@y# 3 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE -- - —---——------w -- 1I-B-7 ARMV UNITED StRVICI STAI S ● o sANTA --— FORCES ENQINCER ●ox NCW OFFICC ISMCXICO J II -n Rmv m EVACtlATION DETACHL’J3NTAT TRINITY ’ Equipment Personnel Organization Base 1 Detachment Operations A Equipment and Personnel B This detachment consisted of 140 enlisted men 4 officers 140 veh cles including one 500 gallon Impro- vised water tank for drir king P“rPoses 2 lister ba sy ‘“ latrine flies 30 pyramidal tents 1000 type ‘C1land ‘ ‘ “ nKn ratiOnSJ coffee sugar milk and 3 field ranges Organization ’ The detachment was formed Into’’’fourplatoons of ’ nine-vehicles each The first and second platoons made-up the first section under the Command of Capt Huene The third and fourth platoons made-up the second secticn under the Command of First Lt H Miller ‘ ‘“ Each vehicle had a driver and two men three jeeps under the direct supervision of the detachment Commander to act as messengers one two-way rtidio vehicle c ’ Operating Base ’ ’ The detachment moved into its bivouac aria 14 July For security reasons this area was 40 miles from “ Trinity the detachment remained there until the morning of 15 July then moved to s semi-permanent Base ‘“ “ Camp with an alternate base site selected The Base latrine dry flies put up Camp was set-up as a company lister bags hung and field ranges set-up The rest of “ the day and night was spent in briefing the men and 4‘ having the section leaders anti drivers familiarize them- “ selves with the roads and dwellirgs irAtheir assigned sections and visiting Trinity headquarters for miles ‘ ’ The Base Camp was approximately nine instructions ” ‘ from Zero The detachment Comxumder returned to Base Camp from Trinity around rnici-night15 July with last -’ Major Miller was assigned the radio “- ‘ “’” minute instructions vehicle and put in Command of the Base Camp The detachment was alerted in case the wind shifted in that direction so it could quickly move to the alternate site D Operations The orders received by the detachment Commander fronl ‘“ $ APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE ’ ” j - e 4 - _ — - APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE r j c4 LJ 4 ‘“’ “ -- ‘ -2- Farrell were generally as follows I The two prepared press releases were made known the detachment Commander one tilcase of no evacuation which stated briefly that an ammunition dump had blown up and one case of evacuation which stated that an ammunition dump had blown up would be which contained gas shells and the people 1 to evacuated for 24 hours to protect them from ‘ the gas 2 The detachment Commander would work with Mr Hoffran and Mr Herschfelter with their crew of monitors and was to evacuate upon Mr Hoffmanls re%uest The detachment Commander planned in case of evecuationj to set-up the base camp as a shelter for the people tents and shelters would be provided to cover and feed 450 people for two days This was ample shelter for the small population ceriters that were close enough to be in immediate danger The larger centers were some distance away and there was ample time to transport them to Alamogordo Air Field and house them in barracks it was planned to send of one or two famll es them to a hotel ’ Irl a near-by town The area in the vicinity of the shot was divided into sections and each section leader was responsible for his section with additional help if ne’eded A jeep was assigned to Trinity heaaq uarters Major Miller at Base Camp and to the detachment Commander during the operation to supplement r dio communications Immediately after the shot the wind drift was ascertained to be sure the Base Camp was not in danger Monitors were immediately sent out in the direction of the cloud drift to check the approximate width and degree of contamination of the are under the cloud A small headquarters was set up at Bir ghamj near the center of the in the most immediate danger The wonitors worked a wide area from this base reporting to M t Hoffman or Mr Herschfelter One re-enforced platoon mler Captain Huerle was held at Bin h m the rest of the detachment was held rI reserve t Base CaUJp Fortunately no evacuations haa to be made Mr Hoff_rnanreleased the detachment about 1300 hours 16 July b that time zny danger of serious contazrlna- APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE — — APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE -3- d The detachment ConuLantier wouid like to take this time to say that the Officers and men of the cletachnerltwere alert obedient and contiucted themselves in a uPerior manner throughout the experiment “Y ‘5 4’ Kii2J%4 9 Major C E Detachment Commander -t - -- I ’ ” - ‘-y” - -’ ‘ ‘ t - ’ APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE -4A