VirtualGlobetrotting: Military - Damage

VirtualGlobetrotting Live View

Russian underground nuclear test site
mstoess (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: mstoess.
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A settlement at the Matochkin Strait inhabits the military staff and the miners of the Machotkin Shar testing area on Novaya Zemlya. In the mountains around several entries of underground test sites can be seen in GM.

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome
dda (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: dda.
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Giant Running Man near bomb craters
pdunn (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: pdunn.
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That's what it looks like to me. But you may have a better explanation.

World War II bombing craters
dda (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: dda.

Operation Teapot: Wasp Shot
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.
Operation Teapot was a series of fourteen nuclear test explosions conducted at the Nevada Test Site in the first half of 1955.
During shot "Wasp", ground forces took part in Exercise Desert Rock VI which included an armored task force "Razor" moving to within 900 meters of ground zero, under the still-forming mushroom cloud.

Crater from the Heligoland 'British Bang'
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.
On April 18, 1947 British engineers attempted to destroy the entire island in what became known as the "British Bang". Roughly 4,000 long tons (4,100 t) of surplus World War II ammunition were placed in various locations around the island and set off. The island survived, although the extensive fortifications were destroyed. According to Willmore, the energy released was 13,000,000,000E10 erg (1.3×1013 J), or about 3.2 kilotons of TNT equivalent. The blast is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records under largest single explosive detonation, although Minor Scale would appear to be larger.

Possible IED in Baghdad
Pdunn (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Pdunn.
This appears to be a crater from a recent IED. Follow the road back and you'll find a number of Humvees blocking traffic, creating a huge backup.

Radioactive dump site
AlejoHausner (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: AlejoHausner.
Cactus crater on Runit island, part of the Enewetok atoll, in the Marshall Islands. Radioactive debris from many nuclear bomb tests was dumped into this crater, which was capped with 18-inch-thick concrete panels in 1982. Soil from many of the contaminated islands was scraped off. The original inhabitants of the atoll were allowed to return in 1980, despite radioactive elements like Cesium 137 in the ecosystem.

Destroyed Tank
dda (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: dda.

IED Attack in Baghdad
Pdunn (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Pdunn.

Yasser Arafat International Airport (GZA/LVGZ)
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
Yasser Arafat International Airport, formerly Gaza International Airport, is located in the Gaza Strip, close to the Egyptian border. The airport was built with funding from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Germany, as well as with the aid of Moroccan architects. The total cost was $86 million. It was formally inaugurated on 24 November 1998, after a year of construction. It boasted one runway of 3080 m x 60 m, and a terminal with intricately designed ceilings and walls and state-of-the-art equipment. The runway, as well as the radar station and the exterior camera security system were all destroyed by the Israel Defense Forces after the start of the Al-Aqsa intifada, amid suspicions that it was being used to smuggle weapons and terrorists. Interestingly, airports website shows it as a going concern complete with year 2000 timetables.

Remains of Avala TV Tower
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
Avala TV Tower was a 202.87 meters tall telecommunication tower built 1963-65 located on Avala mountain near Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. It was destroyed on April 29, 1999, by NATO bombardment during the Kosovo War, supposedly to put Radio Television of Serbia off the air. It was then the tallest building ever destroyed. Since September 11, 2001 it is the third tallest.

2007-04-21 - Blue Angels Jet Crash
jbottero (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: jbottero.
A Navy F-18 Blue Angel plane crashed during an air show Saturday, April 21st 2007, plunging into a small neighborhood of homes and trailers and killing the pilot.
Witnesses said the planes were flying in formation during the show at the Marine Corps Air Station and one dropped below the trees and apparently crashed, sending up clouds of smoke.
Reports have said the jet came to rest near Shanklin Rd & Pine Grove Rd in Beaufort, SC, just outside the Beaufort Marine Corp Air Base.

