SECOND BOMB TO GO OFF UNDER WATER

Chronicle (Levin), 3 July 1946, Page 5

SECOND BOMB TO GO OFF UNDER WATER

Received Tuesday, 11.20 p.m. BIKINI, July 2. A second preliminary tour of the outer perimeter of the target area this morning rex^eals that the damage to the ships is extensive and fairly widespread says the Australian Associated Press cirrespondent, Mr. E. W. Macaipine. "I would judge from the way some of the ships are listing that the homb hurst at a point overhead some little distance from the port how of the Nevada. The power of th.e explosion is shown hy the way the suhmarine Skate is now a seared and twisted heap of scrap metal, and the Japanese cruiser, Sakawa, is listing at an angle of 15 degrees and down hy the stern with her decks a mass o± wreckage. The whole superstructure of the Independence disappeared and the flight deck seems as if some giant had been at work with a huge tinopener. The Pensacola and Arkansas have hoth badly damaged superstructiu'es hut a 10,000 ton assault transport lying hetween them is apparently undamaged whereas two sirnilar transports fully 1,] miles away have their masts askew with the tops of them hent at right angles. "This afternoon we toured among the fleet hut will not hoard any ships as radioactivity is still dangerous. Bikini Island is also tahu. "It is strange to think that under this peaceful hlue sky, unseen death lies. Four hours after the explosion further fires were ohserved, one on Bikini Island, one on the Saratoga and another on an unidentified ship. The fire on Bikini Island which is at least 1 four miles from the Nevada, seemed to be decreasing hut that on the unidentified ship was gaining volume. Some idea of the heat generated is shown hy the fact that fires started on Bikini and on the Saratoga which is fully three miles from the Nevada. Everything indicates that the homh-aimer aimed true and scored a direct hit — that is he exploded the atomic bomh at a height somewhere helow 1000 feet I ahove the Nevada. Vice-Admiral Blandy has announced that a second bomb will he exploded under water amidst what is left of the target fleet, in abcut 3 weeks' time.