Page:Operation Crossroads 1946.pdf/98

 :*9 ships moderately damaged


 * 43 ships negligible damage


 * 22 landing craft beached at Bikini Island, no damage


 * 14 aircraft destroyed


 * 30 aircraft seriously damaged


 * 10 aircraft lightly damaged


 * 19 aircraft no damage

In general all target vessels within 500 yards (457 meters) of actual surface zero were sunk or seriously damaged. Those beyond 1,500 yards (1.37 km) received minor damage (Reference C.9.206, Part V, p. C6). Those ships beyond 750 yards (686 meters) had little induced activity or contamination; they were rebounded on 1 July and were used for crew quarters beginning on 2 and 3 July. Figure 25 shows a group of VIPs and CJTF 1 inspecting New York after ABLE. By 5 July all target vessels (except those sunk) had been rehabilitated to the extent necessary for the upcoming BAKER event.

More than 50 percent of the test animals within 1,000 yards (914 meters) died, between 15 and 20 percent died between 1,000 and 2,000 yards (0.91 and 1.63 km), and between 5 and 15 percent died outside 2,000 yards (1.83 km). Airblast was the principal cause of injury and death. However, radiation exposure was the principal cause of death for those animals who died after the first few hours.

During Test ABLE, 200 cameras, 300 5-gallon (18.93-liter) cans, 400 photographic radiation badges, 5,000 sulfur capsules, 850 ball-crusher gauges, and over 5,000 other gauges of various types were used to measure and record the detention effects (blast, heat, and radiation). The timing signal relied on to start a number of instruments was sent out about 10 seconds late because of errors by the timing signal operator. The following instruments obtained no data as a result of this 10-second delay: free-piston gauges, shock wave velocity cameras, O'Brien and Bowden cameras on Bikini, Fastex cameras on Bikini and Eneu, and the drum spectrograph.

PREPARATION FOR BAKER

As soon as the extent of damage from ABLE had been determined, CJTF 1 tentatively set 25 July for BAKER. The news media ship USS Appalachian (AGC-1) returned to Pearl Harbor to allow some media people to depart and others to join the group. Some observers were taken on a cruise to Ponape, Truk, Majuro, and Guam islands while the task force prepared for BAKER (Reference C.9.206, Part V, p. C7).

Several target ships had sustained boiler and/or stack damage. Wreckage was cleared and repairs made so that every target ship (except those sunk) was able to steam under its own power on at least one boiler. USS Independence (CVL-22) needed considerable work to ensure watertight integrity. The submarine Skate needed superstructure repairs, including a temporary bridge (Figure 26). One by one the target ships were moved to their positions in the new target

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