Baker

Operation Crossroads

July 23, 1946 · Bikini Atoll · Sub-surface Burst · 23 Kt

A nuclear device detonated beneath the surface of water or ground.

The fifth atomic explosion in history, part of Operation Crossroads, caused widespread destruction in Bikini Atoll. Several nearby ships were sunk or heavily damaged, including major vessels like the USS Saratoga, USS Arkansas, and the Japanese battleship Nagato. The test also caused severe radioactive contamination of the lagoon, with extremely high radiation levels near the blast site in the first day. Even Bikini Island, several miles away, was unsafe to approach for about a week afterward due to lingering radiation.
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Photographic Division — Intelligence T-2

Printed in 1946

Color print: Ansco safety paper

8x10 in (20.3x25.4 cm)

Stamp

© 2026 Strangelove Collection. All rights reserved.
Licensing inquiries

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Photographic Division — Intelligence T-2

Printed in 1946

Color print: Ansco safety paper

8x10 in (20.3x25.4 cm)

Stamp

© 2026 Strangelove Collection. All rights reserved.
Licensing inquiries

The fifth atomic explosion in history, part of Operation Crossroads, caused widespread destruction in Bikini Atoll. Several nearby ships were sunk or heavily damaged, including major vessels like the USS Saratoga, USS Arkansas, and the Japanese battleship Nagato. The test also caused severe radioactive contamination of the lagoon, with extremely high radiation levels near the blast site in the first day. Even Bikini Island, several miles away, was unsafe to approach for about a week afterward due to lingering radiation.
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Joint Army Task Force One

Printed in 1946

Silver gelatin print

8x10 in (20.3x25.4 cm)

Stamp

© 2026 Strangelove Collection. All rights reserved.
Licensing inquiries

Operation Crossroads. Test shot Baker. Photograph by Fritz Goro.
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Fritz Goro - Time

Printed in 1946

Silver gelatin print

8x10 in (20.3x25.4 cm)

© 2026 Strangelove Collection. All rights reserved.
Licensing inquiries

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Unknown

Printed in 1958

Color print: Ansco safety paper

11x14 in (27.9x35.6 cm)

© 2026 Strangelove Collection. All rights reserved.
Licensing inquiries

The fifth atomic explosion in history, part of Operation Crossroads, caused widespread destruction in Bikini Atoll. Several nearby ships were sunk or heavily damaged, including major vessels like the USS Saratoga, USS Arkansas, and the Japanese battleship Nagato. The test also caused severe radioactive contamination of the lagoon, with extremely high radiation levels near the blast site in the first day. Even Bikini Island, several miles away, was unsafe to approach for about a week afterward due to lingering radiation.

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