Operation hardtack
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Nuclear test Operation hardtack
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|---|---|
 Hardtack Oak |
|
| information | |
| nation |
 United States
|
| Test location |
Marshall Islands Nevada Test Site |
| Period | April – October 1958 |
| Number of tests | 72 |
| Weapon type | Fission / Fusion |
| Max. Explosive force | 9.3 m |
| navigation | |
| Previous test | Project 58 |
| Next test | Operation Argus |
The operation Hardtack was a series of US nuclear weapons tests in 1958 on the Marshall Islands in the Pacific and on the Nevada Test Site . It is often divided into Hardtack I and Hardtack II according to its different test locations.
Hardtack I.
During Hardtack I a total of 35 atomic bombs were detonated. This corresponded to the total number of atomic bombs detonated in the Pacific up to that point. The tests were carried out by Joint Task Force 7 (JTF 7) in collaboration with the Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Defense Agency . Hardtack I essentially consisted of three parts:
- Test of nuclear weapons developed by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) and the University of California Radiation Laboratory at Livermore (UCRL) as a continuation of the tests that had taken place on Eniwetok and Bikini since the early 1950s .
- The two underwater tests (Wahoo and Umbrella), with which the effects of underwater detonations on ships and material of the US Navy should be examined. Both tests were a continuation of the Baker test of Operation Crossroads and the wigwam test .
- Three altitude tests (yucca, teak, orange) to find out about ignitions at high altitudes.
JTF 7 was the successor to Joint Task Force 132, which carried out the tests on Operation Ivy . It was founded in 1953 to conduct nuclear tests in the Pacific.
Between 1977 and 1980, three islands in the Eniwetok Atoll were cleared of nuclear waste and this was dumped into the Hardtack Cactus crater on Runit Island . Although the crater was then concreted over, ionizing radiation can still be measured today , especially because of the plutonium .
The individual tests of the Hardtack I series
| # | bomb | Date / Time ( GMT ) |
Proving Ground | Explosion height | Test type | Explosive force (predicted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | yucca | April 28, 1958 6:15 p.m. |
157 km NE of Eniwetok Atoll | 26 km | balloon | 1.7 kT (1.7 kT) |
| 2 | Cactus | May 5, 1958 6:15 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll Runit Island |
1 m | Surface test over water |
18 kT (13-14 kT) |
| 3 | Fir | May 11, 1958 7:50 am |
Bikini Atoll | 3 m | Surface test over water |
1,360 kT (1,500 kT) |
| 4th | Butternut | May 11, 1958 6:15 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 3 m | Surface test over water |
81 kT (105 kT) |
| 5 | Koa | May 12, 1958 6:30 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 1 m | Surface test over ground |
1,370 kT (1,759 kT) |
| 6th | Wahoo | May 16, 1958 1:30 a.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | −152 m | Underwater test | 9 kT |
| 7th | Holly | May 20, 1958 6:30 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 4 m | Surface test over water |
5.9 kT (11 kT) |
| 8th | Nutmeg | May 21, 1958 9:20 pm |
Bikini Atoll | 3.5 m | Surface test over water |
25.1 kT (8-25 kT) |
| 9 | Yellowwood | May 26, 1958 2:00 am |
Eniwetok lagoon | 3 m | Surface test over water |
330 kT (2.5 MT) |
| 10 | Magnolia | May 26, 1958 6:00 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 4 m | Surface test over water |
57 kT (55 kT) |
| 11 | Tobacco | May 30, 1958 2:50 am |
Eniwetok Atoll | 11.6 kT (175 kT) |
