Operation Upshot-Knothole
| Operation Upshot-Knothole | |
|---|---|
 The Grable test, including the artillery piece used to fire the warhead. |
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| Information | |
| Country | United States |
| Test site | Nevada Test Site |
| Period | March–June 1953 |
| Number of tests | 11 |
| Test type | Atmospheric tests |
| Device type | Fission |
| Max. yield | 61 kilotons of TNT (260 TJ) |
| Navigation | |
| Previous test | Operation Ivy |
| Next test | Operation Castle |
Operation Upshot-Knothole was a series of eleven nuclear test shots conducted in 1953 at the Nevada Test Site.
Over twenty-one thousand soldiers took part in the ground exercise Desert Rock V in conjunction with the Grable shot. Grable was a 280mm shell fired from the “Atomic Cannon” and was viewed by a number of high-ranking military officials.
Operation Upshot-Knothole followed Operation Ivy and preceded Operation Castle. 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.
The individual shots were:
| Test name | Date | Location | Yield | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annie | 17 March 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 16 kilotons | |
| Nancy | 24 March 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 24 kilotons | |
| Ruth | 31 March 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 0.2 kilotons | First UCRL device, uranium hydride device, fizzle |
| Dixie | 6 April 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 11 kilotons | |
| Ray | 11 April 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 0.2 kilotons | Second UCRL device, uranium hydride device, fizzle |
| Badger | 18 April 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 23 kilotons | |
| Simon | 25 April 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 43 kilotons | |
| Encore | 8 May 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 27 kilotons | |
| Harry | 19 May 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 32 kilotons | Extreme contamination of downwinders |
| Grable | 25 May 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 15 kilotons | nuclear artillery, gun-type fission weapon |
| Climax | 4 June 1953 | Nevada Test Site | 61 kilotons |
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Operation Upshot-Knothole |
- Operation Upshot-Knothole
- The short film Nuclear Test Film - Operation Upshot-Knothole (1953) is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
- The short film Nuclear Test Film - Operation Upshot-Knothole, 5.2 (1953) is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
- The short film The 280 mm Gun at the Nevada Proving Ground (1953) is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
- Operation Upshot-Knothole - 1953
- Film about Upshot Knothole Tests
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