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| Location Bikini Atoll (Pikinni Atoll) consists of 23 islands and a fringing coral reef that surrounding the 229.4 square mile Bikini Lagoon. The larger islands include Bikini Island (Pikinni), Eneu, Namu and Enidrik. Postwar Bikini Atoll was designated part of the Pacific Proving Grounds for use twenty nuclear weapons tests between 1946 and 1958. During July 1946, the first nuclear tests code named "Operation Crossroads" were conducted at Bikini Atoll including Test Able on July 1, 1946 followed by Test Baker on July 25, 1946 and Test Baker scheduled for March 1, 1947 but was cancelled. Test Able On July 1, 1946 at 9:00am the first test was code named Test Able when B-29 "Dave's Dream" 44-27354 released an air drop Mark III (Fat Man bomb) nicknamed "Gilda" against an array of ships 3.5 miles southwest of Bikini Island. The aim point was USS Nevada BB-36, but the bomb missed exploding 710 yards to the west at an altitude of 520' / 128m above sea level with a yeild of 23 kilotons the resulted in the sinking of five ships were sunk (two sank immediately, two destroyers within hours and a cruiser the following day) plus eighteen others damaged. Test Baker On July 25, 1946 at 8:35am the second test code named Test Baker was a Mark III (Fat Man bomb) nicknamed "Helen of Bikini" without tail fin assembly inside a steel caisson made from a submarine conning tower at a depth of 90' / 27m underwater (halfway to the seafloor that was 180' at that location). The bomb was suspended below USS LSM-60 to test an underwater detonation and caused a radioactive column of water and radioactive sea spray that caused contamination. Severely damaged from bing only 500 yards from the blast, USS Saratoga (CV-3) sank 7 hours and 30 minutes after the blast. Test Charle A third test code named test "Charlie" another underwater test was scheduled for March 1, 1947 but canceled. Today Scientists used Bikini Atoll as a case study in ways to clean up radiation. Today, the shipwrecks sunk in the atomic and hydrogen bomb tests are safe for SCUBA divers. USS Anderson DD-411 Sunk July 1, 1946 during atomic bomb test "Able", anchored 600 yards from the aiming point. USS Lamson DD-367 Sunk July 1, 1946 during atomic bomb test "Able", anchored 760 yards from the aiming point. USS LSM-60 Sunk July 25, 1946 during atomic bomb test "Baker" USS Apogon SS-308 Sunk July 25, 1946 during atomic bomb test "Baker" USS Saratoga CV-3 Sunk July 25, 1946 from damage sustained by Test "Baker" one of only three aircraft carriers at SCUBA depth. Nagato Sunk during the night of July 29-30, 1946 after damage sustained from test "Baker". Contribute
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 Map 1946 |
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