Operation wigwam
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Nuclear test Operation wigwam
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| information | |
| nation |
 United States
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| Test location | 900 km southwest of San Diego |
| date | May 14, 1955 9:00 p.m. GMT |
| Test type | Submarine test |
| Weapon type | fission |
| Explosive power | 30 kT |
| navigation | |
| Previous test | Operation Teapot |
| Next test | Project 56 |
Operation Wigwam was an underwater atomic bomb test carried out by the United States in May 1955 in the Pacific about 900 km southwest of San Diego .
The aim of Operation Wigwam was to find out which radiation and which pressure conditions occur during undersea detonations and to determine what effects such an explosion has on ships and submerged submarines.
A single 30 kT bomb was dropped on a cable from an unmanned launch (YC-473) in 4800 m of water to a depth of 600 m. The launch was towed from the USS Tawasa (ATF-92) with a roughly 9 km long cable. A number of pressure gauges, submerged submarine-like hulls (called "squaws") and unmanned ships were scattered along the cable.
The personnel involved were positioned a good 9 km upwind (against the wind). The USS George Eastman (YAG-39) and the USS Granville S. Hall (YAG-40), on the other hand, were stationed a good 9 km downwind of the detonation point. Both ships were exposed to ionizing radiation .
Joint Task Group 7.3 of Joint Task Force 7, responsible for carrying out nuclear tests in the Pacific, carried out the test on behalf of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense . A total of 6,544 people (including 200 civilians) and 30 ships took part in the operation.
