W19 / W23
The W19 and the variant W23 were nuclear artillery shells of the United States . The W19 was code-named Katie . It could be fired from modified howitzers with a caliber of 280 mm.
Construction and development
Both systems are a further development of the W9 warhead . The W19 was introduced in 1955 and decommissioned in 1963.
Like its predecessor W9, the W19 is a nuclear warhead in the so-called gun-type design .
Variant W23
There was a variant of the W19, the W23 , which was developed for marine warfare. The main difference is a different caliber (16 inches ) that was being used on US Navy battleships at the time . Production of the W23 began in 1956. The warheads were in use until 1962. A total of 50 units of this variant were built.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | W19 | W23 |
|---|---|---|
| diameter | 280 mm (11 in ) | 406 mm (16 in) |
| length | 138 cm (55 in) | |
| Dimensions | 386 kg (850 lb ) | 640–815 kg (1500–1900 lb) |
| Explosive power | 15-20 kt TNT | |
(The non-metric data refer to US military data.)