Operation Hardtack I
Encyclopedia
Operation Hardtack I was a series of 35 nuclear tests conducted by the United States
in 1958 in the Pacific Ocean
.
Operation Newsreel was a series of three high-altitude nuclear tests conducted as part of Hardtack I. The individual tests in the series were Orange, Teak and Yucca.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1958 in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Operation Newsreel was a series of three high-altitude nuclear tests conducted as part of Hardtack I. The individual tests in the series were Orange, Teak and Yucca.
Test Blasts
| Test Name | Date | Location | Yield | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yucca | 28 April, 1958 | Enewetak Atoll | 1.7 kilotons | 85nm NE of Enewetak, high-altitude balloon Balloon A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig... test at 86,000 feet for ABM development |
| Cactus | 5 May, 1958 | Enewetak | 18 kilotons | Test of Mark-43 Primary 11°33′09"N 162°20′50"E, crater has been filled with contaminated soil and debris and covered with concrete cap called "Cactus Dome". |
| Fir | 11 May, 1958 | Bikini Atoll Bikini Atoll Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands.... |
1.36 megatons TNT equivalent TNT equivalent is a method of quantifying the energy released in explosions. The ton of TNT is a unit of energy equal to 4.184 gigajoules, which is approximately the amount of energy released in the detonation of one ton of TNT... |
93.4 % fusion Nuclear fusion Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy... yield |
| Butternut | 11 May, 1958 | Enewetak | 81 kilotons | TX-46 B46 nuclear bomb The B46 nuclear bomb was a tested but never deployed American high-yield thermonuclear bomb which was designed and tested in the late 1950s. Though originally intended to be a production design, the B46 ended up being only an intermediate prototype which was test fired several times... test, primary only |
| Koa | 12 May, 1958 | Enewetak | 1.37 megatons | XW-35 ICBM warhead test |
| Wahoo | 16 May, 1958 | Enewetak | 9 kilotons | Deep underwater test (3200 ft.) |
| Holly | 20 May, 1958 | Enewetak | 5.9 kilotons | |
| Nutmeg | 21 May, 1958 | Bikini Atoll | 25.1 kilotons | |
| Yellowwood | 26 May, 1958 | Enewetak | 330 kilotons | Fizzled Fizzle (nuclear test) In nuclear weapons, a fizzle occurs when the testing of a nuclear bomb fails to meet its expected yield. The reason for the failure can be linked to improper bomb design, poor construction, or lack of expertise. All countries that have had a nuclear weapons testing program have experienced fizzles... , TX-46 B46 nuclear bomb The B46 nuclear bomb was a tested but never deployed American high-yield thermonuclear bomb which was designed and tested in the late 1950s. Though originally intended to be a production design, the B46 ended up being only an intermediate prototype which was test fired several times... test, 2.5 megaton yield predicted |
| Magnolia | 26 May, 1958 | Enewetak | 57 kilotons | |
| Tobacco | 30 May, 1958 | Enewetak | 11.6 kilotons | 2nd stage failed to ignite |
| Sycamore | 31 May, 1958 | Bikini Atoll | 92 kilotons | Fizzle, 5 megaton yield predicted |
| Rose | 2 June, 1958 | Enewetak | 15 kilotons | Fizzle, 125 kiloton yield predicted |
| Umbrella | 8 June, 1958 | Enewetak | 8 kilotons | Shallow depth underwater shot (150 ft.) |
| Maple | 10 June, 1958 | Bikini Atoll | 213 kilotons | 89 % fission yield predicted |
| Aspen | 14 June, 1958 | Bikini Atoll | 319 kilotons | Fired in Castle Bravo Castle Bravo Castle Bravo was the code name given to the first U.S. test of a dry fuel thermonuclear hydrogen bomb device, detonated on March 1, 1954 at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, as the first test of Operation Castle. Castle Bravo was the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the United States ,... crater |
| Walnut | 14 June, 1958 | Enewetak | 1.45 megatons | |
| Linden | 18 June, 1958 | Enewetak | 11 kilotons | |
| Redwood | 27 June, 1958 | Bikini Atoll | 412 kilotons | |
| Elder | 27 June, 1958 | Enewetak | 880 kilotons | |
| Oak | 28 June, 1958 | Enewetak | 8.9 megatons | TX-46 B46 nuclear bomb The B46 nuclear bomb was a tested but never deployed American high-yield thermonuclear bomb which was designed and tested in the late 1950s. Though originally intended to be a production design, the B46 ended up being only an intermediate prototype which was test fired several times... redesigned full-yield test, successful. |
| Hickory | 30 June, 1958 | Bikini Atoll | 14 kilotons | |
| Sequoia | 1 July, 1958 | Enewetak | 5.2 kilotons | |
| Cedar | 2 July, 1958 | Bikini Atoll | 220 kilotons | |
| Dogwood | 5 July, 1958 | Enewetak | 397 kilotons | |
| Poplar | 12 July, 1958 | Bikini Atoll | 9.3 megatons | Highest test of the Dominic Series, 5th largest U.S. test overall |
| Scaevola | 14 July, 1958 | Enewetak | zero | Zero yield safety test |
| Pisonia | 17 July, 1958 | Enewetak | 255 kilotons | |
| Juniper | 22 July, 1958 | Bikini Atoll | 65 kilotons | Final test at Bikini Atoll |
| Olive | 22 July, 1958 | Enewetak | 202 kilotons | |
| Pine | 26 July, 1958 | Enewetak | 2 megatons | "Clean" version of the three stage Mark-41 design, yield well below the 4-6 megaton prediction |
| Teak Hardtack Teak HARDTACK-Teak was an exoatmospheric high altitude nuclear weapon test performed during Operation Hardtack I. It was launched from Johnston Island on a Redstone missile. On 1 August 1958, the 3.8 Mt shot detonated at an altitude of 76.8 km. Teak caused communications impairment over a... |
1 Aug., 1958 | Johnston Atoll Johnston Atoll Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two... |
3.8 megatons | ABM effects test, launched by the Redstone ballistic missile, with a 252,000 foot burst height. Miscalculation resulted in detonation directly above launch site. |
| Quince | 6 Aug., 1958 | Enewetak | zero | Fizzle |
| Orange | 12 Aug., 1958 | Johnston Atoll | 3.8 megatons | ABM effects test, launched on the Redstone ballistic missile, 141,000 foot burst height |
| Fig | 18 Aug., 1958 | Enewetak | 0.02 kilotons | Final test at Enewetak |
External links
- Operation HARDTACK Military Effects Studies Part I: Basic Effects Structures and Materiel (1958), Department of Defense documentary film, Lookout Mountain Laboratory USAF.
- Operation HARDTACK Military Effects Studies Part II: Underwater Tests (1958), Department of Defense documentary film, Lookout Mountain Laboratory USAF.
- Operation HARDTACK Military Effects Studies Part III: High Altitude Tests (1958), Department of Defense documentary film, Lookout Mountain Laboratory USAF.