Declassified Footage: Project Crossroads Atomic Test

►Twitter /X : https://twitter.com/history_tnt

Project Crossroads comprised two nuclear tests, Able and Baker, marking the initiation of nuclear testing at the Pacific Proving Ground near the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. These tests represented the fourth and fifth nuclear detonations in history, succeeding the Trinity test in July 1945 and the deployment of two nuclear weapons on Japan, culminating in the conclusion of World War II.

The two bombs employed in Project Crossroads adhered to the Fat Man configuration, closely resembling the implosion-type weapons trialed at Trinity and deployed over Nagasaki, Japan. These devices featured a plutonium pit. Notably, the only other available nuclear weapon at that time was the uranium gun-type Little Boy, which was utilized in the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. Due to its increased complexity, the Fat Man necessitated additional testing to amass experimental data.

On July 24, 1946, the Baker shot was initiated in the Bikini lagoon, reaching a depth of approximately 90 feet and yielding 21 kilotons. The detonation resulted in the containment of two million tons of water, accompanied by the removal of two million yards of sediment from the lagoon floor. The aftermath saw the sinking of nine ships.

#ProjectCrossroads #AtomicTest #Declassified