||
| 12 | Sycamore | May 31, 1958 3:00 AM |
Bikini Atoll | 3.5 m | Surface test over water |
92 kT (5,000 kT) |
| 13 | rose | June 2, 1958 6:45 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 5 m | Surface test over water |
15 kT (125 kT) |
| 14th | Umbrella | May 8, 1958 11:00 PM |
Eniwetok lagoon | −45 m | Underwater test | 8 kT |
| 15th | Maple | June 10, 1958 5:30 p.m. |
Bikini Atoll | 3.5 m | Surface test over water |
213 kT (225 kT) |
| 16 | Aspen | June 14, 1958 5:30 p.m. |
Bikini Atoll | 3.3 m | Surface test over water |
319 kT (399 kT) |
| 17th | Walnut | June 14, 1958 6:30 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 2 m | Surface test over water |
1.45 kT (1.3 kT) |
| 18th | Linden trees | June 18, 1958 3:00 am |
Eniwetok Atoll | 2.5 m | Surface test over water |
11 kT (12–13 kT) |
| 19th | redwood | June 27, 1958 5:30 p.m. |
Bikini Atoll | 3.3 m | Surface test over water |
412 kT (300–500 kT) |
| 20th | Elder | June 27, 1958 6:30 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 3 m | Surface test over water |
880 kT (800 kT) |
| 21st | Oak | June 28, 1958 7:30 p.m. |
Eniwetok lagoon | approx. 2 m | Surface test over water |
8.9 MT (7.5 MT) |
| 22nd | hickory | June 30, 1958 12:00 AM |
Bikini Atoll | 3.5 m | Surface test over water |
14 kT (8–12 kT) |
| 23 | Sequoia | July 1, 1958 6:30 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 2 m | Surface test over water |
5.2 kT (5 kT) |
| 24 | Cedar | July 2, 1958 5:30 p.m. |
Bikini Atoll | 3.3 m | Surface test over water |
220 kT (100–200 kT) |
| 25th | Dogwood | July 5, 1958 6:30 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 3.5 m | Surface test over water |
397 kT (300–500 kT) |
| 26th | Poplar | July 12, 1958 3:30 am |
Bikini Atoll | 3.5 m | Surface test over water |
9.3 MT (5-10 MT) |
| 27 | Scaevola | July 14, 1958 4:00 am |
Eniwetok Atoll | 6 m | Surface test over water |
0 kT (0 kT) |
| 28 | Pisonia | July 17, 1958 11:00 PM |
Eniwetok Atoll | 2 m | Surface test over water |
255 kT (150–200 kT) |
| 29 | Juniper | July 22, 1958 4:20 am |
Bikini Atoll | 3.5 m | Surface test over water |
65 kT (0.2–60 kT) |
| 30th | olive | July 22, 1958 6:15 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 2.4 m | Surface test over water |
202 kT (50–125 kT) |
| 31 | Pine | July 26, 1958 8:30 p.m. |
Eniwetok Atoll | 2.4 m | Surface test over water |
2 MT (4–6 MT) |
| 32 | teak | August 1, 1958 10:50 am |
Johnston Atoll | 76 km | Altitude test with a Redstone rocket | 3,800 kT |
| 33 | Quince | August 6, 1958 2:15 am |
Eniwetok Atoll | 1 m | Surface test over ground |
0 kT (0 kT) |
| 34 | orange | August 12, 1958 10:30 a.m. |
Johnston Atoll | 43 km | Altitude test with a Redstone rocket | 3,800 kT |
| 35 | Fig | August 18, 1958 4:00 am |
Eniwetok Atoll | Surface test over ground |
0.02 kT |
Hardtack Fig was the last atomic bomb test on Eniwetok Atoll.
An RB-57 Canberra observing Hardtack Juniper at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific
Hardtack Umbrella , underwater detonation near Eniwetok in the Pacific
Aurora- like appearance after hardtack teak detonated
Hardtack II
After the Hardtack I tests in the Pacific ended, the nuclear tests for Operation Hardtack II were carried out at the Nevada Test Site nuclear test site . At the same time, secret tests of Operation Argus were taking place in the southern Atlantic . During Hardtack II , tests with low explosive force in the range of a few kilotons of TNT equivalent were carried out. They were mainly used to test the behavior of the warhead types in question in the event of partial failure of the detonators or when one of the detonators was accidentally activated.
