Page:Operation Crossroads 1946.pdf/414

 USS Saratoga ( C V - 3 )

USS Searaven (SS-196)

1 July 1348 ATR-40 ordered to fight the fire on Saras,but not to board i t. 1409-1432 ATR-40 alongside Saratoqa to fight fire. reported fire extinguished (Reference 6, pp. VII-I-9-A and VII-I-10-A). 1530USSShakamaxon(AN-88)(Team 8 ) reported placing a boarding team on Saratcqa. 1531 Shakamaxon reported Saratoqa clear for boarding(Reference 6, p.VII-I-12-A). 1706ShakamaxonreportedSaratoqaradioactive, frame 90 aft. 1715 Shakamaxon reported its inspection of Saratoqa was completed. of Saratoqa 1723 Shakamaxon reported parts radioactive under the flight deck to the waterline. portside frame 90 to fantail: recommended no team board until 2 July.

radioactive condition of the water (Reference 6, p. VIT-I-13-E). 1555SternofSaratoqaunderwater. Bow andsuperstructure of Saratoqadis1610 appeared below the surface (Reference6. p. VII-I-13-B). The Technical Director aboardYSS Kenneth Whitlnq (AV14) requested services of divers when safe to recover linear and log-time axis and other instruments on target ships USS Arkansas (BB-33) and Saratoqa. Technical DirectOK was informed that his request for divers would be included in the dlving schedule when the situation permitted and other diving requirements were known (Reference 6. p. VII-I-82-B).

28 July Pressure-time recorders were recovered from target vessels Arkansas, Saratcqa 2 July and USS Pilotfish(58-386).Radiation 0935 Shakamaxon reported Saratoqa Geiger sweet lntensity films were recovered from tar(Reference 6. p. VII-I-24-A). get vessels Arkansas, Naqato. Saratoqa. USS ApOqon (SS-308), and Pilot f ish (Reference 6. p. VII-I-83--B). The only evidence of appreciable radioactivity was on the main and flight deck exteriors on the port quarter where 0.2 R/24 hours was recorded by a Geiger counter Saratoqa's crew was transferred to other CROSSROADS at 1200 on 2 July. Since the sea on the portside had units. been declared radioactive on 1 July, the water pumped onto the flight deck by the salvage vessel in extinUSS SEARAVEN (SS-196) guishing the flight deck fire may have been the cause (Reference 3). Crew Slze: 58 t o liveaboardSaratoqa. Btktnl Atoll Arrlval: 30 Nay 1946 2-24JulyCrewreboarded Blklnl Atoll Departure: 22 August 1946 24 July Crew Cocatlon f o r Shot ABLE: USS Bottlneau (APA-235) 0930-1145 Evacuated crew to Rockwall in preparation Crew Locatlon for Shot BAKER: Bottlneau for BAKER. Shot ABLE Loc'atlon: 1.798 yards (1.6 km) NE Shot BAKER Locatlon: 1,419 yards (1.3 km) SSW Shot BAKER (25 July, 0835) Decontamlnatlon Locatlon: San Franclsco (Mare Island Naval Shipyard) 25 July Flnal Clearance: 1 1 December 1946 0914 PBM Charlie Sunk 1 1 September 1948, off southern Callfornla coast reported Sacatoqalisting slightly to starboard (Reference 5, p. 6-D-7). Task Untt and Functton 0924 PBMCharliereportedSaratoqa'sstack The submarine Searaven was a member of TU 1.2.4 collapsed to port and lying on flight (Submarine Unit), Submarine Division 111. It was deck. a targetvesselforCROSSROADS.Itscrewwas 0938 PEM Charlie reported Saratoqa down heaevacuated before each shot. vily by stern (Reference5, p. 6-B-8). 1130 Shot ABLE (1 July, 0900) PBM Charlie reported Saratoqa in danger of sinking and recommended every efEort 30JuneEvacuatedcrewtoBottineauinpreparabe made to beach i t if possible (Reference 5.p. 6-D-10). tion for ABLE. 1200 CJTF 1 asked if Saratoqa could be cast 0800-1130 Secured Searaven at surface. loose and towed from the target array without boarding; USS Chickasaw (ATF-83) 2 Julv in tow. (Due directed to take Saratoqa 6829USSEtlah(AN-79)placedboardingteam to the very high radioactivity of the on Searaven. water near the center of the array, sal0831 Etlah reported Searaven Geiger sweet (Reference 6, p. VII-I-22-A). vage ships were not allowed to enter 1145-1430InitialboardingteamboardedSearaven array [Reference6, p. VII-I-51-Bl). 1210 CTU 1.2.7 answeredCJTF 1 request in the forinspection;normaloperationsrestored. aEElrmative. Chickasawdirected t o he ready to tow Saratoqa to the beach when Searaven was undamaged except for slight damage to ordered.but no men were to board it (Reference 6, p. VII-I-7-B). superstructure plating on the starboard side. Air pres1408 CJTF 1 told DSM aboard USS Reclaimer sure was vented from the shipboth andbattery compart(ARS-42) permission granted for Reclaimer ments were thoroughly venttlated t o remove an explosive to proceed with operations toward ? a s percentage of hydrogen. to* (Reference 6, p. VII-1-11-8). 1530 Reclaimer stopped, laying to in vicinity 3 July of target submarine USS Parche (SS-384). 1000 TeamsCandDreturnedaboardSearaven Unable to approach Saratoqa due to the from Bottineau. Remaining crewmembers returned to live aboard Searaven. ~

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