Operation Upshot–Knothole

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See also: List of nuclear weapons tests of the United States
Operation Upshot–Knothole
Upshot-Knothole GRABLE.jpg
The Grable test, with the Atomic Annie artillery piece used to fire the warhead.
Information
Country United States
Test site NTS Areas 5, 11, Frenchman Flat; NTS, Areas 1-4, 6-10, Yucca Flat
Period 1953
Number of tests 11
Test type free air drop, gun deployed, tower
Max. yield 61 kilotonnes of TNT (260 TJ)
Navigation
Previous test series Operation Ivy
Next test series Operation Castle

Operation Upshot–Knothole was a series of eleven nuclear test shots conducted in 1953 at the Nevada Test Site. It followed Operation Ivy and preceded Operation Castle.

Over 21,000 soldiers took part in the ground exercise Desert Rock V in conjunction with the Grable shot.[1] Grable was a 280mm shell fired from the “Atomic Cannon” and was viewed by a number of high-ranking military officials.

The test series was notable as containing the first time an atomic artillery shell was fired (shot Grable), the first two shots (both fizzles) by University of California Radiation Laboratory—Livermore (now Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), and for testing out some of the thermonuclear components that would be used for the massive thermonuclear series of Operation Castle.

United States' Upshot-Knothole series tests and detonations
Name [note 1] Date time (UT) Local time zone [note 2][2] Location [note 3] Elevation + height [note 4] Delivery,[note 5]
Purpose [note 6]		 Device [note 7] Yield [note 8] Fallout [note 9] References Notes
Annie 17 March 1953 13:20:00.3 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,230 m (4,040 ft) + 90 m (300 ft) tower,
weapons development		 TX-5HE "XR-3" Type D pit 16 kt I-131 venting detected, 2.4 MCi (89 PBq) [3][4][5][6][7] Investigated yield-vs-initiation time curve. Live news coverage. Desert Rock V. Two 2-story houses, 50 autos, bomb shelters in effects test.
Nancy 24 March 1953 13:10:00.0 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,230 m (4,040 ft) + 90 m (300 ft) tower,
weapons development		 TX-15 "Nevada Zombie" 24 kt I-131 venting detected, 3.6 MCi (130 PBq) [3][4][5][6][7] Proof test of TX-15. Desert Rock V. Tested RACER boosted primary.
Ruth 31 March 1953 13:00:00.0 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,270 m (4,170 ft) + 90 m (300 ft) tower,
weapons development		 "Hydride 1" 200 t I-131 venting detected, 28 kCi (1,000 TBq) [3][4][6][7] 1st UCRL device, a uranium hydride core, meant to be a thermonuclear primary, predicted yield was 1.5 to 3 kilotons. Device fizzled - hydride to slow neutrons was too slow. Embarrassing for designers, as it left Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value). of tower still standing.
Dixie 6 April 1953 15:29:38.4 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,284 m (4,213 ft) + 1,830 m (6,000 ft) free air drop,
weapons development		 Mk-5D "Deuterium" 11 kt I-131 venting detected, 1.7 MCi (63 PBq) [3][4][5][6][7] TX-5D proof test, lithium hydride boost experiment. Exploded 600 ft (180 m) ENE of intended zero point.
Ray 11 April 1953 12:44:59.8 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,296 m (4,252 ft) + 30 m (98 ft) tower,
weapons development		 "Hydride 2" 200 t I-131 venting detected, 28 kCi (1,000 TBq) [3][4][6][7] 2nd UCRL device, uranium deuteride; it also fizzled. Legend has it that 100 foot tower was used, to avoid embarrassment in case of fizzle.
Badger 18 April 1953 12:35:00.0 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,370 m (4,490 ft) + 90 m (300 ft) tower,
weapons development		 TX-16 "Buzzard" 23 kt I-131 venting detected, 3.6 MCi (130 PBq) [3][4][5][6][7] Test of the TX-16 cryogenic design. Also tested RACER primary. Desert Rock V.
Simon 25 April 1953 12:29:59.8 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,294 m (4,245 ft) + 90 m (300 ft) tower,
weapons development		 TX-17/24 "Simultaneity" 43 kt I-131 venting detected, 6.3 MCi (230 PBq) [3][4][5][6][7] Tested TX-17/24 series, and the RACER primary.
Encore 8 May 1953 15:29:55.4 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 940 m (3,080 ft) + 740 m (2,430 ft) free air drop,
weapon effect		 Mk-6D 27 kt I-131 venting detected, 3.9 MCi (140 PBq) [3][4][5][6][7] "Effects" test. Dropped 950 ft (290 m) SSW of target. Desert Rock V, bad exposures for troops and bad downwinder fallout.
Harry 19 May 1953 12:04:59.5 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,224 m (4,016 ft) + 90 m (300 ft) tower,
weapons development		 TX-13D "Hamlet" 32 kt I-131 venting detected, 4.6 MCi (170 PBq) [3][4][5][6][7] New hollow core design, most efficient pure-plutonium device under 100 kt indicates very good compression. Major effects testing of a high elevation explosion. Heaviest downwind contamination measured.
Grable 25 May 1953 15:30:00.3 PST (-8 hrs)
 Launch from NTS Areas 5, 11, Frenchman Flat: 5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found., elv: 950 + 5 m (3,117 + 16 ft);
Detonation over NTS Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.		 960 m (3,150 ft) + 160 m (520 ft) gun deployed,
weapon effect		 W9 (nuclear warhead) AFAP "Gun" 15 kt I-131 venting detected, 2.1 MCi (78 PBq) [3][4][5][6][7] The 2nd of four gun-type device tests. Fired from Annie M65 Atomic Cannon 11 km (6.8 mi) downrange. 280mm shell, 365 kg (805 lb). Detonation at 200 feet (61 m) SW of target. Desert Rock V. Major effects test.
Climax 4 June 1953 11:14:56.7 PST (-8 hrs)
 NTS Area 7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,288 m (4,226 ft) + 410 m (1,350 ft) free air drop,
weapons development		 Mk-7, "Cobra", Type D pit 61 kt I-131 venting detected, 8.6 MCi (320 PBq) [3][4][5][6][7] Proof test of Mk-7 to be used as a primary in Castle, detonated 320 ft (98 m) NW of target. Composite implosion system in a Type D pit. Used Cyclotol 75/25 explosive mixture.

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References

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External links

  1. ↑ Operation UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE Fact Sheet, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.


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