Declassified U.S. Nuclear Test Film #14

0800014 - Damage and Destruction - DASIAC - No date given - 17:00 - Black & White/Color, Silent, Sanitized - "Damage and Destruction" Video is a collage of scenes from the first several nuclear weapons testing operations which graphically show the destructive forces of nuclear weapons and the damages they can inflict. Specific military and civilian effects tests were conducted in these operations to gain experimental data on objects placed various distances from ground zero.

For the military effects tests, jeeps, trucks, aircraft, tanks, artillery pieces, and fuel tanks were placed in the destructive paths of nuclear shots, which produced vast amounts of heat, blast, and radiation. Of a more controversial nature, thousands of military personnel were placed in foxholes and trenches about six miles from the center of the blast. The soldiers were there to help determine if military tactics and techniques at the time were adequate for the new environment created by a nuclear blast. Also, military leaders wanted to see if servicemen could function and withstand the psychological stress while participating in a nuclear weapons exercise.

To gain experimental data for the civilian Civil Defense Agency, houses, rows of trees, wood and plastic products, warehouses, railroad tracks and cars, and bridges were placed in harm's way. The information gained from these tests was used to help develop the nation's strategies for protecting the civilian population, industries, businesses, schools, and hospitals in case of a nuclear attack.

At this point in history, the U.S. and its allies were engaged in a Cold War with the Soviet Union, and an all-out nuclear attack on America was regarded by most as a distinct possibility.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

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

[Nguli34689]

@observer127 I agree that this film appears to be a collage of nuclear test films. There is one part that reminds me of Operation Plumbob, where the soldiers were in the trenches, close to ground zero. Another part of the film which involved the Ponderosa Pines reminded me of Operation Upshot-Knothole. The part where they were testing clothing materials and things which we used every day reminded me of Operation Teapot (aka Operation CUE). And, then there was this "house in the middle" footage.

[observer127]

This film appears to be a collage of films up to Tumbler Snapper...there is no date because of the collection of films perhaps...

[ignoblius]

Did private construction companies put up those structures? Did they ever wonder why they were building houses where nobody would want to live?

[AphoticAquatic]

My grandfathers brothers friend, actually worked on this project. They even made a mock gas station, put in tanks, than checked the fuel, to see if was still there,after the explosion. It was'nt.

[BarneySaysHi]

The houses at 8:45 look like the ones from the movie "The house in the middle".