Operation Sailor Hat on Kahoolawe

Information about the U.S. military's Operation Sailor hat on and offshore of the island of Kahoolawe in Hawaii.

Three test explosions conducted off the southwestern tip of Kahoolawe Island in 1965 to determine how well navy ships can survive bombs and other forces of combat. The tests were specifically intended to study the effects of shock and blast on warships built to 1960's contemporary design standards.

Each of the "Sailor Hat" tests used a 500-ton charge of high explosive, stacked in hemispheric form on Kahoolawe's rocky shore.

The Three Explosive Detonations

First Detonation
DATE: February 6, 1965
NAME: "Bravo"
EXPLOSIVE CHARGE: 500-ton of TNT
SHIP #1: Atlanta (IX-304)
SHIP #2: Guided missile destroyer Cochraine (DDG-21)
SHIP #3: Canadian Navy's escort destroyer Fraser
NOTE: All the ships had crews on board during this this blast
Photo

Second Detonation
DATE: April 16, 1065
NAME: "Charlie"
EXPLOSIVE CHARGE: 500-ton of TNT
SHIP #1: USS Atlanta (IX-304)
SHIP #2: Guided missile frigate England (DLG-22)
SHIP #3: Guided missile destroyer Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22)
SHIP #4: HMCS Fraser
- Photo #1

- Photo #2

Third Detonation
DATE: June 19, 1965
NAME: "Delta"
SHIP #1: USS Atlanta (IX-304)
SHIP #2: Guided missile frigate Dale (DLG-19)
SHIP #3: Guided missile destroyer Towers (DDG-9)

Videos

- Operation Sailor Hat - 1080p ᴴᴰ - 500 Ton Explosion
- Operation Sailor Hat - Color-Corrected 500 Ton Explosion
- Operation Sailor Hat With Audio Narration
- Operation Sailor Hat - 500 Ton Explosion
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Ships Used in Operation Sailor hat

The former light cruiser Atlanta (IX-304) was specially converted as a close-in target ship for this operation.

Other modern ships were also assigned as targets, though they would be stationed more distantly from the explosions to ensure that any resulting damage could be readily repaired.

Resources

Video Featuring Operation Sailor Hat Explosions

YouTube Video of Operation Sailor Hat

Wikipedia "Operation Sailor Hat" Article

Archived Navy Pictures of Operation Sailor Hat

Picture of the USS Atlanta Ship Used for the Tests

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