The Destroyers

Destroyers were the workhorses of every navy during World War II. These versatile, lightly armed, and lightly armored ships were used in almost every role imaginable throughout the war. Sailors who served on them often referred to them as “tin cans.”

I’m not going to go into the full histories of the USS Anderson or USS Lamson—those can be found elsewhere—but if you do read about them, you’ll find remarkable service records. Their duties included escorting convoys to Europe, hunting U-boats in the North Atlantic, screening aircraft carriers in the South Pacific, supporting amphibious invasions, and providing anti-aircraft defense against kamikaze attacks. They fought in major battles including the Coral Sea, Midway, and Okinawa. The Lamson and Anderson, along with hundreds of other U.S. destroyers, were true unsung heroes of the war.

At the war’s end, the U.S. Navy had 377 destroyers in service. Older ships like the Anderson and Lamson were soon considered surplus, and both were selected for use in Operation Crossroads, the nuclear weapons tests at Bikini Atoll. They were anchored a short distance from the USS Nevada, the primary target of the Able test.

Able was an air-dropped bomb test. When it detonated, the Anderson was positioned about 600 yards from ground zero, and the Lamson about 760 yards away. Both ships were struck hard by the shockwave. The Anderson was rolled over and came to rest on her side in 145 feet of water, while the blast completely destroyed the Lamson’s superstructure and sent her to the bottom upright.

Today, both destroyers make for excellent dives. The twisted metal and collapsed upper works of the Lamson vividly demonstrate the sheer power of the atomic blast that sank her. The wealth of artifacts visible on both wrecks highlights their many wartime roles. The 5-inch gun mounts remain the most striking feature, still pointing menacingly out into the lagoon. The decks are lined with 20mm and 40mm anti-aircraft guns, while torpedo tubes—complete with torpedoes—can still be found amidships. Depth charge racks are prominent at the stern.

At only 348 feet long, the destroyers are small by Bikini standards, making it easy to complete a full circuit of each wreck during a single 40-minute dive.