 assignments it drew in the global warfare of the past. Here at Enerweetalk at all, the Air Force has given another top drawer assignment. Participation in the declaration of three new and untested atomic bombs. Here in the remote South Pacific, this extensive, highly secret project will be known as Operation Sand Seal. Early in the planning phase, Lieutenant General Johnny Hull, Joint Task Force Seven Commander, confers with Major General William E. Kepner, Deputy Task Force Commander, and Commander of Air Force Operations. Brigadier General David Ogden, Commanding General of the Engineers assigned to the project, points out the geographic relationship of the test island surrounding the Enerweetalk Lagoon. The main base of operation in the atoll, Enerweetalk Island itself. Parry, the site of the firing and timing station. Runnet, where Z-blast will be detonated. Ailman, Y-blast Island, and MGB, site of X-blast. First of this big three to be activated. On a coral shoal in the lagoon waters, the photographic tower will be constructed. From this shoal tower, remotely controlled cameras will record X-ray blasts on MGB. Yoke detonation on Ailman, and the explosion of Zebra bomb on Runnet. Following the planning phase, construction on the shoal tower is completed. And Army engineers together with civilian construction units continue with work on the zero and photo towers erected on land sites. All this activity was carried out under the constant stress of time. One important time paper was a small L-side liaison aircraft. These planes rendered invaluable service in the inter-island transport of key personnel and life equipment used as a completion of primary construction within the rigid time schedule. With the completion of the initial construction phase, the air fleet converges in force at the test area. Vital scientists and couriers, special observers, and key military personnel were all regular passengers of these aircraft. Among the first arrivals was Brigadier General Paul T. Cullum, charged with all photography on this project. Installations within the exacting time schedule at nearby Quarjolaine Island because of the longer runways and superior operational facilities. Photographic aircraft, veterans of atomic reconnaissance and operation crossroads, arrive on schedule General Roger M. Ramey to the steady stream of transport aircraft flowed into Quarjolaine and Aniwita. All units, the air echelon is complete. Alone to the side in a normal manner, these four-inch of aircraft, weighing over 30 tons, will operate on their missions around the busy runway stands the air briefing auditorium. Inside, the aircraft meet with the commanders of the various air units and decisions are coordinated at the command level before presentation to the operational units in the form of constant informational briefings. Briefings covering every phase of the Air Force missions. Now some briefing operations. Route for all aircraft will be Quarjolaine to Wotho to Aniwita area. Colonel Cody, briefing radiological. Aboard each aircraft in this operation will be a qualified radiological defense officer. He will be equipped with instruments capable of detecting and measuring radiation. His primary duty is to act as a technical crew member advising the aircraft commander on matters of radiological defense and, secondarily, in obtaining scientific data and the evaluation of this data for use in future Air Force operations. Time of detonation, a brilliant flash will occur. This flash has been estimated by some to be from 10 to 30 times the brilliance of the sun. The burst will be instantaneous and the brilliance does not persist. Following the burst, the fireball will appear in the cloud or eye. It will then move and dissipate in accordance with the winds at the various levels existing at that time. Major Frank, briefings, communications. Your attention is invited first to the call sign panel to my extreme right. You'll notice there the call signs for the various units and for the individuals concerned on the mission. There's a call sign for General Ramey Bolivar, a call sign for the flagship Big Ben, however, if you wish to get the flagship commander, commander Air Forces, General Kepner, you would call Big Ben himself. The different units have their own call sign, Harold for the drones, et cetera. And then we have for the radiological expert, Dangerous Dan. Our outstanding call sign, you might say, is for the time signal. The time signal is broadcast from Perry Island, broadcast under the name of Baggy Pants. One caution in regard to the time signal. They are not broadcast continuously as the time signal might be picked up off the Washington station. They are an actual voice broadcast at which time the man will say fraternity, that's the call sign for all aircraft and units of Joint Task Force 7, fraternity, this is Baggy Pants, stand by or act at 10 minutes until age hour, at which time you will count off and a gong will sound prior to the actual time signal. Then there will be silence until the next time signal, according to the schedule as listed in Santa Claus. Major Gazaniga, breathing for weather, an opposite situation. The air mass below 10,000 feet is unstable, therefore conducive to cumulus development and scattered rain showers. The upper air pattern indicates a drop condition. So go the briefing. Each one is ended by an important warning. Many of us will have access in varying amounts to information that may be useful to unfriendly powers if made available to them. Suffice it to say that we're competent authority has determined that information should be classified. It is our individual responsibility to prevent such information from falling into enemy hands. Meanwhile, weather reconnaissance aircraft continue their constant search for meteorological data. These crews range over hundreds of thousands of miles of trackless ocean and a never-ending quest for information on the restless movements of the upper air masses. This important information, vital to the entire operation, is made available to all task groups by means of the tightly knit Air Force communication system. In unmanned, drone plane takes off. A malfunction in the control plane. Radioactive clouds are rising after the detonation. The pilot of the drone rides in the nose of the control plane. By means of the television system, he checks the drone instrument panel and maintains control through the highly complex electronic impulse circuit. His landings require the most precise and careful coordination. Following normal landing, the plane is braked to a smooth stop and sample recovery crews assume control. In practice, the same precautions they use as will be exercised after radiological contamination. Engines are cut by means of an external switch and the plane towed from the runway to make room for other landings made on the effectiveness of a new emergency arresting system. The plane comes in at approximately 100 miles per hour, touches down and rolls freely without the application of brakes to the far end of the runway. Meanwhile, photo planes continue their practice mission. Aerial cameramen sight, motion picture, and still cameras on zero island as the practice orbits are flown around the detonation. The Air Force ground crews are faced with an ambush. The success of the Air Force mission is dependent on the traditional skill and ability of these men to prevent the malfunctions of equipment. Next day begins. Assume major importance. We think where General Hull has decided that we will go ahead and that means that tomorrow is X-ray day. We're about to implement a plan that you've been working on for months. I expect success. However, I want each and every one of you to be vigilant and on the alert for emergencies. Stop them before they start, if possible. I want you to keep me informed of anything that's not going according to routine. Drills is everything all set? Yes, sir. We're ready. Above all, gentlemen heads up and see that everything is going smoothly. Final checks are made on all installations and cameras are given a few dry runs to ensure proper functioning. Scientific aspects of this explosion will be recorded in every conceivable photographic manner. From the high-speed motion picture cameras capable of exposing film at the rate of 10,000 frames per second from normal 35 and 16-millimeter cameras using black and white, color, and infrared film, specially designed equipment such as the O'Brien smear camera, telephoto steel camera, all remotely triggered through the complex electronic circuits relaying impulses from the control stations. The installations on all camera towers are complete. On NWETOP, the manually controlled photographic equipment is focused on zero points. Sensitive sound equipment is being set up to record through a special directional microphone the actual auditory impressions from the blast. Photo equipment is checked and delivered for installation in the photo plane. Replacing the machine guns and the turrets and blisters throughout the plane are motion picture cameras capable of recording every aspect of the forthcoming detonation. As huge lenses are thrust through the observation ports, planes appear to have a hundred eyes an illusion which approaches reality. For through these lenses will pass a lasting impression of the devastating power of the atomic bomb. These camera eyes will circle high above zero points, some directly over the blast. Plans and preparations have been completed. The air force is ready. Takeoff times are announced. The tension begins to increase. Now the teachers practicing will pay off. The operational plan specifies the predetermined position in the orbit for each of these aircraft. Only through familiarity with procedure can this be possible. Familiarity with procedure becomes doubly imperative when the unknown potential of this atomic bomb is to be tested in the pre-dawn darkness where course and relative position can be determined only by instrument. Below is revealed to the drone as it emerges from the atomic cloud. Cloud trackers are already on their station around the cloud, plotting its corking observations of contaminated air. Standing by to warn ground stations should the radioactive mass change its course to pass over occupied zones. The route-safe monitor keeps the aircraft at a safe distance. As the cloud lifts, the survey plane sweeps low over the radioactive crater. Monitors take accurate radiological readings of the most contaminated of the blasted areas. Back in the control room, the shifting pattern of all aircraft is plotted for General Kepin. Their mission of cloud penetration complete. Control is relinquished to the ground crew. Landing is affected by an electronic system similar to that used in the control plane. This is the crucial moment in the drone operation and all hands sweat in these unmanned B-17s with their cargo of priceless scientific samples. Because of radioactivity gathered within the cloud, the drones are dangerous. And mechanical devices are used whenever possible to prevent the exposure of personnel. As a safety precaution, personnel are exposed to radioactivity for only a minimum period of time. Filter paper is containing the samples to remove from the track. After packing in lead containers, they're prepared for air shipment to laboratories within the United States. After removal of the samples, the drones are decontaminated with a special cleansing solution. Photo planes return with their valuable records of the world's sixth atomic explosion. Immediately upon landing, all aircraft and crews are monitored for any harmful radiation. As the last photo aircraft returns, the air operation for X-Day is reaching its final phase. The precious film is unloaded in the presence of security guards and along with other valuable scientific data is loaded for shipment by courier to the United States. Even as the last courier plane departs, marking the end of X-Day phase of Operation Sandstone, preparations are underway for the second blast on the forthcoming Y-Day. With the initial preparation for Y-Day completed and favorable weather predicted, the tempo of last-minute activity is accelerating. Once again, these crews will face an unknown quantity. For the bomb to be tested on Y-Day is of a different and even more powerful type than that used on X-Day. Or have you seen the actual setup? This is a sound test just before Zebra Day. There's about 1800 minus Zebra Day. The camera is set up on Perry Island Tower. The sound test will be shot tomorrow morning. This is exactly the same position the camera will be in. This will give you an idea of the position the tower was in before the blast. The sound will be about 22 seconds after the blast is shown on the screen. This is what happened on Zebra Day. Hello, fraternity, this is Baggy Dan. Stand by for a final time signal. Stand by for a final time signal. At the sound of the gong, it will be minus 30 seconds. Minus 30 seconds. At the gong, it will be minus 20 seconds. Atomic bombs bring to air power a weapon that staggers the imagination. Our main defense against such a tragedy rests in the strength and alertness of our own air force. The one that gets there fussed with the most to the mostest through the wing of the air force.