Operation Teapot

Operation Teapot was a series of 14 nuclear test explosions conducted at the Nevada Test Site in the first half of 1955. It was preceded by Operation Castle, and followed by Operation Wigwam. Wigwam was, administratively, a part of Teapot, but it is usually treated as a class of its own. The aims of the operation were to establish military tactics for ground forces on a nuclear battlefield and to improve the nuclear weapons used for strategic delivery.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Individual blasts

Wasp

During shot Wasp, ground forces took part in Exercise Desert Rock VI which included an armored task force Razor moving to within Template:Convert of ground zero, under the still-forming mushroom cloud.<ref name="teapot">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Bee

An augmented test unit from the United States Marine Corps participated in shot Bee during the March 1955 exercises.<ref name="teapot"/>

MET

The MET was the first bomb core to include uranium-233 (a rarely used fissile isotope that is the product of thorium-232 neutron absorption), along with plutonium; this was based on the plutonium/U-235 pit from the TX-7E, a prototype Mark 7 nuclear bomb design used in the 1951 Operation Buster-Jangle Easy test. It produced a yield of 22kt (comparable to the Fat Man plutonium-only weapon that exploded over Nagasaki), but significantly less than the expected amount. Since it was a military effects test, the DoD specified that the device should have a calibrated yield within 10% of ratings. However, weapon designers at Los Alamos substituted the experimental core without notifying the DoD. The unexpected lower yield, 33% less than the DoD expected, ruined many of the military's tests.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} "The predicted yield was 33 kt. The actual 22 kt was 33% below this, seriously compromising the data collected." cf. "Nuclear Test Film - Operation Teapot" (linked below) ~17:30 "While the expected yield was 28 kilotons, radiochemical analysis indicated a yield closer to 22 kilotons."</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Apple-2

File:Operation Cue (1955).ogv

Operation Cue (1955)

The Civil Defense Apple-2 shot on May 5, 1955 was intended to test various building construction types in a nuclear blast. An assortment of buildings, including residential houses and electrical substations, were constructed at the site nicknamed "Survival Town" by some and "Doom Town" by others.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The buildings were populated with mannequins, and stocked with different types of canned and packaged foods. Not all of the buildings were destroyed in the blast, and some of them still stand at Area 1, Nevada Test Site. A short film about the blast, referred to as "Operation Cue", was distributed by the Federal Civil Defense Administration. The houses are still standing at Template:Coord, at the east and west ends of the road loop. They are stops on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) tour.

From declassified documents dated February to May 1956, the Apple-2 shot, as part of Operation Teapot Project 35.5 "Effects of Nuclear Explosion on Records and Records Storage Equipment" was staged on the Nevada Test Site to determine the effects of nuclear explosions on various types of records and record storage equipment.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Teapot series tests

