This is a still from the Upshot-Knothole Grable nuclear artillery test in 1953. Conducted on May 25th at the Nevada testing site, Shot GRABLE was the only detonation of a shell-delivered nuclear weapon during the United State’s research into gun-type fission warheads. The 15 kiloton blast was fired from an 11 inch gun (nicknamed Atomic Annie) located 6.2 miles from ground zero. The shell, which weighed 805 pounds, exploded at 525 feet above the ground. The video below shows the Upshot-Knothole Grable test and its effects, make sure to watch the air-pressure shockwave hit the stand of trees. Luckily for all of us, the United States finished dismantling its 1,300 land-based nuclear shells in 2003.

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1. Dread Fred Says:
   March 12th, 2009 at 11:18 am

   Cool