Site of Minor Scale (Test Explosion)
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.
Minor Scale was a test conducted by the United States Defense Nuclear Agency (now part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency) involving the detonation of several thousand tons of conventional explosives for the purpose of simulating the explosion of a small nuclear bomb.
The test took place on June 27, 1985 at the Permanent High Explosive Testing Grounds of the White Sands Missile Range in the state of New Mexico. 4.8 kilotons of ANFO explosive (ammonium nitrate and fuel oil), equivalent to 4 kilotons of TNT, were used to roughly simulate the effect of an eight kiloton air-burst nuclear device. With a total energy release of about 1.7 ×1013 joules (or 4.2 kilotons of TNT equivalent), Minor Scale was reported as "the largest planned conventional explosion in the history of the free world", surpassing another large conventional explosion, the 'British Bang' disposal of ordnance on Heligoland in 1947, reported to have released 1.3 × 1013 joules of energy (about 3.2 kilotons of TNT equivalent). However, The Guinness Book of Records rates Minor Scale as second to Heligoland.
The purpose of the test was to evaluate the effect of nuclear blasts on various pieces of military hardware, particularly new – and nominally blast-hardened – launchers for the Midgetman ballistic missile.

Destroyed MIG-21s at Batajnica airfield
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
Batajnica airfield was (and is) the main base of Serbian Migs. It was heavily bombed by NATO during the war in 1999 and much of the damage is still unrepaired.

Site of Misty Picture (test explosion)
Misty Picture was a test conducted on May 14, 1987 by the United States Defense Nuclear Agency (now part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency) involving the detonation of several thousand tons of conventional explosives to simulate the explosion of a small nuclear bomb.
From the test report:
MISTY PICTURE was the fourth test in the MISTY CASTLE series of large-scale High Explosive (HE) tests sponsored by the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA). The test was run on 14 May 1987. The explosive consisted of 4675 tons of an Ammonium Nitrate and Fuel Oil (ANFO) mixture loaded in bulk into a 44-foot radius fiberglass hemisphere. Detonation of this charge provided an airblast and ground motion environment which was used by numerous agencies to collect basic explosive environmental data and to test a variety of systems and equipment in a simulated nuclear environment. The resulting overpressure from the detonation simulated the approximate equivalent airblast of an 8 kiloton nuclear device.

Bomb damage at Batajnica airfield
Batajnica airfield was (and is) the main base of Serbian Migs. It was heavily bombed by NATO during the war in 1999 and much of the damage is still unrepaired.

Island where H-bomb was tested
AlejoHausner (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: AlejoHausner.
Elugelab island in the Eniwetok atoll in the US Marshall islands, where the first hydrogen bomb (code name Mike) was detonated on 31 Oct 1952. A declassified document at http://worf.eh.doe.gov/data/ihp1d/126828e.pdf shows where island used to be.

Repairing the bomb craters in Beirut airport
During the campaign Israel's Air Force flew more than 12,000 combat missions, its Navy fired 2,500 shells, and its Army fired over 100,000 shells. Large parts of the Lebanese civilian infrastructure were destroyed, including 400 miles of roads, 73 bridges, and 31 other targets such as Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, ports, water and sewage treatment plants, electrical facilities, 25 fuel stations, 900 commercial structures, up to 350 schools and two hospitals, and 15,000 homes. Some 130,000 more homes were damaged.

Baghdad Bomb Craters
pdunn (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: pdunn.
Carpet bombing of military base in Baghdad

2006-06-07 - Best Guess to location Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed
Pdunn (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Pdunn.
Judging by the gun camera footage supplied by the Pentagon, particularly the frame when the F-16's camera pulls back to reveal a narly 90 degree bend in the ravine outside the home
This is my best guess as to the location where Zarqawi lost his life.

Bomb crater off-center of aerial target

Baghdad Bomb Craters II
pdunn (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: pdunn.
Fighting positions appear to be the target here

Bomb Craters on Syrian Border
A military instalation with at least five bomb craters

A line of bomb craters in desert near Al Taqadudum

Bomb Craters within Al Qaim
Situated on the Syrian border, Al Qaim has been a frequent battlefield: "On 07 April 2005 insurgent fighters took over Al-Qaim and forced Iraqi army units and police to leave the city. More than 70 'Iraqi policemen' deserted their positions. An influx of 150-200 Resistance fighters from the neighboring cities of Hit, Haditha and Fallujah joined the battle." (Global Security.Org)

Bomb damage at Ponikve Airport
cmike77 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: cmike77.

Bomb damage in Baghdad

Crater from the WWI Lochnagar mine explosion
The Lochnagar mine was an explosive-packed mine located south of the village of La Boisselle in the Somme département of France, which was detonated at 7:28 am on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The Lochnagar mine, along with a neighbouring mine north of the village known as the Y Sap mine, contained 24 tons of explosives. At the time these mines were the largest ever detonated.
The explosion was witnessed from the air by 2nd Lieutenant C.A. Lewis of No. 3 Squadron RFC:
The whole earth heaved and flashed, a tremendous and magnificent column rose up in the sky. There was an ear-splitting roar drowning all the guns, flinging the machine sideways in the repercussing air. The earth column rose higher and higher to almost 4,000 feet. There it hung, or seemed to hang, for a moment in the air, like the silhouette of some great cypress tree, then fell away in a widening cone of dust and debris.
Some of the British infantry waiting in no man's land were struck by falling debris and one man, having braced himself in a trench, had his leg broken and later required amputation.
The Lochnagar mine lay on the sector assaulted by the Grimsby Chums Pals battalion (10th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment). When the main attack began at 7:30 am, the Grimsby Chums successfully occupied the crater and began to fortify the eastern lip which now dominated the surrounding ground. However elsewhere the attack at La Boisselle went badly and infantry sought shelter in the crater, particular those who had been attacking up Sausage Valley to the south of the village. The prominent crater drew fire, including from British artillery although eventually it was learnt it contained sheltering infantry and the British shell fire ceased.

Where The Insurgents Are
Welcome to Ar Ramadi, Al Anbar Province Iraq. After the fall of Fallujah to the east, many of the surviving insurgents regrouped in Ar Ramadi. The citizens of Ar Ramadi participated in Iraq's most recent election in large numbers. And for a while it looked as if Ar Ramadi would be a model for new found Suni-Coalition cooperation; however, since those early promising days following the election, the insurgents have attacked and intimidated those who cooperated with a vengence, killing many of the city's sheiks and governing officials. As a result, unlike other areas in Al Anbar that flare up from time to time, Ar Ramadi has been one consistent fire fight with no let up. Much of the Arab press is reporting the coalition began a major offensive to pacify Ar Ramadi on the day Zarqawi was killed; the US reports they are just pressing their gains as a result of his death.

Bomb damaged hangars

Bomb Craters
This whole area of Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Mase is covered with large and small bomb craters.

Bomb Damage Within Complex on outskirts of Fallujah
A number of structures have been destroyed in this image. There is also evidence of a couple of wayward bombs

Destroyed Buildings in Baghdad

Iraq: Bomb craters near Syrian border
I imagine these were from the first Gulf War. Other than traces of old foundations, there's little signs of a clear target

Bombed Island
Evidently not a good hiding place

Mock Aircraft on Mock Airstrip on the Tonopah Range

Bombed Buildings In Baghdad

Bomb Craters on the Tonopah Range

Operation Sailor Hat
Operation Sailor Hat was an explosives effects test conducted by the US Navy at Kaho'olawe Island, Hawaii in 1965. They were not nuclear tests, instead employing conventional explosives (i.e. TNT) to simulate the effects of a nuclear blast. The purpose of these three tests was to study the effects of shock and blast of a nuclear explosion on naval vessels. In addition, seismological data, underwater acoustics, radio communications, cratering, air blast effects, cloud growth, fire ball generation, and electromagnetic data were gathered. The former light cruiser USS Atlanta (CL-104), USS England (DLG-22), the guided-missile destroyers USS Cochrane (DDG-21), USS Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22), USS Dale (DLG-19), USS Towers (DDG-9), and the Canadian Navy's escort destroyer HMCS Fraser all participated in the trial.
Each "Sailor Hat" test consisted of a dome stacked 500-ton charge of TNT high explosive detonated on the shore of Kaho'olawe close to the ships under test and each test saw the USS Atlanta move closer to the explosion. The first test, called Bravo, occurred on February 6 and the second test, called Charlie, occurred on April 16, 1965. The last was codenamed Delta and occurred on June 19, 1965.

Large Craters on Bombing Range

Bomb damaged hangar

Bomb Craters Encroaching On City
There is a bunker complex and SA-2 site directly across the road from this village that received a lot of attention. Evidently some of the bombs missed their mark. Although, there are a number of smaller craters to the south east that emply there was something of interest here. I've painstakingly chronicled as many bomb damage sites as I've come across throughout Iraq, and this is the first and only I've seen that had evidence of likely civilian casualties.

Cratered Dispersal Area in Baghdad International Airport
The holes are much smaller than most bomb craters I've come across. Perhaps this is the result of artillery or are objects placed on the tarmac rather than holes at all.

Bombed Building

Exploding Ordnance on the Tonopah Range(?)

Direct Hit, Little Damage
Gigantic sand berms appear to have dampened the effectiveness of at least four bombs, three bomb craters are visible to the sand-filled bunkers to the west (not pictured here).

Bomb craters on a target

Destroyed Iraqi Air Base
Burned down hangars, remains of a plane on the runway, bombed gun emplacements in the SW corner. Looks like the runways have piles of sandbags on them to make sure no one else uses them.

Aerial bombing targets at China Lake Naval Weapons Center

Ruins of Oktyabrskaya Square in Grozny
Most of the houses around Oktyabrskaya Square in Grozny are just piles of rubble after the battles of 1999-2000.

Bomb Craters In The Marshland
Many of the fortifications around this area date back to the Iran/Iraq war. I imagine the bomb craters and many of the sunken ships in the canals can be traced back to then to.

Coventry Cathedrals (old and new)
Parabellum (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Parabellum.

Completly destroyed bunkers or decoys
nico (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: nico.
Not sure if these 2 bunkers were real or just decoys, it seems to me that they were just made of sand, there isn't any rubble.

Destroyed bridge in Grozny

Repairs at Old Al Adem AFB
nico (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: nico.
This military airport wasn't in use? it would appear to be quite old but received some damage to 2 bunkers and maybe the taxi way. It is being repaired by the obvious earth moving equipment which could suggest that the airfield is still in usage and not retired.

Why is there bomb damage at this Saudi facility?
This facility seems to have suffered some extensive damage. It is in southern Saudi Arabia far from the areas where the the Iraq I war was fought.
Any ideas?

Operation Biting aka the Bruneval Raid
tallturtle82 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: tallturtle82.
Operation Biting was a British 120 man raid on a German coastal radar installation (Würzburg radar) on the night of February 27-28, 1942. The objective was to seize perts of the radar technology and minimize casualties. The raid was successful as there were only two killed, six wounded and six captured. The British were able to collect hardware and capture a German radar technician.
The success boosted morale as the raid occurred on German held territory and it gave British scientists a close look to formulate ideas on how to counter the radar.

Chinese Embassy in Belgrade
hhgygy (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: hhgygy.
On 7 May 1999, NATO bombed the embassy of China in Belgrade allegedly by mistake, killing 3 Chinese citizens.

Bombed Warehouse in Baghdad
The complex to the north took a much greater beating.

Heavily Bombed Enclosure
Of all the bunkers attacked in this compound, this enclosed area seems to have borne the brunt of it.

Bomb Damage
Secure bunker complex in N.E. Iraq. Bomb damage is evident. As are berms and tunnels.

Destroyed bridge near Aldy

Villa delle Grotte
DonMartini (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: DonMartini.
Roman villa which dates between the I century BC and the I century AD. Although the villa was partially destroyed during the war between France and Regno di Napoli between 1799 and 1801, it still offers a great view on roman architecture.

Clean up of destroyed hangars
nico (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: nico.
It would appear that the Libyans have started removing the old destroyed hangars and piled all the "trash and rubble" to one end. It would seem they have removed tanks that were underneath the hangars outside. Don't know if they are recoverable or also will be trashed. Finally, the concrete slab seems to be scorched but probably not damaged to the point where it has to be replaced, it will be interesting to see if they just rebuild over the slab.
This is a possibility as other hangars have already been simply replaced.

Destroyed bridge near Alchantschurt

Libyan battle damage to radar site,10/12/2011
Very interesting picture. Three radars were destroyed, plus what probably was the control was also taken out. If you look just a bit south, quite a fly bombers and transports were not targeted. There was one bomb dropped on what I am guess to be fuel trucks.

Russian SS-24 eliminated ICBMs (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)
Rene73 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Rene73.
http://lugar.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=295813

Tanks destroyed
About 4 tanks were destroyed in this intersection.

Bomb damaged structure at Sana’a Airport
mlc1us (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: mlc1us.
H/T Google Earth Blog (link below)

Location of Israeli attack on Sudan ammo base
It would appear that some images are starting to filter out from The Sentinel Project that concerns itself with Sudan. The images of the strike locations aren't yet on Google Earth but we can already pinpoint some of the damage.
It would appear with a decent probability that these shipping containers were targeted and that the buildings might just have suffered damage from the shock wave, it doesn't appear that they were also targeted.

Damaged hangars

Shot up tank

July 12 2007 - US Helicopters Kill Reuters Journalists, 2 Children Wounded
romulusnr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: romulusnr.
Today, Wikileaks.org made (and scooped) the news by releasing a confidential video from a US military helicopter showing an air assault on July 12, 2007 of a group of people that included two Reuters photojournalists, and on a van which contained two children who were wounded in the assault.
This is the location the assault took place, identified by the MGRS coordinates announced by the men heard in the video.

Clean up of destroyed hangars
These 2 buildings are new and are not exactly at the same locations as the damaged ones were.

Bombed SA-2 Site
A single bomb was used on each of the six launch sites in this constellation outside the H-3 airfield

Damaged road and vehicles.
Looks like one big crater was dropped on a small convoy. Safe to say someone had a bad day at the office.

Abandoned artillery?

Destroyed convoy

Destroyed Position on Mountaintop
Found this one by following the various trails meandering through the mountainside.

Destroyed bridge near Ataga

Destroyed bridge near Alkhan-Kala

Destroyed bunkers

Battle damage Libyan campaign
Around 45 bunkers were targeted/destroyed in this weapons depot.

Ship sunk near pier

Destroyed Iraqi bridge
Jo_Boo (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Jo_Boo.
Highway bridge destroyed north east of Al Anbar

SAM garrison destroyed

Craters in Kobani
KRL (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: KRL.
aka: Ayn El-Arab.
Several large craters and numerous smaller ones throughout this town. Area besieged by ISIL during 2014. Bombed by US and Allies.
A light blue/greyish color in the image indicates damaged areas.
More info at links below

Bombed SA-2 Site
Located just above the H-3 airfield, each launch position of this six missile constellation has been hit with two bombs apiece.

Rocket Fuel Complex - Explosion (12 November 2011)
KRL (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: KRL.
Attached news link shows post explosion damage at this site.

Pinpoint strike thru bunker

Damaged oil installation

Battle damage Libyan campaign
Alleged SAM base.

Alleged weapons facility destroyed

Jamahiriyya Guard bunkers destroyed
Alleged location of Qaddafi personnel guard: Jamahiriyya Guard. There are ground pictures of the site of GE.

Syrian military depot attacked 5 July 2013

Avalanche killed around 150 soldiers in Pakistan, April 2012
http://dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q2F0SUQ9MiNOaWQ9NzQ0MTQ=
This happened early April 2012 and did not get a lot of media coverage in the Western world. Surprised that the imagery community hasn't really been interested. Kashmir region is pretty volatile and there are some interesting spots. Pretty crazy to think that Pakistan and India have fought wars in this mountainous region and high altitude. There are visible artillery emplacements and such military outposts,especially visible on the Pakistani side. Bit more difficult to spot stuff on the Indian side. We need more imagery to get some angles and especially of recent Chinese activities in the region.

Destroyed bunker
Interesting to notice how "good" the intel was since some bunkers were left untouched and others destroyed.