BOMBS AT BIKINI 



of tons of radium. Some of the radioactive material 

 drifted off in the cauliflower cloud; but much re- 

 mained in the lagoon area. The base surge, in its pre- 

 cipitant flight outward from the column, carried radio- 

 active materials. It drenched the target vessels and left 

 them radioactively poisoned. 



Over 90 percent of the target vessel array fell vic- 

 tim to radioactivity. The extent of radiological hazard 

 went beyond what had been expected. 



Without question, ships' crews would have been 

 seriously affected over a wide area. Had the target 

 array been manned, casualties and both physical 

 and psychological injury would have been very 

 great. Rescue and attention to casualties would have 

 been difficult and dangerous. "Within 2000 yards of the 

 explosion center, ships would probably have been in- 

 operative and a lapse of weeks might well have ensued 

 before relatively undamaged ships could again have 

 been used in combat. 



TERMINATION 



It was several days before the majority of the target 

 vessels could be reboarded. Not until ten days after 

 B-Day was it feasible to reboard all the vessels. The 

 radioactivity of the ships was more severe than had 

 been expected. 



The lagoon itself was re-entered a few hours after 

 the explosion. The first boats to approach the target 



68 



