British Nuclear Test "Grapple-Y"

A few clips of the British nuclear test "Grapple-Y".

This is footage filmed from the Valiant drop plane as it flew away from the explosion along the intended escape route. Two cameras mounted on the tail of the bomber automatically filmed the explosion. Cloud cover over Christmas Island obscured much of the footage from the ground as seen in the last few sequences.

At 3 megatons the test was a complete success. Grapple Y remains the largest nuclear test conducted by Britain. Immediately after the test weather conditions deteriorated and any further delay would have pushed the shot back at least one week. Cloud cover resulted in poor photography of the explosion in some areas. No damage was reported to personnel or to buildings indicating the effectiveness of the pre-shot preparations.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Great
• Britain
• British
• atomic
• thermonuclear
• nuclear
• test

[jeromeyward]

Thanks man, got inspired to upload my footage collection last night. I think I'm going to upload everything I've got. I've got something like 4.5 gigs of nuclear weapons testing videos.

[Motoguzzi750]

These weapons did what they had to do - proved to the US that it was a waste of time withholding cooperation from Britain as with string and sealing wax the UK could construct a deliverable, hardened, 1Mt weapon. Job done by Penney and the lads and lasses of AWRE.

[Motoguzzi750]

Er...I'm not a "Brit" for a start, and do you have the slightest idea about the history of atomic weapons? After the Trinity test the US ceased atomic cooperation with the UK and Commonwealth - I assume you know this.

[rag5206]

@MrStig691 When u say Brits fighting in WW1 & 2 do u include Scots,Welsh,Irish ALL CONQUERED peoples the English show "token" inclusion on the Union Jack flag but u always abused the Scots & used them as Shock Troops as they were expenable.Scotland will be independent eventually (I have many Scottish friend who hate England) & THAT WILL MAKE U SQUIRM.

[rag5206]

@MrStig691 So the RAF didnt have America volunteers,Aussies,Kiwis,Kanak­s Sth Africans,Rhodesians in it?American food/material aid saved Britain from starvation & total defeat in WW2 plus Hitlers stupidity in stopping his Panzers at Dunkirk against his Generals advice & switching from bombing airfields to civilian terror bombing & also his attack on USSR. Re WW1 England/France were losing by Aug 1918 US had 1.5mil troops in France German decided it had to quit.

[Celeon999A]

@MrStig691

Built in Britain of course, but a licence copy of the u.s W77 warhead. Britain ended its indigenous nuclear warhead and delivery system program in 1970, with the retirement of the Blue Steel missile and its warhead. Blue Steel itself was just a temporary solution until the purchase of the u.s Polaris missile system could be finalized.

[MrStig691]

@rag5206 You seem to be rather confused. Don't worry though; psychological services can help. Yes, those Pommies, that gave the world industry and created the modern world, are lazy compared to the fosters-boozing aussie.

[MrStig691]

@rag5206 Nope, the Brits used Internment Camps in South Africa, something that your beloved Americans and Australians had used long before aswell.

[MrStig691]

@rag5206 Sorry, the British RAF saved Britain, and the rest of the Western World from the Germans, not you. Don't worry, you simply have a chip on your shoulder. The fact is in WW1 and WW2 the brits did more fighting by far than the aussies, canadians or any other commonwealth nation, and that just makes you squirm.

[MrStig691]

@Celeon999A Actually more a maximum of 400kt, and they are British weapons, not US copies. The Manhattan project was initiated by the UK in the first place.

[aardvark9100]

@ToonandBBfan It probably was pretty hot for hours. I read accounts of men that witnessed the Bravo detonation who said the ocean was boiling for miles when they sailed in to ground zero hours after the blast. They said it was still boiling when sailed out at noon.