The first Hydrogen device fired, in 1952, was called "Mike", part of Operaton Ivy, and it completely vaporized the island of Elugelab in the Enewetak Atoll. First there was an island, then there was a crater where the island used to be. The excited message sent to Eisenhower was "The island of Elugelab is missing!" Oh goody!
This was a great triumph for the scientists and military personnel at the time, because it was the first test of the Teller-Ulam design which combined a fission trigger with the cryogenic deuterium–tritium fusion fuel, and proved that it could be done. Plutonium was the ignitor and combined with Uranium to provide the radiation, which made enough heat to set off the fusion bomb. A cryogenics plant was built on Parry Island in the Enewetak Atoll to make the hydrogen fuel "package".
The government called the bombs "shots" or "tests" and, unbelievably, they gave them all names, like Mike, George, Bravo, Romeo, Nectar, and others.
I read one serviceman's account of this time talking about how they would gather on the beach to watch the test - this was history in the making and the mushroom cloud produced from the blast was awe-inspiring in its power and beauty; they were told to turn their backs, close their eyes, draw up their knees, fold their arms over their knees, and put their heads on their arms. (does this sound familiar to anyone?). After the blast they could then turn around to see the mushroom cloud.
Looking back at it now, it seems impossibly naive that they never considered that the effects of radiation would not be deterred by simply turning their backs and closing their eyes.
This was a great triumph for the scientists and military personnel at the time, because it was the first test of the Teller-Ulam design which combined a fission trigger with the cryogenic deuterium–tritium fusion fuel, and proved that it could be done. Plutonium was the ignitor and combined with Uranium to provide the radiation, which made enough heat to set off the fusion bomb. A cryogenics plant was built on Parry Island in the Enewetak Atoll to make the hydrogen fuel "package".
The government called the bombs "shots" or "tests" and, unbelievably, they gave them all names, like Mike, George, Bravo, Romeo, Nectar, and others.
I read one serviceman's account of this time talking about how they would gather on the beach to watch the test - this was history in the making and the mushroom cloud produced from the blast was awe-inspiring in its power and beauty; they were told to turn their backs, close their eyes, draw up their knees, fold their arms over their knees, and put their heads on their arms. (does this sound familiar to anyone?). After the blast they could then turn around to see the mushroom cloud.
Looking back at it now, it seems impossibly naive that they never considered that the effects of radiation would not be deterred by simply turning their backs and closing their eyes.
2 comments:
I remember having to go through those drills in school and the teachers were so serious. We kids would giggle and make faces at each other.
Thanks for the interesting information - I never paid a lot of attention to it myself.
Margaret,
I was doing some searching on Google and came across your blog. It is horrific that the cold war caused our government to create such devices. I wanted to ask if you have seen the videos that have been coverted from films of that time. The government filmed the military operations in the Pacific when they called it Pacific Proving Ground. It shows the Ivy Mike detonation and the narrator, a reporter assigned to do this by the military, is dramatic telling about the step by step progress of events. If you havent seem them here is the interent location where you can.
http://www.archive.org/details/OperationIVY1952.
from,
Dr. F.G. Miller
College of the Pines,
Wichita
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