Operation tumbler snapper

Nuclear test Operation tumbler snapper
The growing fireball from one of the snapper explosions photographed with a Rapatronic camera . The diameter of the fireball is about 20 meters. The apparent protuberances on the underside are caused by the attachment cables of the bomb tower , which absorb the thermal radiation of the fireball. These protrusions are known as the "rope trick" effect.
information
nation	United States
Test location	Nevada Test Site
Period	April – June 1952
Number of tests	8th
Test type	Above-ground tests
Weapon type	fission
Max. Explosive force	31 kT
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Previous test	Operation Buster-Jangle
Next test	Operation ivy

Operation Tumbler-Snapper was a series of American nuclear weapons tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site in the spring of 1952 .

The operation Tumbler consisted of three nuclear weapons that were dropped from aircraft. Due to anomalies in the previous tests, more precise information about the effects of the pressure waves should be obtained.

In the Snapper series, five nuclear weapons were detonated to test various novel weapon developments. The first bomb of the Snapper series was also dropped from an airplane, the other four were detonated on turrets .

During the test series, the "Desert Rock IV" military maneuver was carried out with 7,350 soldiers. They practiced Charlie , Dog and George during the explosions and watched Fox .

The individual tests of the Tumbler-Snapper series

Operation tumbler

bomb	Date / Time ( GMT )	Proving Ground	Explosion height	Test type	Explosive force (predicted)	Remarks
Able	April 1, 1952 5:00 p.m.	Area 5	241 meters (793 feet)	Dropped from a B-50 bomber	1 kT	Weapon impact test, no maneuvers took place during the test.
Baker	April 15, 1952 5:30 p.m.	Area 7	338 meters (1109 feet)	Dropped from a B-50 bomber	1 kT	Weapon impact test, the same type of bomb used in the Able, Jangle Sugar and Jangle Uncle tests.
Charlie	April 22, 1952 5:30 p.m.	Area 7	1050 meters (3447 feet)	Dropped from a B-50 bomber	31 kT (40–60 kT)	Charlie was detonated over the same Ground Zero as Baker and later also Dog. The test was the first of the test series to be open to journalists to a small extent (“Operation SCRIBE”). It was also broadcast live on television.

Operation Snapper

Soldiers during the combat exercise "Desert Rock IV" during the George Test

A soldier is freed from radioactive dust particles with a broom during the "Desert Rock IV" maneuver.

bomb	Date / Time ( GMT )	Proving Ground	Explosion height	Test type	Explosive force (predicted)	Remarks
Dog	May 1, 1952 4:30 p.m.	Area 7	316 meters (1040 feet)	Dropped from a B-45 bomber	19 kT (15-20 kT)
Easy	May 7, 1952 12:15 p.m.	Area 1	91 meters (300 feet)	tower	12 kT
Fox	May 25, 1952 12:00 PM	Area 4	91 meters (300 feet)	tower	11 kT (15-18 kT)	Fox tested new neutron initiation designs for the Mark-5 bomb. 1450 soldiers watched the explosion from just over 6.4 kilometers away and moved closer to the center after the ignition. The Ministry of Defense circumvented the Atomic Energy Commission's directive.
George	June 1, 1952 11:55 a.m.	Area 3	91 meters (300 feet)	tower	15 kT (30 kT)	George was supposed to be performed at the Nevada Test Site in Area 2, but due to high levels of radioactivity from the Easy and Fox tests, George was performed in Area 3. The military maneuvers planned for George were postponed to Test How.
How	June 5, 1952 11:55 a.m.	Area 2	91 meters (300 feet)	tower	14 kT (11 kT)	Development test for a small, light high-pressure bomb by Ted Taylor with a novel beryllium detonator. The radiation in the center of the bomb reached values ​​of up to 1500 roentgen .

See also

• America's Atomic Bomb Tests (Documentary)

Web links

Commons : Operation Tumbler-Snapper  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Description of Tumbler-Snapper with explanation of the rope trick effect. (English) .
2. ↑ US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office: United States Nuclear Tests, July 1945 through September 1992 , DOE / NV - 209-REV 15, December 2000, (PDF, 877 kB) ( Memento from October 12, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
3. ^ Robert Standish Norris, Thomas B. Cochran: United States nuclear tests, July 1945 to 31 December 1992 (NWD 94-1) , Nuclear Weapons Databook Working Paper, Washington, DC: Natural Resources Defense Council, February 1, 1994, (PDF , 4.26 MB) ( Memento from October 12, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
4. ^ Gallery of US Nuclear Tests ( memento August 20, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) at nuclearweaponarchive.org
5. ↑ ^{a b} Michael Light: 100 Suns , 2003

Coordinates: 37 ° 8 '9.95 "  N , 116 ° 4' 6.59"  W.