -- highest any A-Bomb cloud had ever gone was 62,000 feet! 3. Power: Most powerful bomb exploded before was equal to 5 kilotons, or 5000 tons of dynamite. The register they used broke this time at 10 megatons, or 10,000,000 tons of dynamite. 4. Bomb was detonated by an A-Bomb, which was outer casing of H-Bomb.
Ships at Eniwetok for Project:
USS Rendova - Aircraft Carrier
USS Estes - Command & Communications
USNS Collins - Troop Ship
USNS Shanks - Troop Ship
USNS Pendleton - Cargo Ship
USS Curtis
3 Destroyers
Tender (Oakhill)
3 Tugs
2 LST's
20 LCM Boats
Many other smaller craft.An hour or so afterwards helicopters were over the Atoll picking up the recording instruments & testing for radioactivity. Drones were flown through the cloud itself. Planes were way up taking pictures.
We played follow the leader, with us as leader, for 26 hours all we did was travel in a big circle. Men on the ship went around with Geiger counters to see if any radioactivity had touched us -- just a small amount.
Our island was undamaged, & practically free from contamination so some key personnel went ashore. We didn't enter the lagoon until 9:15 AM Sunday - 26 hours after the blast. There was talk of us remaining on the ship to continue weather central there until after the second blast. However, Wilson & I went ashore Monday & were informed we could stay, so we went back to the ship & got our baggage. So, at 5 PM Monday afternoon, we were ashore for good. That was Nov. 3, 1952.
For the next 9 days, we continued regular operation. Somehow, all the tension and hustle-bustle that preceded the first blast is not prevalent here. The second blast, an atomic bomb which will be dropped from a B-36 (air burst), is tentatively set for Thursday, Nov. 13, 1952 at 11:30 AM -- Reason for it being so late is that they want to get good pictures of it. During the preceding week I went out to the "Estes" and borrowed a few 5 density glasses to view the blast. On November 12,1952, I attended a meeting at the station. Since it will be impossible for a PA system, as we had aboard the ship, to broadcast time announcements, a system of siren blasts will be used -- All thoroughly confusing. This "shot" will be called "King" shot, the first one was "Mike" shot!
Thursday, Nov 13,1952
A-bomb due to be dropped from B-36 on Runit Island. Everyone had to meet at formation at 10:15 AM. We marched up to the starlight theater and sat on the rocky edge of the lagoon facing the blast area. It was due at 11:30, but was delayed until 12:10 PM because of overcast skies & advancing rain clouds. At 11:45 AM, it was postponed until a later date, rumored to be Saturday, 48 hours later. Rain moved in and lasted all night, and until about 10 AM Friday morning. Sun broke through clouds Friday afternoon. Weather Friday night was good. Blast definitely set for Sunday Nov. 16.
Sunday, Nov. 16,1952 [K-Day]
Weather was excellent. I worked day shift. Planes flying overhead as early as 9 AM up so high, they were leaving vapor trails! At 11:15 AM, we went out on the runway in front of the tower. Everyone had to sit down. We heard the pilot of the plane with the "bomb" over tower's communication system. He gave repeated time checks. 56 seconds before the bomb went off we heard the very famous ''Bombs Away!" It took 56 seconds for the bomb to reach the height at which it exploded [ ].
It was about 12 miles from us, over the island of Runit, which is on the eastern side of the Atoll. This bomb was quite different from the first one. It had a blinding white flash which lasted about 10 seconds. The heat wave was very intense, singeing the hair on my arms & legs. I didn't expect what was to follow -- this was only an A-Bomb, but I forgot that we were only 12 miles away. About 30 seconds after detonation, the shock wave hit - it was like a cannon going off next to my ear. It damaged a few buildings, and broke some panes of glass. There was a very thin stem on this bomb, and the "mushroom" was not as perfect as the H-Bomb. The intense and swift build up was the same, as was the billowing on all parts of the cloud. The entire cloud was filled with fire for a few minutes. The cloud covered about 3/4 of the sky after it spread & flattened out.. It had an eerie pink glow for about an hour afterwards.
This week we'll see the beginning of the mass evacuation of all persons here, except for the "garrison" force. By mid - November, everyone should be gone. The days of rushing around, the crowds, the tension it's all over. Things will revert back to normal, and the next 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 months should go quickly and leisurely, but I shall never forget these past months, nor the two past weeks.
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