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Desert Rock exercises

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Aerial view of Camp Desert Rock.

Desert Rock was the code name of a series of exercises conducted by the US military in conjunction with atmospheric nuclear tests. They were carried out at the Nevada Proving Grounds between 1951 and 1957.

Their purpose was to train troops and gain knowledge of military maneuvers and operations on the nuclear battlefield. They included observer programs, tactical maneuvers, and damage effects tests.

Camp Desert Rock was established in 1951, 1.5 miles south of Camp Mercury. The site was used to billet troops and stage equipment. The camp was discontinued as an Army installation in 1964.

Summary

Exercise Nuclear Test Series Date Total DoD Participants Tactical Maneuver Personnel
Desert Rock I, II, III[1] Operation Buster-Jangle 22 Oct. - 22 Nov. 1951 11,000 6,500
Desert Rock IV[2] Operation Tumbler-Snapper 1 Apr. - 5 Jun. 1952 11,700 7,400
Desert Rock V[3] Operation Upshot-Knothole 17 Mar. - 4 Jun. 1953 20,100
Desert Rock VI[4] Operation Teapot 18 Feb. - 15 May 1955 11,700 8,000
Desert Rock VII, VIII[5] Operation Plumbbob 24 Apr. - 7 Oct. 1957 14,000
Desert Rock I - Buster-Jangle Dog - November 1, 1951.
Desert Rock IV - Tumbler-Snapper George - June 1, 1952.

Desert Rock I, II, III

Observer programs were conducted at shots Dog, Sugar, and Uncle. Tactical maneuvers were conducted after shot Dog. Damage effects tests were conducted at shots Dog, Sugar, and Uncle to determine the effects of a nuclear detonation on military equipment and field fortifications.

Desert Rock IV

Observer programs were conducted at shots Charlie, Dog, Fox, and George. Tactical maneuvers were conducted after shots Charlie, Dog, and George. Psychological tests were conducted at shots Charlie, Fox, and George to determine the troops' reactions to witnessing a nuclear detonation.

Desert Rock V

Exercise Desert Rock V included troop orientation and training, a volunteer officer observer program, tactical troop maneuvers, operational helicopter tests, and damage effects evaluation. This is the account of Pfc Curtis Sandefur, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and what he witnessed during his deployment to Camp Desert Rock, Nevada. During the predawn hours on Saturday, April 18, 1953, Pfc Sandefur along with some 2,100 other U.S. Marines would begin arriving by military trucks to the Nevada Proving Ground. The NPG is 1,350 square miles of desolate desert in a rough flat range with northern high peaks. Las Vegas is located about sixty miles to the southeast. This early arrival allowed ample time for unit commanders to give final instructions before shot-time. Officers accompanying the troops presented a briefing over a public address system. They informed them that radiation levels were minimal and perfectly safe. Approximately10 minutes before denotation, outfitted in full battle gear, the Marines would be positioned in an open 6-foot-deep trench 3,660 meters south of ground zero. Pfc Sandefur and the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines were positioned along the right side. Just minutes before detonation, they knelt and braced themselves against the ground zero side of the trench and then ordered to take cover. They would be instructed to close their eyes tight and place an arm in front of them, even though they would still see the light and feel the heat from the blast. At 4:35 am (PST) with the ground temperature of 7.7 degrees Celsius and relative humidity at 40 percent, a device named Badger was detonated from a 300-foot steel tower. It had a yield of 23 kilotons, slightly higher than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. The top of the mushroom cloud formed by shot Badger rose to an altitude of 36,000 feet. Shot Badger was the sixth event of Operation Upshot-Knothole, a series of 11 atomic bomb tests from March 17, 1953 to June 4, 1953, which involved troop maneuvers in the immediate vicinity of the explosions to evaluate the effects of radiation on troops and equipment. During shot Badger on April 18th, the Marines were given the opportunity to develop and test the capability of helicopters in transporting troops after such an explosion. The explosion from Badger was so powerful it pierced the desert floor causing the earth to shake. It illuminated Las Vegas like daylight and was evident 500 kilometers to the southwest in Los Angeles. After the shock wave passed, the Marines left the trenches, formed up, and moved out in attack formation toward the objectives to the north. Though the dust raised by the shock wave was thick, the cloud formed by Badger was visible to the Marines as they moved forward to their objectives. A northeasterly surface wind of about ten to 15 knots, blowing across the right flank of the Marines and from the direction of ground zero, exposed Pfc Sandefur and the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines to unprecedented and unanticipated radiation fallout. After proceeding less than 460 meters, the battalion had dosimeter readings exceeding 3.0 roentgens and was required to move out of contaminated areas. Unable to proceed toward the assigned objective, the battalion withdrew to the trench area and was not permitted to continue the maneuver or to tour the display area.

Desert Rock VI

Observer programs were conducted at shots Wasp, Moth, Tesla, Turk, Bee, Ess, Apple 1, and Apple 2. Tactical maneuvers were conducted after shots Bee and Apple 2. Technical studies were conducted at shots Wasp, Moth, Tesla, Turk, Bee, Ess, Apple 1, Wasp Prime, Met, and Apple 2.

A test of an armored task force, RAZOR, was conducted at shot Apple 2 to demonstrate the capability of a reinforced tank battalion to seize an objective immediately after a nuclear detonation.

Desert Rock VII, VIII

Tactical maneuvers were conducted after shots Hood, Smoky, and Galileo. At shot Hood, the Marine Corps conducted a maneuver involving the use of a helicopter airlift and tactical air support. At shot Smoky, Army troops conducted an airlift assault, and at shot Galileo, Army troops were tested to determine their psychological reactions to witnessing a nuclear detonation.

See also

Totskoye nuclear exercise of 1954, a somewhat comparable series of soviet exercises, although with much less radiation safeguards present.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Operation BUSTER-JANGLE Fact Sheet, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
  2. ^ Operation TUMBLER-SNAPPER Fact Sheet, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
  3. ^ Operation UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE Fact Sheet, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
  4. ^ Operation TEAPOT Fact Sheet, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
  5. ^ Operation PLUMBBOB Fact Sheet, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
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