Organization Operation Sandstone

briefing on uss mount mckinley. pictured colonel t. j. sands, captain james s. russell, dr. d. k. froman, brigadier general david a. ogden, major general j. d. barker, major general w. e. kepner, lieutenant general john e. hull, rear admiral william s. parsons, rear admiral francis c. denebrink, , brigadier general claude b. ferenbaugh.

the tests authorized president harry s. truman on 27 june 1947. atomic energy commission s director of military applications, brigadier general james mccormack , deputy, captain james s. russell, met bradbury , john manley @ los alamos on 9 july make arrangements tests. readily agreed scientific in nature, los alamos supplying technical direction , armed forces providing supplies , logistical support. cost of tests, around $20 million, divided between department of defense , atomic energy commission. lieutenant general john e. hull designated test commander. rear admiral william s. parsons , major general william e. kepner reprised operation crossroads roles deputy commanders. joint task force 7 formally activated on 18 october 1947. commander, hull answerable both joint chiefs of staff , atomic energy commission.

joint task force 7 consisted of 10,366 personnel, 9,890 of them military. headquarters consisted of 175 men, of whom 96 on board uss mount mckinley. rest accommodated on uss albemarle, curtiss , bairoko. special division of los alamos national laboratory, known j division, created manage nuclear testing. atomic energy commission group (task group 7.1) responsible preparing , detonating nuclear weapons, , conducting experiments. consisted of 283 scientists , technicians responsible nuclear tests j division, armed forces special weapons project, naval research laboratory, naval ordnance laboratory, argonne national laboratory, aberdeen proving ground, atomic energy commission, edgerton, germeshausen & grier, , other agencies.

each dealt different aspect of tests. naval ordnance laboratory handled blast measurement tests, while naval research laboratory conducted radiation measurement experiments, , argonne national laboratory did gamma ray measurements. edgerton, germeshausen, , grier contractors hired design , install timing , firing systems. 7 experimental weapon assemblies , 6 cores delivered san pedro, california, , loaded on weapon assembly ship uss curtiss, in february 1948, atomic energy commission gave permission expenditure of 3 cores in tests.