United States' Teapot series tests and detonations

Name<ref group=note>The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China have not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions - Soviet peaceful explosions were named). Word translations into English in parentheses unless the name is a proper noun. A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also sometimes named the individual explosions in such a salvo test, which results in "name1 - 1(with name2)". If test is canceled or aborted, then the row data like date and location discloses the intended plans, where known.</ref>	Date time (UT)	Local time zone<ref group=note>To convert the UT time into standard local, add the number of hours in parentheses to the UT time; for local daylight saving time, add one additional hour. If the result is earlier than 00:00, add 24 hours and subtract 1 from the day; if it's 24:00 or later, subtract 24 hours and add 1 to the day.</ref>	Location<ref group=note>Rough place name and a Latitude/Longitude reference; for rocket-carried tests, the launch location is specified before the detonation location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area.</ref>	Elevation + height<ref group=note>Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number or units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero. Sorting on this column is by elevation and height added together.</ref>	Delivery<ref group=note>Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, and barge are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT. Intentional cratering tests are borderline; they occurred under the treaty, were sometimes protested, and generally overlooked if the test was declared to be a peaceful use.</ref>	Purpose<ref group=note>Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down.</ref>	Device<ref group=note>Designations for test items where known, "?" indicates some uncertainty about the preceding value, nicknames for particular devices in quotes. This category of information is often not officially disclosed.</ref>	Yield<ref group=note>Estimated energy yield in tonnes, kilotonnes, and megatonnes (all metric units).</ref>	Venting<ref group=note>Emissions to atmosphere, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and everything if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released.</ref>	References	Notes
Wasp	Template:Dts 19:59:59.2	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 7 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	free air drop	weapons development		Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 />	Air defense test. Light weight implosion system, Template:Convert and Template:Convert across. Yield below predictions. Desert Rock VI.
Moth	Template:Dts 13:00:45.0	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 3 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapons development	XW-30 ?	Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 /><ref name=LT_24 />	Proof test of XW30 air defense warhead.{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst	$B= Template:Fix }} Used an ENS (external neutron source) 'Zipper' initiator. Desert Rock VI.
Tesla	Template:Dts 13:00:30.3	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 9b Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapons development	Cleo I	Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 />	First successful UCRL test; used linear implosion, ZIPPER initiator. Desert Rock VI.
Turk	Template:Dts 13:00:20.2	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 2 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapons development	XW-27D "Linda" lightweight secondary <ref name="Ramos">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 />	Test of primary for XW-27 class D, lightweight thermonuke, in an XW-27 mockup. Desert Rock VI.
Hornet	Template:Dts 13:19:59.8	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 3a Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapons development	XW-30 ?	Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 /><ref name=LT_24 />	Boosted XW-30. A sealed pit D-T gas boost design, with ZIPPER initiator.
Bee	Template:Dts 13:04:59.9	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 7 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapons development	XW-25 ?	Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 /><ref name=LT_24 />	LASL sealed pit D-T gas boosted design, with ZIPPER initiator. Desert Rock VI.
ESS	Template:Dts 20:00:30.0	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 10 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert - Template:Convert	cratering	weapon effect	Mk-6 HE	Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 /><ref name=LT_24 />	"Effects Sub-surface". Test for ADM (Atomic Demolition Munition). Desert Rock VI.
Apple-1	Template:Dts 12:00:55.1	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 4 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapons development		Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 />	Primary failed; expected 40 kt. Desert Rock VI.
Wasp Prime	Template:Dts 17:59:54.8	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 7 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	free air drop	weapons development		Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 />	Repeat of Wasp. Desert Rock VI.
HA	Template:Dts 18:00:04.1	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 1 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	parachuted	weapon effect		Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 />	Last airdrop over continental U.S. "High altitude" test of air-air missile warhead similar to Wasp Prime; parachute retarded (only one at NTS).
Post	Template:Dts 12:00:30.2	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 9 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapons development	Cleo II	Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 />	LLNL Linear implosion. ENS initiated.
MET	Template:Dts 19:00:15.3	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 5 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapon effect		Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 /><ref name=LT_24 />	"Military Effects Tower". Supposed to be a standard effects test, LASL clandestinely substituted experimental U233/Pu core, thus undershot estimated yield by a third. Desert Rock VI.
Apple-2	Template:Dts 12:00:10.0	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 1 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapons development		Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 />	Retry of Apple-1. Desert Rock VI. Operation Cue, civil defense exercise.
Zucchini	Template:Dts 11:59:59.9	PST (−8 h)	NTS Area 7 Template:Coord	Template:SortTemplate:Convert + Template:Convert	tower	weapons development		Template:Sort	I-131 venting detected, Template:Convert	<ref name=LT_150 /><ref name=LT_148 /><ref name=LT_6 /><ref name=LT_1 />	Test of Class D primary/secondary system.

Table notes: Template:Reflist

Gallery

• TeapotHornet.gif

  Teapot-Hornet, 4-kilotons

• TeapotBee.gif

  Teapot-Bee, 8-kilotons

• TeapotTurk.gif

  Teapot-Turk, 43-kilotons

• TeapotTurkClose.gif

  Teapot-Turk, close-up of fireball within first few milliseconds of detonations

• Teapot Moth 001.jpg

  Teapot-Moth, 2-kilotons

• TeapotESS.gif

  "Effects Sub-surface". Test for ADM (Atomic Demolition Munition)

• Operation Teapot - Ess.jpg

  Teapot-ESS, 1-kiloton

• NNSA-NSO-371.jpg

  One of the shot-towers of the Teapot test, unknown device

• Operation Teapot Colorised - MET (Military Effects Test).jpg

  Teapot-MET (Military Effects Test), 22-kilotons

See also

• List of United States' nuclear weapons tests

References

• Operation Teapot Project 5.4 Evaluation of fireball lethality using basic missile structures(C)

External links

• Template:Internet Archive short film
• Template:Internet Archive short film
• Template:Internet Archive short film
• Template:Internet Archive short film
• NPR web page: effect on commercial beverages [1]
• YouTube – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL): "Operation Teapot − Turk 28112" video
• YouTube – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Channel: LLNL Atmospheric Nuclear Tests website – all uploaded LLNL videos of tests between 1945 and 1962, including 28 of Operation Teapot.