See Se et rEeTreTreererTte } Authority. NND 4142.0 1 a ~ ~T@i_ SECRET DISPATCH j) FE OnarTER ear i ‘noDRESSEES PaeceneNce SINT SHO Syed ean Le sr 5 Oe eg ea nat eee nou EVALUATION Bound - PRPOMTY = feed a JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF] ame & DEFERRED pare_30_JULY 46 oo! ron cove noon 3655 2 A — 7 = si pecoven ox__tYON dB oes ECL! esileaTiON paar 8 Borarneaseo BECKER cyscken Z| WorKina GROUP | ae a 71S puree praeaBECKER gym basetna 8 | I UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED THIS BISPATEH WILL BE TRANSWTTED WATH DEFERRED PRECEDENCE Fd 30 ed 3005582 NCR 6067 oo a ee Originator fill in DATE AND TIME GROUP __ (Use GC. 1) 9 co ‘ON OUTGOING DISPATGIIES PLEASE LEAVE ABOUT ONE INCH CLEAR SPACE BEFORE BEGINNING TEXT = ay THIS IS TOP SECRET = PRELIMINARY REPORT FOLLOWING SECOND ATOMIC BOMB TEST. a Ty \ PARA 1. IN COMPLIANCE WITH YOUR DIRECTIVE OF 27 FEBRUARY 1946.2 ud THE EVALUATION BOARD PRESENTS A SECOND PRELIMINARY REPORT OF bd 4 THE ATOMIC BOMB TESTS HELD AT BIKINI ATOLL. ry 2 ON 1 SUPPLEMENTAL T@ PRELIMINARY REPORT ON TEST A. x PARA 1) IN GENERAL THE OBSERVATIONS ON SHIP DAMAGE PRESENTED 3, t BY THIS BOARD IN ITS FIRST REPORT WERE CONFIRMED BY ENGINEER INGOS SURVEYS. THE LOCATION OF THE BOMB BURST, ACCURATELY DETERMINED,, FROM PHOTOGRAPHS, WAS SUCH THAT ONLY 1 SHIP WAS WITHIN 71,000 ig FEET @F THE SURFACE P@INT OVER WHICH THE BOMB EXPIGDED. "THERE 7 Bath ABOUT 20 SHIPS WITHIN A HALF MILE, ALL @F WHICH WERE BADLY. GED, MANY BEING PUT OUT @F ACTION Ano 5 SUNK IT REQUIRED |) ry UP TO 12 DAYS TO REPAIR ALL OF THOSE SHIPS LEFT AFLOAT i SUFFICIENTLY 8@ THAT THEY COULD HAVE STEAMED UNDER THEIR OWN % © A_MAJOR BASE FOR REPAIR. i PARA 2.) IT 1S N@W POSSIBLE TO MAKE SOME ESTIMATE QF THE 5 RADIOLOGICAL INJURIES WHICH EREWS WOULD HAVE SUFFERED HAD VHEY fo BEEN ABOARD THE TEST A TARGET VESSELS. MEASUREMENTS OF. on No. 1 ADMIRAL. No. 2 FILE. ‘No, 8F-1 OR CHARTROOM, No, 4 SPECIAL, 2 a Ba wy MAS di HARD ihn ARES ERHAEN Gh ial fact Mfoofteh Gendt. |CAT | CHopy wo. B02 ge EMail MRE v2 Ve L ee » ¢ xP SECRET Qu sop 300550Z NCR 6067 RADIATION INTENSITY AN A SHOW THAT THE INITIAL A Ti WHICH ARE GAMMARAYS PERSONNEL NORMALLY STA GE_THE-ATRBUIRST AND MANY OTHERS AT GREATER DISTANCE: PROTECTED BY STEEL, WATER OR OTHER DENSE MATERIA iD A FLA ND NEUTRONS THO SS STRESSES TESTE wT | Authority NND A430 U4 SECRET WOULD /HAVE NED ABOARD THEYSHIPS Sk, PAGE 2 OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF EVALUATION B@ARD ATOMIC TEST SECRET STUDY OF ANIMALS EXP@SED IN SHIPS LASH OF PRINCIPAL LETHAL RADIATIONS, it EO ALM@ST ALL WEE A HALE PERSONNEL 3 LO HAVE ww He ettly vessees, BEEN RELATIVELY SAFE Apptetances-encarer rhe AE wtcen THE EFFECTS OF RADIATION EXPOSURE WOULD NOT HAVE INCAPACITATED ALL VICTIMS IMMEDIATELY; EVEN SOME OF THE MOST via