Operation Crossroads
After bringing back her second lift of "Magic Carpet" men to Pearl Harbor—where she arrived on 5 February 1946 – Barrow was assigned to the Commandant, 14th Naval District, in connection with "special tests." Barrow remained in Hawaiian waters into the spring of 1946, being stripped for her final mission, Operation Crossroads. Assigned to Transportation Division (TransDiv) 92, Joint Task Force 1, Barrow conducted a brief period of training before she sailed for the Marshall Islands in company with USS Butte (APA-68), USS Carlisle (APA-69), USS Crittenden (APA-77), USS Gasconade (APA-85), and USS Geneva (APA-86). Arriving on 1 May, Barrow was soon fitted out with special items of equipment and cameras to record the effect of an atomic blast. As one of the 84 target vessels, Barrow would remain at anchor in Bikini Atoll lagoon for the detonations that were scheduled to take place in July.
On 30 June, Barrow 's entire crew was transferred to the attack transport USS Bexar (APA-237), to be housed during and following the two scheduled detonations, and from this ship witnessed Test "Able"—the detonation at 0900 on 1 July 1946. Barrow lay at anchor 1,335 yards from "ground zero", and austained moderate damage. Reboarded by radiological teams on the 2d, she was regarded as "Radiologically safe". Barrow's officers and men reembarked on 3 July, and performed "routine activities" on board until again ordered on board Bexar on 24 July. Two days later, anchored 2,000 yards from "ground zero" for test "Baker", Barrow sustained heavy radiological damage.
Decommissioned at Bikini on 28 August 1946, Barrow was taken to Kwajalein for radiological studies and observation before being scuttled just south of Kwajalein on 11 May 1948. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 28 May 1948.
Read more about this topic: USS Barrow (APA-61)
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