SUMMING UP THE ATOM BOMB

Chronicle (Levin), 31 July 1946, Page 8

SUMMING UP THE ATOM BOMB

Press Assn.-

A LAND WEAPON, NOT A NAVAL ONE

By Telegrgph

■Cppyrigjit

Keceived Tuesday, 8.10 p..m. NEW YORK, July 30. Operation "crossroads" lias ended and the ntQinic bomb reduced to the comprehension of the average man, says the New York Times' cori'espoiident, Majpv Manson Jhilckvin. It remains a terribie devnstating weapon that may, if uspd in wai, retijrn the world to the dark ages but probab'ly is liot the "absolute weappu". The majority of military mep and spientists composing the joint task foree, were of opinion, that: — Eirstly, it was the largest and most successfiil piilitary test in history. JSecondly, the atomic bomb is primarily a strntegie rather than a tactical weapon. Thirdly, its maximum el'feet is obtainable against cities and thickly populated and elosely concentrated industrial areas, rather than against liavies and armies. The atomic weapon might, under cevtaiu favourahle eondjtioTis wlien grand strategy dictated it, )>e used against a fipet but s'te'el ships widely dispersed over blue water, withstand an atomic blast considerahly ])etter.than concentrated hpuses of wood and brick. Xo fieet, if reasonably alert, would be wiped out by one atomic bomb. ' t . In other words, the atom bomb has not' yet repia ced navies, armies or air, forces, and is not iikely to do so in the foreseeable l'uiure. Neveilheless, it is far more than just another weapon. Professor Compton pointed out that in future war atomic bombs would hc used, not iai ones or twos, but seores. However, hccause oi: the bombs' grcat expense and the relative scarcity of plutoniiim and lu'anium, atom bombs were more likely to he utilised against area land targets than against dispersed ships. Summed up, two bombs sank eight ships and two craft and sei-iously damagcd at least twenty other vessels out of 160. T|ie test showed the destruet ive radius against ships was considerahly more loealised than lmd heen expecled. The form of the waterspout. in the second test was inueh shorter than foreeast and the extent | of the eloud of vapour mist, spray and gas which had a dianietev | of three miles, was a defifiite surprise. The air hurst proved very damaging to the bulls but not over as wide a radius as was nntieipated and the wave action was less punishing- to ships than had heen thought.