Operation Crossroads Shots ABLE & BAKER

Marshall Islands / Mili / Arbar /
 place with historical importance, nuclear testing area
Approximate detonation area for the air-dropped fission bomb codenamed Crossroads ABLE and the barge-tethered fission bomb Crossroads BAKER in July 1946. The two bombs were detonated among a fleet of 95 surplus United States, German and Japanese Naval vessels, including several Battleships, Aircraft Carriers, Cruisers, Destroyers, Submarines and Transports to study the effects of Nuclear Weapons on fully fueled, fully armed and "manned" ships (Livestock was used to simulate human crew).

Test ABLE took place on July 1st, 1946 and test Baker took place on July 25th, 1946. The explosions sank fourteen ships outright, seriously damaged a further seventeen while leaving the balance of the fleet and the islands of Bikini heavily radioactive.

Ships sunk by shot ABLE:
HIJMS Sakawa
USS Anderson (DD-411)
USS Carlisle (APA-69)
USS Gilliam (APA-57)

Ships sunk by shot BAKER:
HIJMS Nagato
USS Arkansas (BB-33)
USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Apogon (SS-308)
USS Pilotfish (SS-386)
USS LSM-60
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Crossroads
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   11°35'41"N   165°30'36"E

Comments

  • both of these failed to sink the USS Nevada, however.
This article was last modified 12 years ago