AFFECTED MIGHT HAVE REMAINED AT THEIR STATIONS SEVERAL HOURS. HUS iT IS POSSIBLE THAT INITIAL EFFORTS AY DAMAGE CON/ROL MIGHT HAVE KEPT SHIPS OPERATING BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT VESSELS WITHIN A MILE OF AN ATOMIC BOMB AIR BURST WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME INOPERATIVE DUE T@ CREW CASUALTIES, Ggapien 2 opsenvaT ions ON TEST B, FHE BOARD DIVIDED INTO 2 TEST B. MEMBERS, AFTER SURVEYING THE TARGET She AIR, WITNESSED THE EXPLOSION FROM AN AIRPLANE AWAY AT AN ALTITUDE OF 7300 FEET THE TARGET ARRAY FROM A THE OTHER GROUPS FOR THE OBSERVATION RRAY FROM MILES | MEMBERS INSPECTED MALL BOAT THE DAY BEFORE THE TEST AND OBSERVED THE BOMBS EXPLOSION [ROM THE DECK OF THE USS HAVEN, 11 MILES AT SEA TO THE EAST OF THE BURST, PARA #: . THE BOARD REASSEMBLED IN THE HAVEN ON 26 JULY AND THE MBERS HAVE SINCE EXAMINED PHOTOGRAPHS, DATA ON RADIO AGTIVITY AND REPORTS OF OTHER FROME HENA, AND HAVE SOME OF THE TARGET VESSELS. THEY A OF THE TASK FORCE TECHNICAL STAF LSo INSPECTED INSULTED WITH MEMBERS PARA 3 AS SCHEQULED, AT 6635, BIKINI TIME ON 25 JULY, A BOMB im ere WAS DETONATED WELL BELOW THE 2 pace OF HE LAG@ON, S BOMB WAS — SUSPENDED PROM JHE LSM-60 NE THE EXPLOSION WAS OF PREDICTED VeRTSTENET AR THE eo VI 30055872 CENTER OF THE @LENCE AND 19 FS?i T ARRAY. . ED TO HAVE leAuthority NND 4430 LL NET - Serre Se ReeTE TEE REOTEE a nod - 2 ai, = SO 7TOP SECRET a TOP SECRET ~ TOP SECRET PAGE 3 OF JOINT CHIEFS QF STAFF YALUATION BOARD ATOMIC TEST 3005502 NCR 6 7 AT ee AS DESTRUCTIVE AS 20,000 TONS OF TNT. 4. ‘A DEGREE WHICH THE BOARD FINDS REMARKABLE, THE VISIBLE PHENOMENA OF EXPLOSION FOLLOWED THE PREDICTIONS MADE 8 IVILIAN AND SERVICE PHENOMENOLOGISTS ATTACHED TO JOINT TASK ist yc FORCE 1. AT THE MOMENT OF EXPLOSION, A DOME WHICH SHOWED THE LIGHT GF INCANDESCENT MATERIAL WITHIN, ROSE UPON THE SURFACE OF LA THE LAGOON. THE BLAST 1 WAVE WAS FOLLOWED BY AN OPAQUE CLOup Wich RAPIDLY ENVELGPED ABOUT HALF OF THE TARGET ARRAY. CLOUD VANISHED IN ABOUT ECONDS TO REVEAL, AS PREDICTED COLUMN OF ASCENDING WATER, ROM SOME OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS [T Spies THAT a COLUMN LIFTED THE 26,000-T0N BATTLESHIP A gS FOR A BRIEF INTERVAL BEFORE THE VESSEL PLUNGED T@ THE BOTTOM OF THE LAGOON, ONFIRMATION OF THIS occurs Rice MUST AWAIT THE ANALYSIS OF AIGH*SPEED PHOTOGRAPHS WHICH ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE, ae ATE DIAMETER OF THE COLUMN OF WATER WAS ABOUT 2200 FEET, / DAR EA EGE OSE T@ A HEIGHT OF ABOUT 5500 FEET, o Mw Re COLUMN CONTA ING SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER THE COLUMN REACHED MAXIMUM HEIGHT, WATER PELL BACK, FORMING AN EXPANDING CL@UD OF SPRAY WHICH ENGULFED ABOUT HALF # THE TARGET ARRAY, AORROUNDING THE BASE OF THE COLUMN WAS A WALL OF FOAMING WATER SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET HIGH. PARA fe AAVES OUTSIDE THE WATER C@LUMN, ABOUT 1000 FEET FROM THE CENTER GF EXPLOSION, WERE OO TO 100 FEET IN HEIGHT. THESE WAVES RAPIDLY DIMINISHED IN SIZE AS THEY PROCEEDED @UTWARDs THE HIGHEST WAVE REACHING THE BEACH OF BIKINI ASLAND BEING rect. ONES DID_NOT PASS @VER THE ISLAND,ANO N@ MATERIAL DAMAGE @CCURRED THERE. MEASUREMENTS OF THE UNDERWATER SHOCK WAVE ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE. JERE WERE N@ SEISMIC PHENOMENA OF SIGNIFICANT MAGNITUDE. Tepe Ore 300558 RAY ROSE TO A MUCH GREATER HEIGHT. UGHLY re MILL ION TONS OF WATER, ‘OR| » - DECLASSIE Ry | Authority. AND 44 30 LL ae veer -why) 7 TOP SECRET TOP SECRET TOP SECRET PAGE 4 OF JOINT CHIEFS QF STAFE | YALUAT OH BARD ATOMIC TEST 3005582 NER 6 (Paral Me EXPLOSION PRODUCED INTENSE RADIGACTIVITY_IN THE ‘WATER: THE LAGOON... PART-OP-THTS-WAS-BY-REASEN-GF THE NEUTRON Z- Bi “FASS+ONPROBUETS- “FROM THE-BOMB SEE, AMDIOACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BURST 1S ESTIMATED TOCHAVE BEEN THE EQUIVALENT @F MANY HUNDRED TONS OF RADIUM, KEW MINUTES EXPOSURE T@ THIS INTENSE RADIATION AT ITS PEAK WOULD, WITHIN A BRIEF INTERVAL, HAVE JNCAPACITATED HUMAN BEINGS Phrase RESULTED IN THEIR DEATHS WITHIN DAYS OR WEEKS. | BREAT QUANTITIES @F RADIOACTIVE WATER DESCENDED UPON THE SHIPS FROM THE COLUMN OR WERE THROWN OVER THEM BY WAVES. Mis HIGHLY LETHAL RADIGACTIVE WATER CONSTITUTED SUCH A HAZARD THAT AFTERFA-DAYS IT WAS STILL UNSAFE FOR INSPECTION PARTIES OPERATING WITHIN A WELL-ESTABLISHED SAFETY MARGIN, TO SPENG ANY USEFUL LENGTH OF TIME AT THE CENTER OF THE TARGET AREA OR TO BOARD SHIPS ANCHORED THERE. pana & x6 in xfsT*a* THE ARRAY OF TARGET SHIPS FoR ZEST B'DID ESENT A NORMAL ANCHORAGE BUT WAS DESIGNED aoe Te @BTAIN THE MAXIMUM BATA FROM 4 SINGLE EXPLOSION. THE ba SHIPS AND SMALL CRAFT IN THE ARRAY, 40 WERE Aion’ WETHE Ok ote AV MILE AND 20 WITHIN ABOUT ce. Ae MAJOR SHIPS WERE SUNK Bi iM HE BATTLESHIP ME TATELY” AND THE HEAVY-HULKED AIRCRAFT THE CARRIER SIRKAOGK we /2 HOURS. ACLANDING SHIP A PRNB IN CRAFT, ANDY "A TILER ALS@ SANK IMMEDIATELY. vt 4 DESTROYER HOES IN SINKING CONDITIG@NSAND THE TRANSPORT BADLY LISTING, WERE LATER BEACHED, HE SUBMERGED SUBMA' OC Keen was SENT TO THE BOTTOM EMITTING AIR BUBBLES AND FUEL OIL, AND oe Z, @THER SUBMERGED SUBMARINES ARE BELIEVED T@ HAVE SUNK. onvs, AFTER THE BURST, THE BADLY DAMAGED SAPANESE BATTLESHIP. AG 8 SANK. Mm WAS POUND IMPOSSIBLE IMMEOIATELY T® ASSESS DAMAGE T@ HULLS, POWER PLANTS AND MACHINERY OF THE TARGET SHIPS BECAUSE OF RADIGACTIVE CONTAMINATION, Poe APPRAISAL OF DAMAGE TER REORET 3005582 seimewommerh ae y a SECT | ONGgr OBSERVATIONS AND C = DECLASSINIAD Cy Authority. NAS 14 3.0L F : 7 ww by ? TOP SECRET TOP SECRET TOP SECRET PAGE 5 OF JOINT HIEES OF. errr EVALUATION BOARD ATOMIC