Operation Upshot–Knothole was a series of eleven nuclear test shots conducted in 1953 at the Nevada Test Site. It followed ''

Operation Ivy Operation Ivy was the eighth series of American nuclear tests, coming after '' Tumbler-Snapper'' and before '' Upshot–Knothole''. The two explosions were staged in late 1952 at Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Proving Ground in the Marshall Is ...

'' and preceded '' Operation Castle''. Over 21,000 soldiers took part in the ground exercise Desert Rock V in conjunction with the ''Grable'' shot.Operation UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE Fact Sheet
, Defense Threat Reduction Agency ''Grable'' was a 280mm Artillery Fired Atomic Projectile (AFAP) shell fired from the " Atomic Cannon" and was viewed by a number of high-ranking military officials. The test series was notable as containing the first time an AFAP shell was fired (''GRABLE'' Shot), the first two shots (both

fizzles The "fizzles" are eight short prose pieces written by Samuel Beckett: * Fizzle 1 e is barehead* Fizzle 2 orn came always* Fizzle 3 ''Afar a Bird'' * Fizzle 4 gave up before birthref name='FIZZLE4'/> * Fizzle 5 losed place* Fizzle 6 ld eart ...

) by University of California Radiation Laboratory—Livermore (now

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a federal research facility in Livermore, California, United States. The lab was originally established as the University of California Radiation Laboratory, Livermore Branch in 1952 in response ...

), and for testing out some of the thermonuclear components that would be used for the massive thermonuclear series of Operation Castle. One primary device ( RACER) was tested in thermonuclear system mockup assemblies of

TX-14 Texas's 14th congressional district for the United States House of Representatives stretches from Freeport, Texas, Freeport to Beaumont, Texas, Beaumont. It formerly covered the area south and southwest of the Greater Houston region, including ...

, TX-16, and TX-17/ TX-24, to examine and evaluate the behaviour of radiation cases and the compression of the secondary geometries by the primary's x-rays prior to full-scale testing during

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

. Following RACER's dodgy performance, the COBRA primary was used in the emergency capability

ALARM CLOCK An alarm clock (or sometimes just an alarm) is a clock that is designed to alert an individual or group of individuals at a specified time. The primary function of these clocks is to awaken people from their night's sleep or short naps; they ar ...

, JUGHEAD, RUNT I, RUNT II thermonuclear devices, as well as in the

SHRIMP Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

device. RACER IV (as redesigned and proof-tested in the Simon test) was employed as primary for the ZOMBIE, RAMROD and MORGENSTERN devices.

List of tests

References

;Notes ;Citations ;Bibliography * Chuck Hansen, ''Swords of Armageddon, Version 2'' (Chukelea Publications, 1995-2007)

External links

Operation Upshot-Knothole
* * *

Film about Upshot Knothole Tests
{{DEFAULTSORT:Operation Upshot-Knothole Explosions in 1953 Upshot-Knothole 1953 in military history 1953 in Nevada 1953 in the environment Articles containing video clips