Skip to main content

S-525 Bikini Atomic Bomb Testing Collection

Collection of 38 photographs of the "Baker Day" atomic bomb explosion at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, 25 July 1946. Received from OP-45 prior to 1985. These views are from three different series, one shot from the ground level and the other two taken from aircraft on opposite sides of the explosion site. A full contents listing is below.
Title: Bikini Atomic Bomb Testing Collection
Caption: Collection photo # S-525.01 - one of 25 photographs taken from ground level of the Bikini Bomb Testing.
Description: Collection of 38 photographs of the "Baker Day" atomic bomb explosion at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, 25 July 1946. Received from OP-45 prior to 1985. These views are from three different series, one shot from the ground level and the other two taken from aircraft on opposite sides of the explosion site. A full contents listing is below.
Catalog #: S-525
Donor: OP-45
Copyright Owner: Naval History & Heritage Command
Related Content

S-525-A
25 photographs of the explosion, taken from ground level, during the first 23 seconds after the initial detonation. Prints are numbered sequentially from 1 through 30, taken at intervals of one second or less, with a clock image in the upper right hand corner of each view. Prints 1, 2, 7, 13, 17, and 28 area cataloged into the NH image series as: NH 96239-96244. Ships identifiable in views include (from left): USS Pennsylvania, USS New York, USS Salt Lake City, ex-Japanese BB Nagato, and USS Nevada.

 

S-525-B
7 photographs taken from an aircraft, identified as PBM “W”, during the first 16 seconds after detonation. Prints are numbers sequentially from right corner in each view. Prints 9, 10, 13, 16, and 20 area cataloged into the NH image series as: NH 96245-NH06249. Ships identifiable in views include (from left): USS Salt Lake City, USS New York, ex-Japanese BB Nagato, USS Nevada USS Pennsylvania, and USS Pensacola.

 

S-525-C
7 photographs taken from an aircraft, identified as PBM “U”, during the first ten seconds after detonation. Prints are numbered sequentially 3-12. There is no clock image on the prints. Times were determined on basis of comparison with photos from two other series. Identified ships include (from left): USS Pensacola, USS Saratoga, USS Pennsylvania, USS New York, and USS Salt Lake City. Prints 3, 5, and 12 are cataloged into the NH image series as: NH 96250-NH96252.

 

 

Topic
  • Ordnance and Weapons
Document Type
  • Photograph
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials