Declassified U.S. Nuclear Test Film #21

0800021 - Operation Plumbbob - 1957 - 22:00 - Black&White
0800022 - Operation Plumbbob, Military Effects Studies - 1957 - 31:45 - Black&White - Operation Plumbbob, conducted between May 28 and October 7, 1957, represented the biggest, longest, and most controversial test series in the history of the Nevada Test Site (NTS). While most Operation Plumbbob tests contributed to the development of warheads for intercontinental and intermediate range missiles, they also tested air defense and antisubmarine warheads with small yields. Operation Plumbbob had the tallest tower tests to date in the U.S. nuclear testing program, as well as high-altitude balloon tests. One nuclear test involved the largest troop maneuver ever associated with U.S. nuclear testing.

Approximately 18,000 members of the U.S. armed forces participated in exercises Desert Rock VII and VIII during Operation Plumbbob. Their leaders were interested in knowing how the average foot-soldier would stand up, physically and psychologically, to the rigors of the tactical nuclear battlefield.

Studies were conducted of radiation contamination and fallout from a simulated accidental detonation of a weapon; and projects concerning earth motion, blast loading and neutron output were carried out.

Nuclear weapons safety experiments were conducted to study the possibility of a nuclear weapon detonation during an accident. On July 26, 1957, a safety experiment, "PASCAL-A" was detonated in an unstemmed hole at NTS, becoming the first underground shaft nuclear test. The knowledge gained here would provide data to prevent any nuclear yields in accidents that actually did occur. Weapons were designed so they could not give a nuclear yield even in the event of a plane crash.

The first detonation contained underground, RAINIER, was conducted on September 19, 1957, containing all radioactive products underground, thus producing no fallout This test of 1.7 kilotons could be detected around the world by seismologists using ordinary seismic instruments. The RAINIER test became the prototype for larger and more powerful underground tests. The test also subjected toughened weapons to the fireball underground.

The tests comprising the 1957 Operation Plumbbob were as follows:

BOLTZMAN, May 28, tower, weapons related, 12 kilotons (kt)
FRANKLIN, June 2, tower, weapons related, 140 tons
LASSEN, June 5, balloon, weapons related, 0.5 tons
WILSON, June 18, balloon, weapons related, 10 kt
PRISCILLA, June 24, balloon, weapons related, 37 kt
COULOMB-A, July 1, surface, safety experiment, zero yield
HOOD, July 5, balloon, weapons related, 74 kt
DIABLO, July 15, tower, weapons related, 17 kt
JOHN, July 19, rocket, weapons effects, about 2 kt
KEPLER, July 24, tower, weapons related, 10 kt
OWENS, July 25, balloon, weapons related, 9.7 kt
PASCAL-A, July 26, shaft, safety experiment, slight yield
STOKES, August 7, balloon, weapons related, 19 kt
SATURN, August 10, tunnel, safety experiment, zero yield
SHASTA, August 18, tower, weapons related, 17 kt
DOPPLER, August 23, balloon, weapons related, 11 kt
PASCAL-B, August 27, shaft, safety experiment, slight yield
FRANKLIN PRIME, August 30, balloon, weapons related, 4.7 kilotons
SMOKY, August 31, tower, weapons related, 44 kt
GALILEO, September 2, tower, weapons related, 11 kt
WHEELER, September 6, balloon, weapons related, 197 tons
COULOMB-B, September 6, surface, safety experiment, 300 tons
LAPLACE, September 8, balloon, weapons related, 1 kt
FIZEAU, September 14, tower, weapons related, 11 kt
NEWTON, September 16, balloon, weapons related, 12 kt
RAINIER, September 19, tunnel, weapons related, 1.7 kt
WHITNEY, September 23, tower, weapons related, 19 kt
CHARLESTON, September 28, balloon, weapons related, 12 kt
MORGAN, October 7, balloon, weapons related, 8 kt

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Nukes
• Nuclear
• weapons
• WMD
• radiation
• radioactive
• testing
• warhead
• downwinders
• atomic
• cancer

[holyshomly]

we are so doomed

[IloveyouLenaKatina]

I love that our country invited many others to see how powerful our weapons were. I'm so proud. :(

[TurbineDogSevenFour]

@tachikaze222

The Navy Blimps at that point were exclusively used in the anti-submarine role, so I'm assuming the operational use would be with nuclear depth charges.

[gyro231995]

The leukemia rate of the men who worked on Plumbbob was 2.5 times higher than normal.

[nealshireman]

poor doggies :/

very cool video, though, very educational

[TurbineDogSevenFour]

@gixertrickster F-89D/J Scorpion interceptor. The US used the Canberra, but not in an air to air role. That was the Genie AIR-2A Nuclear rocket being demonstrated.

[tachikaze222]

16:56

W T F delivery by blimp????

[oliviad1997]

@agwhitaker Oh, yes, clearly! Clearly indeed!

[agwhitaker]

6:05 American military really-really wanted to now how to kill + destroy with the best possible efficiency .

Having personnel in the service that could spell English properly was clearly irrelevant to the game plan.

[mikillero]

I am never going to look at a hot air ballon again the same way...