Officers and men assembled on the flight deck of the carrier USS Saidor (CVE-117) rehearse the safety procedures for an atomic bomb test, June 1946 (Photo U.S. Navy)
Aboard the USS Fall River (CA-131), Bikini Atoll, Queen Day Rehearsal, 24 Jun 1946 – Seven days before the Test Able atomic bomb test on 1 July, there was a full dress rehearsal, code named Queen Day.
For the rehearsal, Commander M.E. Dennett issued these instructions:
- Face away from Bikini
- Sit on Deck
- Close eyes tightly
- Cover eyes with bended arm against the face
- When the order “Carry on” is announced, all hands may safely observe the beautiful display of colors in the incandescent column of cloud and the gigantic clouds, which follow the explosion.
Next up: Letter Home, 29 Jun 1946
Previous: Bikini Beer Shack, May 1946
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Excerpted from Operation Crossroads, Lest We Forget! An Eyewitness Account, Bikini Atomic Bomb Tests 1946 by William L. McGee with Sandra V. McGee.
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