TEST 3005582 NCR 60 WILL HAVE T@ AWAIT DETAILED SURVEY BY ENGINEER TEAMS. EXTERNAL OBSERVATION FROM A SAFE DISTANCE W@ULD INDICATE THAT A FEW ADP TNL SHIPS NEAR THE TARGET CENTER MAY HAVE SUFFERED SOME. DAMAGE. ERE WAS N@ OBVIOUS DAMAGE T@ SHIPS MORE THAN ee t/@ MILE FROM THE BURST. NCLUSIONS, BOTH TESTS. one FARA BE of eeceeluone Or Aint ais #ORCE 4 IN CONDUCTING HAS SET A PATTERN FOR CLOSES EFFECTIVE CO@PERATION THe fue AEnvices AND CIVILIAN SCIENTISTS IN THE PLANNING AND execu ON THIS HIGHLY TECHNICAL” OPERATION, MOREOVER, TNE TESTS HAVE PROVIDED VALUABLE TRAINING OF PERSGNNEL iN JOINT OPERATIONS REQUIRING GREAT PRECISION AND COORDINATION OF EFFORT. PARA of AT. 1$ IMPOSSIBLE TO EVALUATE AN ATOMIC BURST IN TERMS eet aRvENT ONAL EXPLOSIVES. TO DETONATION AND BLAST EFFECTS, a THE LARGEST BOMB OF THE PAST WAS, EFFECTIVE WITHIN A RADIUS Fo A FEW HUNDRED FEET, THE ATOMIC BoM EFFECTIVENESS CAN BE MEASURED IN THOUSANDS OF FEET. HOWEVER THE RADIGLOGICAL EFFECTS HAVE NO PARALLEL IN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS, AT tS NECESSARY THAT A CONVENTIGNAL BOMB SCORE A DIRECT HiT OR A NEAR MISS OF _NOT MORE THAN A FEW FEET 16 CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A BATTLESHIP. Ariens THE SECOND BOMB, BURSTING UNDERWATER, SANK A BATTLESHIP MMEDIATELY AT A DISTANCE @F WELL OVER 500 FEET. T DAMAGED AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER SO THAT IT SANK IN A FEW HOURS, WHILE ANOTHER BATTLESHIP SANK AFTER PyDAYS « AHE FIRST BOMB, “BURSTING IN AIR, DID GREAT HARM TO THE SUPERSTRUCTURES @F MAJOR SHIPS WITHIN A LF MILE RADIUS, BUT DID ONLY MINOR DAMAGE T@ THEIR HULLS, x6 WITHIN A MILE @F EITHER BURST COULD HAVE ESCAPED WiTHOUT DAMAGE T@ ITSELF AND SERIOUS INJURY TO A LARGE NUMBER OF iP ME ‘§ CREW. PARA 3R THOUGH LETHAL RESULTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE OR LESS EQU WER: IVALENT, THE RADIGLOGICAL PHENOMENA ACCOMPANYING the #sursts EE MARKEOLY DIFFERENT. aw THE CASE GF THE AIRBURST BOMB, 1T ere, ce 2098582- COT HA sit SOME iT.Tirana CO. Authority. NND 41430 t p TOP SECRET ~~ TOP SECRET TOP SECRET PAGE 6 OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF EVALUATION BOARD ATOMIC TEST 300558Z NCR 6067 ok SEEMS CERTAIN THAT UNPROTECTED PERSONNEL WITHIN MILE WOULD HAVE SUFFERED HIGH CASUALTIES BY INTENSE NEUTRON AND GAMMA RADIATION AS WELL AS BY BLAST AND HEAT. OSE SURVIVING IMMEDIATE EFFECTS WOULD N@T HAVE BEEN MENACED BY RADIOACTIVITY pare SD ING AFTER THE BURST. RA AE THE CASE OF THE UNDERWATER EXPL@SI@N, THE AIR BURST eS WAVE WAS FAR LESS INTENSE AND THERE WAS NO Heaqave. OF SIGNI~ , FICANCE, MOREOVER, Ege ABSORPTION GF NEUTRGBS AND GAMMA RAYS BY WATER, THE LETHAL QUALITY @F THE FIRST FLASH OF RADIATIQN WAS NOT OF HIGH ORDER. Pty THE SECOND BOMB THREW 2 LARGE MASSES @F HIGHLY RADI@ACTIVE WATER ONTO THE DECKS AND INT@ THE HULLS OF VESSELS +ipebbhemioMee, JHESE CONTAMINATED SHIPS BECAME RADI@ACTIVE STOVES, AND WOULD HAVE BURNED ALL LIVING THINGS ABOARD THEM WITH INVISIBLE AND PAINLESS BUT DEADLY RADIATION. fara -ne if 15 1§ TO® SOON T@ ATTEMPT AN ANALYSIS GF _ALL OF THE IMPLICATIONS @F THE BIKINI TESTS, BUT IT iS N@T TOO SOON TO POINT TO THE NECESSITY FOR IMMEDIATE AND INTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO SEVERAL UNIQUE PROBLEMS P@SED BY THE ATOMIC BOMB. IS@NING @F LARGE VOLUMES GF WATER PRESENTS SUCH A PROBLEM. sruby MUST BE GIVEN T@ PROCEDURES FOR PROTECTING NOT ONLY SHIPS? CREWS / BUT ALSO THE POPULATIO@NS OF CITIES AGAINST SUCH RADIG-~ LOGICAL EFFECTS AS WERE DEMONSTRATED IN BIKIN! LAGOON, 4 AG, ABSERVATIONS DURING THES TESTS HAVE ESTABLISHED THE a cARtRAL TYPES AND RANGE OF EFFECTIVENESS OF AIR AND SHALLOW a UNDERWATER ATOMIC-BOMB BURSTS, ON NAVAL VESSELS, ARMY MATERIEL ue INCLUDING A WIDE VARIETY OF AUARTERMASTER STORES , AND PERSONNEL. 45 AAROM THESE @BSERVATIONS AND FROM INSTRUMENTAL DATA IT WILL NOW s BE POSSIBLE T@ OUTLINE SUCH CHANGES yNOT ONLY IN MILITARY AND Bg NAVAL DFSIGN BUT ALS® IN STRATEGY AND TACTICS,AS FUTURE EVENTS on, “bo MAY INDICATE. 2 LopeetteT 300558z Teel ke mmm. SiPAlatec- be GG. GOTOSerer er eeReTReeTEeTrETertes Authority, NAD AA%0 UL ss + @: TOP SECRET q TOP SECRET TOP SECRET PAGE T OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF EVALUATION BOARD ATOMIC TEST 300558z NCR 067 et! NAL SECURITY DICTATES THE ADOPTION OF A PQ| PARK INSTAI JESS T@ DEFEND OURSELVES VIG@ROUSLY A! THREAT @| APON ATTACK AT sv ne POLICY Ut le ITs IN THAT THER WAR. @NE ENDURING PRINCIPL ADVENT OF THE ATOMIC WEA BEST ENTE ANY ADHERENCE TO THIS NEVER BE AN ATOMIC AR HAS NOT BEEN ALTERED BY THE VE STRENGTH WILL REMAIN THE FORE.S@ LONG AS ATOM 3/25 BS COULD CONCEIVABLY BE USED A THIS COUNTRY, THE M@ARD URGES ONT INUED PR TON OF ATOMIC MATERIAL AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOP IN C FIELDS RELATED 7® ATOMIC WARFARE. : , 1 a 8 UES (#1) 00 ACT is 6 BUORDIQ? ) .. -BUSKIPS(#3). CITFI(RE)(#4)-- o80R(#5) 0. 0007(#6)- 0 ° a WAR (C@5 AND COMGENAAF )(#7))\, .0P03(#8-13)...SECNAV(#14). 45 a NAVA IDE(#15)..023(#16)...ADM LEAHY( #17)... p eet 3005582z a Ti NtSera Senet eTEeTerEtete em os Authority NAD 4420 U4 : © 67 | . a ro on DISBATOR XXKX INCOMING ( ) OUTGOING DATE 3005582 orpnmpem 6007 FROM: JCS EVALUATION BUARD,, CORRECTED GOPY: CHANGED PORTION| UNDERLINED) ( )EREDING (Tax XXX ROUTING CORRECT. ROUTING TO READ: uCS(#1)..5.ACT 007(#6). 0. -NAVAIDE(#15)....ADM LEAHY(#17) WAR DEPT(FOR GEN SPAATZ AND GEN EISENHOWER) (#7). 006 * CORSROMD: ( ) DISFRBUTION ( CLASSIFICATION (PRECEDENCE. THIS SHEET ROUTED TO: ICS(#1)ooee | von Wetton NAVA IDE(#3) <2 «ADM LEAHY( #4) 0026 CORRECTION AUTHORIZED By.OP2 02 OPnAY 1570 aaa Sal: 2G BESS