Operation Plumbbob Nevada Test Site 1957

Credit: Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie (1995) by Peter Kuran

Operation Plumbbob was a series of nuclear tests conducted between May 28 and October 7, 1957, at the Nevada Test Site, following Operation Redwing, and preceding Operation Hardtack I. It was the biggest, longest, and most controversial test series in the continental United States.

The operation was the sixth test series and consisted of 29 explosions, of which two did not produce any nuclear yield. 21 laboratories and government agencies were involved. While most Operation Plumbbob tests contributed to the development of warheads for intercontinental and intermediate range missiles, they also tested air defense and anti-submarine warheads with small yields. They included 43 military effects tests on civil and military structures, radiation and bio-medical studies, and aircraft structural tests. 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.

Almost 1,200 pigs were subjected to bio-medical experiments and blast-effects studies during Operation Plumbbob. On shot Priscilla (37 KT), 719 pigs were used in various different experiments on Frenchman Flat. Some pigs were placed in elevated cages and provided with suits made of different materials, to test which materials provided best protection from the thermal pulse. Other pigs were placed in pens at measuring distances from the epicenter behind large sheets of glass to test the effects of flying debris on living targets.

Approximately 18,000 members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines participated in exercises Desert Rock VII and VIII during Operation Plumbbob. The military was 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 nuclear yields in case of accidential detonations, for example a plane crash.

The Rainier shot, conducted September 19, 1957, was the first fully contained underground nuclear test, meaning that no fission products were vented into the atmosphere. 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.

more info: http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Plumbob.html

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[TitusFlavius79]

Thanks Everyone for hitting and over cross the 2 million views frontier on my channel . I wish all Youtube fans and my supporters a wonderful day. P.S. Peace for all folks around Earth and Space.

[atomcentral]

how about crediting the video to "Trinity and Beyond"

[TitusFlavius79]

Done now.

[Whateverintheworld]

My dad was 17 when he saw this. He was there for two series. He is now a 100% disabled Air Force veteran. It was about a 50 year fight for him to get his benefits.

[TitusFlavius79]

well besides the korean war vets the atomic cold war vets are really members of a forgotten era between 1946-1962 in the usa today.

[Whateverintheworld]

Yeah, and a lot of them probably deserve the Purple Heart as well.

[TitusFlavius79]

actually the group atomicveterans trys that the house and the senat  authorize a award for all members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of participation in the testing of nuclear weapons or under other circumstances.

[dragonclawjta]

I have a better idea... why not just round up every single person on the planet who suffers from religious delusion, move them all to "The Holy Land", then turn that third world shit hole to glass removing what has caused 95% of all wars throughout history to get as close to having world peace as possible?

[ControlWise]

We should build a statue in honor of those pigs.

[tinaUNDAcova]

And to think all this and the damn Russians never invaded.

[johnnyex]

@TAfTfilms Of course it does

[h0w17z3r]

@dragonclawjta nothing justifies mass genocide.

[inurfac]

they killed the pigs with the bomb? insant bacon.

[Featureman]

I worked at EG&G in Las Vegas beginning in 1961. It was after the aerial tests. There were many people involved in all those tests from civilian to military. Amazing footage.

[mattador2792]

@dragonclawjta I wish it was that easy

[sharkaik1]

My uncle was there. He died at age 41 of cancer. His entire troop has since died!

[noobstersniperguy5]

this is just plain sad. how could they do this to inoccent piggys and even people!

well, at least the dog is okay at 1:06 to 1:08

[iconoclasm12345]

that we dropped this on our own men is pretty ugh. just disturbing. sad.