Operation Hardtack Umbrella: Underwater Nuke Test

Operation Hardtack Umbrella: Underwater Nuke Test

Operation Hardtack was a series of 72 nuclear tests conducted in 1958 by American weapons labs. It was split into two major parts; Hardtack 1 was carried out in the Pacific Ocean, while Hardtack II was done later that year at the Nevada Test Sight. The second set of tests was exclusively low-yield atmospheric and underground tests.

Umbrella is the test name for the blast that resulted in the incredible picture above. Conducted on June 8, 1958, 150 ft. underwater near Enewetak Atoll, Umbrella had an estimated blast of 8 kilotons, less than half of the strength of the bomb dropped on Nagasaki during WWII.

See a video of the explosion below:

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