Evening star., 1946-07-01
Three Ships Are Sunk,
Eight Badly Damaged
In A-Bomb Test
Continued From First Page.)

the target ships from the Panamint
showed that probably no vessel es-
capped damage, Associated Press
Correspondent Paul K. Lee re-
ported. He said in most cases, how
ever, damage appeared small, con-
sisting mainly of bent masts and
wrecked superstructure.
No attempt was being made late
this afternoon to fight the fire
steadily eating away the carrier
independence, but fireboats poured
heavy streams on the smoking bat
tleship Pennsylvania, which evi-
IDENTIFY had been considered SAL
yageable
The carrier Saratoga no longer
burned. Planes could be seen lashed
to her decks.
Fires may have been kindled
aboard other ships by the unearthly
heat of nuclear ission and not yet
eaten their way into view.
A new fire suddenly flared out
aboard the transport Cortland in
midafternoon.
instruments Endangered.
The blazes endanger scientific in
struments in the hulls of the YES
sells and materiel placed aboard for
study of the effect of the explo-
sion.
Elton C.. Fay, Associated Press
correspondent, reported Admiral
Blandy, task force commander, had
said impressions" were that the
fourth atomic bomb was somewhat
lighter" in explosive efficiency than
the missile dropped on Nagasaki.
1t was estimated officially that the
mushrooming cloud did not rise
above $4,000 feet. This compared
with an estimated 10000 to 10000
feet for the Nagasaki burst.
Since radioactivity was not too
great, advance units of the non-
target fleet, including Admiral
Btandy's flagship, started back into
the lagoon within five hours.
Strangely, the bullseye ship Ne
vada appeared not badly hurt al
though the bomb was aimed to burst
directly above it. It's bright orange
and white dress was blackened and
burnt, however, apparently by the
incredible heat.
The north side of the ship showed
the greatest loss of paint, indicat-
ing that the bomb burst just north
of it, toward Bikini island. OBJ
servers watching the television
screen aboard the U. S. S. Pana-
mint said the bomb appeared to
burst about 1000 feet in the air,
slightly to the starboard of the
Nevada.
Axis Ships Damaged.
Ships which once were part of
enemy fleets did not do so well. The
japanese battleship Nagato and
light cruiser SakaWa and the Ger
man heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen
were listed among the heavily dam
aged. Reported damage to the
Prinz Eugen caused surprise be-
cause it was on the fringe of the
target fleet.
Two of the three vessels sunk
we're transports-the Gillian and
the Carlisle. The third was the
destroyer Lamson.
Other ships listed as heavily dam
aged included the Independence.
1t was a virtual hulk, its entire lofty
superstructure leveled off by fires
and explosions.
The flight deck was buckled, and
there was no evidence, from close
range operation of the planes and
other material left on the deck for
test purposes. She was listing 20 de-
grees.
Badly damaged also was the
cruiser Pensacola and the subma-
rine Skate.
Saratoga On Fire.
Fires were reported aboard the
famed old carrier Saratoga, battle
ships Nevada and New York, de-
stroyer Wilson and transports Bris-
coe, Niagara, Bladen, Banner, Butte
and Cortland
Mr.. Blakeslee saw the blazing ball
OF fire and smoke roll up from the
horizon minutes after the bomb was
dropped from the BIG Dave S
Dream" The heart of the hot cloud
was pink-a pink that turned to
gold as the cloud surged upward.
The cloud broke into three mush-
rooms, with the great cap thousands
OF feet over the lagoon within 10
minutes.
Pilotless "drone" planes roared
into the clouds at once, gathering
radioactive substance for study
The thousands of watchers-mili-
tary men, scientists, newsmen and
obServers-snatched off their black
ened goggles to watch the billowing
column.
Mr.. Lee reported that opinions
on the exhibition and its final
results varied. All agreed that they
had expected more than they saw.
There was no lack of enthusiasm
among the crew of Dawes Dream. d
From Kwajalein, Charles McMurtrv,
Associated Press correspondent, re-
ported that the atom bomber pilot,
Maj. Woodrow P. Swancutt, bllzzed
the field exuberantly before land
ing the craft.
Some one called Nice pitchin'
Woody" to Bombardier Mai. Charles
H. Wood as he climbed from the
plane.
Admiral Blandy praised the work
of the Army, Navy and air arm as
probably the most remarkable air.
manship in history referring tc
the intricate synchronization of the
various planes and ships involved.
Admiral Blandy later told news.
men the operation went so much
the way we planned it that it really
is not newsworthy"
The bomb burst as seen from this
press ship was somewhat like q
fairly unusual sunset.
There was little noise, a slight
heat wave and no heavier sea as
a result.
Correspondents had been provided
with darkened goggles, and warned
against looking directly into the
terrific glare" They were cautioned
not to perch on a precarious posi-
ton because they might be knocked
off by the blast"