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USS Saratoga – Bikini Atoll, the Marshall Islands
USS Saratoga – Bikini Atoll, the Marshall Islands
Initially constructed as a class heavy cruiser, the USS Saratoga (CV3) was converted into an aircraft carrier and eventually commissioned for duty in 1927. After several years of service before and during WWII, the 880-foot (268-meter) carrier found itself surplus to requirements at the war’s end. At this point, the Saratoga was assigned to Operation Crossroads, a program to assess the effect of atomic bombs on naval vessels in Bikini Atoll.
After surviving her first exposure to atomic firepower, the USS Saratoga would eventually sink under the impact of the second test. It came to rest on the sand 177 feet (54 meters) down with its bridge at 18m. Today, much of the wreck still remains unexplored. Because the Bikini Atoll remains uninhabited, the marine life in the area is also astounding, and the Saratoga has become home to an overwhelming number of marine species.
Courtesy of PADI