The individual tests of the Hardtack II series
| bomb | Date / Time ( GMT ) | place | Explosive power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otero | September 12, 1958, 8:00 p.m. | Area 3q | 0.038 kT |
| Bernalillo | September 17, 1958, 7:30 p.m. | Area 3h | 0.015 kT |
| Eddy | September 19, 1958, 2 p.m. | Area 7b | 0.083 kT |
| Luna | September 21, 1958, 7:00 p.m. | Area 3m | 0.0015 kT |
| Mercury | September 23, 1958, 10:00 p.m. | Area 12f | |
| Valencia | September 26, 1958, 8:00 p.m. | Area 3r | 0.002 kT |
| Mars | September 28, 1958 at midnight | Area 12f | 0.002 kT |
| Mora | September 29, 1958, 2:05 p.m. | Area 7b | 2 kT |
| Hidalgo | October 5, 1958, 2:10 p.m. | Area 7b | 0.077 kT |
| Colfax | October 5, 1958, 4:15 p.m. | Area 3k | 0.0055 kT |
| Tamalpais | October 8, 1958, 10:00 p.m. | Area 12b | 0.072 kT |
| Quay | October 10, 1958, 2:30 p.m. | Area 7c | 0.079 kT |
| Lea | October 13, 1958, 1:20 p.m. | Area 7b | 1.4 kT |
| Neptune | October 14, 1958, 6:00 p.m. | Area 12c | 0.115 kT |
| Hamilton | October 15, 1958, 4:00 p.m. | Area 5 | 0.0012 kT |
| Logan | October 16, 1958, 6:00 a.m. | Area 12e | 5 kT |
| Dona Ana | October 16, 1958, 2:20 p.m. | Area 7b | 0.037 kT |
| Vesta | October 17, 1958, 11:00 PM | Area 9e | 0.024 kT |
| Rio Arriba | October 18, 1958, 2:25 p.m. | Area 3s | 0.090 kT |
| San Juan | October 20, 1958, 2:30 p.m. | Area 3p | 0 kT |
| Socorro | October 22, 1958, 1:30 p.m. | Area 7b | 6 kT |
| Wrangell | October 22, 1958, 4:50 p.m. | Area 5 | 0.115 kT |
| Oberon | October 22, 1958, 8:30 p.m. | Area 8a | 0 kT |
| Rushmore | October 22, 1958, 11:40 p.m. | Area 9a | 0.188 kT |
| Catron | October 24, 1958, 3 p.m. | Area 3t | 0.021 kT |
| Juno | October 24, 1958, 4:01 p.m. | Area 9f | 0.0017 kT |
| Ceres | October 26, 1958, 4:00 a.m. | Area 8b | 0.0007 kT |
| Sanford | October 26, 1958, 10:20 a.m. | Area 5 | 4.9 kT |
| De Baca | October 26, 1958, 4:00 p.m. | Area 7b | 2.2 kT |
| Chavez | October 27, 1958, 2:30 p.m. | Area 3u | 0.0006 kT |
| Evans | October 29, 1958 at midnight | Area 12b | 0.055 kT |
| Mazama | October 29, 1958, 11:20 a.m. | Area 9 | 0 kT |
| Humbodt | October 29, 1958, 2:45 p.m. | Area 3v | 0.0078 kT |
| Santa Fe | October 30, 1958, 3:00 a.m. | Area 7b | 1.3 kT |
| Ganymede | October 30, 1958, 11:00 a.m. | Area 9g | 0 kT |
| Blanca | October 30, 1958, 3 p.m. | Area 12e | 22 kT |
| Titania | October 30, 1958, 8:34 p.m. | Area 8c | 0.0002 kT |
Mushroom cloud from Hardtack Socorro at the Nevada Test Site .
literature
- Chuck Hansen: US Nuclear Weapons: The Secret History. (Arlington: AeroFax, 1988), ISBN 0-517-56740-7 .
Web links
- The USA's Hardtack I tests at nuclearweaponarchive.org (English)
- The US Hardtack II tests at nuclearweaponarchive.org
- Operation HARDTACK Military Effects Studies Part I: Basic Effects Structures and Materiel (1958), US Department of Defense film.
- Operation HARDTACK Military Effects Studies Part II: Underwater Tests (1958), US Department of Defense film.
- Operation HARDTACK Military Effects Studies Part III: High Altitude Tests (1958), US Department of Defense film.
- United States Nuclear Tests, July 1945 through September 1992 (pdf; 898 kB) US Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office. 2000. Retrieved January 27, 2011.