Show ENDLESS ARGUMENTS RAGE r i World Awaits Await Seco Test of Atomic Bob s FIRST BLAST June Jun Five Fire ships sunk nine nin ships wr c forty forty-Av ships damaged i I Ej SECOND Bl AST rN o crushing eF rd W E built Great N r Giant wove to A P I and i s l and THIRD TEST to be b. stays d next nu nuI I year Predictions of some who witnessed wit wit- i messed ht test ore are that oil all ships ht 1st bomb drop will be b. sun sunk k within 50 miler miln of Ind 2nd bomb y to I ht i. i blast ores area under surf surface d i 11 s 3rd ia at depth 01 lIt lItEy I Ey By V WALTER ALTER A A. A SHEAD r. r Correspondent 1 ri ABOARD APPALACHIAN OPERATIONS CROSSROADS Second or Baker test of at the atomic bomb in Bikini lagoon now tentatively tenta- tenta tentatively set for July 25 will be like dynamiting fish in a pond Lacking will be the glamour of the army air force and precision bombing as the whole thing will be bea a n navy vy show The bomb will be submerged some 75 feet beneath the surface in about 30 fathoms of at atwater water feet and detonated in the midst of at the target fleet which is being regrouped to meet new conditions conditions con con- of the test This second test also will ill lack the drama of the bomb burst and the atomic cloud which is characteristic tic of atomic bombs exploded In air What is likely to happen is that the intense heat will generate steam in inthe inthe the water and the terrific force will expend a part of Its energy in a waterspout with a cloud of steam and vapor shooting into the air Intent Intent In- In tent of this test is to measure force of atomic energy upon the hull structure of naval ships spaced at various distances from the center of the explosion Subs to Submerge There will not be the visible damage damage dam dam- age which was inflicted wholly upon the topsides or superstructures as in inthe inthe the first blast Since there Is to be beno beno no ship placed directly above the point ot of blast the prediction is being being be- be ing made freely that no capital ships will be sunk although lighter craft may be capsized Another feature of at atthe the second blast is the placing ot of submerged submarines in the target fleet and It will be interesting to note the effect of the bomb force upon the steel hulls of these vessels vessels ves- ves sels beneath the water Na Naval val scientists predict that force forc of the underwater ater blast will create waves es of sufficient height possibly 10 or more feet teet which will sweep over low lying Bikini island although this was also forecast In the first blast and did not materialize Meantime endless arguments proceed pro pro- ed as as to the he degree of at damage to me snips ShIPS the location at the bomb burst whether the drop tram from the plane was a near miss mis probable loss of life had the ships been manned with full complement and comparative efficiency ncy of this first Bikini bomb as compared to the bombs at Alamogordo Hiroshima and Nagasaki Precision Bombing When it is considered that this bomb was dropped from a h height ight of something like six miles and hit within a yard 1000 circle this reporter reporter re- re porter would consider that pretty pret pret- ty good precision bombing Adm T T. T A. A A Solberg of the bureau bureau bu- bu reau of ships however declared that insofar as lie he could jUdge every slip ship damaged by the bomb with the exception ot of the Independence could be put into fighting shape within two or three months For the Independence battered and ripped apart by explosions of her own torpedoes her ammunition and aviation gasoline and burning for tor almost two days t would take about nine months to p pt m J shape I Also all ships d r single exception of the J Fence S F Sence ence towed ii away and u th out in the lagoon likely tc et i pulled away under their or on had they been manned Rit liCa I. I i Study Effects I d dIn In the meantime I h hhas has been turned into a n ruth t tory of science chief IJ ing the effect of the barb i 1 1 subsequent radiological n- n t the live animals placed a ah r ships at various locations it be occupied by the men mea r I a Amazingly only about Ii of the animals were kilt kiteI y c force of the blast Some art are artand c and sick and others may t tec a from effects of rad a matter of fact a few i e been destroyed by medical who are studying this i atomic energy in an effort mine how this radioactivity aused ct a used in medicine in disease R Persons or animals which these powerful pow rays into tJ are variously J boarding teams upon these preceded by a run rem t ti C ing a Geiser counter I like boxlike apparatus which r re t radioactivity by a ticking o s e Estimate Losses A such those fleet as i posed the target fleet fled woudt oi C ly carry approximately Ii It is reasonable to assume t y 11 approximately 10 per ceJ cent e emen G. G men would have been a atomic bomb blast and aed tbt would have been injured bl r t t activity much l lage age to ships caused by fires aboard could have bre t ted ed had crews been aboud iSi question Some ships cap clare that damage would h it l much less had the ship Ere equipment been brought i rb and this seems t a most of the loss on the ence was due to fire and and not the bomb bus There is no attempt b bw on t the lie part of naval aa ao to minimize the tern terrible tilt 1 ot of this atomic bomb St Std I single bomb ever di d the te that tiffs this tY ex age to a fleet sn unk Oft f five ships out oot ot of iI approximately 10 others dr t d or r months moans action for two er and small to 1 10 others age done to another ato rk However likely would not find il 73 make up a helpless t g grouped conveniently Jf fit e ducks and whether use d 01 tl t 1 is ic bomb as an i j naval warfare upon siv still is t I is militarily sound ed question and one which Cl 1 evaluation board will st stud weeks or the next few It must be 9 ever is said about this s set test II dt test before the actual aD and br realm of conjecture I t id the conjecture made P pr w ot first test did not mat |