Operation Wigwam (1955)

Operation Wigwam involved a single test of the Mark 90 "Betty" nuclear bomb. It was conducted between Operation Teapot and Project 56 on May 14, 1955, about 500 miles (800 km) southwest of San Diego, California. 6,800 personnel aboard 30 ships were involved in Wigwam. The purpose of Wigwam was to determine the vulnerability of submarines to deeply detonated nuclear weapons, and to evaluate the feasibility of using such weapons in a combat situation. The task force commander, Admiral John Sylvester, was embarked on the task force flagship USS Mount McKinley. Wigwam was the first atomic test in the deep ocean, and it remains the only test that has been conducted in water deeper than 1,000 ft (300 m).
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operati...
DVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons, starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945..
Publication date 1955 Department of Energy

[@hypergolic8468]

It has to be said, one thing that does come out of this, credit to the Greek ship (26:10) , on feeling the shockwave, to offer to return to San Francisco to offer assistance. That says a lot about the Captain.

[@21stcenturyscots]

People, who elect people in order to conduct such moronic experiments are beyond any help.

[@tinafoster8665]

Exactly 💯

[@winstonsmith478]

Note that they give away the likely crush depth of the latest subs at the time, a normally classified piece of data, by specifying that the squaws had a crush depth of 1,400 feet.

[@kceegray7046]

Wild to think what we dont see. I was thinking about what footage from the wars and what they found in Japanese/nazi warehouses with all the intense bio warfare going on that we have only heard stories of. Im sure the central intelligence agency have this earth mapped and recorded like the back of their hand

[@jeffreyskoritowski4114]

The only people who were allowed to watch this movie at the time of it's production were high level civilian and military officials. The title card read that it was declassified in 97.

[@davelowets]

Useless information today... 🤷🏻

[@michaelhettrick8479]

The claim that only one fish was contaminated, and that one was imported from Japan, is laughable.

[@illumencouk]

Think for a minute (or longer!) You don't build and test atomic devices like these if you're a bit thick, agreed? Okay so if the program claims something preposterous we know it's NOT an oversight or by chance as these films undergo 'reclassification' before release. The fact is that 'they said what they said' and it's more likelier it's for us to establish it's allegorical meaning or message. Well that's how I see this anyway.

[@natowaveenjoyer9862]

Who cares?
National defense requires being anti-environment. Fuck the environment.

[@louisb229]

My dad was part of Wigwam, but he would not talk about it because of giving his word to never speak about it.

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

"Loose lips sink ships"

[@samueladams1775]

@@eucliduschaumeau8813 so does nuclear weapons. Just sayin...

[@nobux717]

No fish were harmed in this experiment.

[@winstonsmith478]

The Mark 90 nuclear bomb, given the nickname "Betty", was a cold war nuclear depth charge, developed by the United States in 1952. It had a length of 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m), a diameter of 2 ft 7.5 in (0.80 m), and a weight of 1,243 lb (564 kg), and it carried a Mark 7 nuclear warhead with a yield of 32 kilotons.

[@Legend813a]

Poor design. It lacked safety.

[@allangibson2408]

@@Legend813a All atomic bombs manufactured prior to 1955 lacked safety features. They were more worried about getting them to go bang than not. The bomb dropped on Hiroshima was guaranteed to detonate on hitting the ground regardless of arming or explosive components through simple inertia.

[@henryD9363]

Thanks. I didn't hear the yield in the video.

[@tinafoster8665]

@@allangibson2408 it was uranium in such a big lump all it took was a small piece hitting it from a crude gun thing right? So I suppose, dropped from whatever height, yes it would go supercritical even hitting solid ground, not even rock just solider than water

[@tinafoster8665]

That Greek captain is THE COOLEST guy, like captain Picard, felt a shock wave and turning around to help you, brings tears to my eyes n hope someone gave that guy a medal or something 👍👍👍

[@thomaskositzki9424]

Mind boggeling amounts of effort and money were put into those tests.

[@RaccoonNation]

If anyone ever got a look at the propaganda budget these days.. they’d be shocked

[@thomaskositzki9424]

@@RaccoonNation ???

[@BeKindToBirds]

@@RaccoonNation No, they wouldn't. Because the US doesn't have a domestic propaganda program.
Look up the budget of fox news and everything owned by murdoch, there is your private propaganda institution sponsored by oil and bank lobbies.
But I can see what kind of message you are trying to spread here *comrade*

[@abundantYOUniverse]

Well those guys are a laugh a minute.

[@P-G-77]

Thanks !!

[@ericdanielski4802]

Nice video.

[@21stcenturyscots]

I only hope not a single fish was harmed and that the MoD evacuated the waters of all life before conducting this experiment.

[@davelowets]

Good luck with any of that

[@jaybee9269]

Operation Wigwam!

[@dth999]

We are such idiots...blasting of nuclear bombs everywhere. F.....

[@badbotchdown9845]

Usa still the nation who have made much more tests than any other

[@illumencouk]

There being 33 comments at the time of my writing coincides nicely with how if you pause @3:33 and note the name placard sat on the desk, it reads as: DR. A. B. FOCKE or 'drab Focke'. Somewhat controversially it could also read as 'd arab Focke.'

[@billyponsonby]

Insane but we just didn’t know it at the time

[@booklover6753]

Yes we did, but it was necessary.

[@kaizee808]

@@booklover6753 Oh man, you sure set him strait! I know it may be hard to fathom Billy but we likely owe our lives to these nuclear experiments...disarmament would be great, and we should reduce our stockpiles by all means...but nuclear weapons act as very effective deterrents, if every country had a few ICBMs i'm quite certain war would be a thing of the past.
So in a way you are right Billy, it is INSANE...but we have always known that, hence why we don't take any chances. Mutually assured destruction is truly insane...that's why it is such an effective deterrent.

[@badbotchdown9845]

When the bar was open for every stupid idea about something nuclear

[@BigDaddy-yp4mi]

Ever hear of the nuclear rifle? The "Davy Crockett." Lol, it's stats 'n' stuff are hilarious.

[@badbotchdown9845]

@@BigDaddy-yp4mi probably the worst idea of such.

[@davelowets]

@@BigDaddy-yp4mi It wasn't a "rifle", and was never meant to be.

[@maddmavic]

They got all kinds of data like how much fish can die in one blast in an instant. How many other bigger fish and whales n schools of fish out of the immediate blast range. Also the radiation in the water

[@billhart4710]

Ya never know! The USS McKean was briefly outfitted with nuclear tipped hedgehogs circa 1970 as part of the Navy's advanced ASW warfare efforts. A rather cloak and dagger affair for awhile ... they meant to "nail the boomers" ...

[@ashman187]

Welcome to the Nuclear age.....

[@pacather]

Welcome BACK, you mean.

[@Legend813a]

7:20 nicknaming the test pressure hulls something then that makes modern Native Americans cry today.

[@petperthecommenter3364]

what a stupid comment

[@thomaskositzki9424]

Most likely they didn't like it back then either...

[@MillerVanDotTV]

@@thomaskositzki9424white person speaking for the native Americans again….