On the 31st of October 1952, the United States, and the world, entered the thermonuclear age with the detonation of the first device using super cooled hydrogen as fuel, and using a conventional fission type bomb as the trigger. Since this was the first time such a device had been triggered, it was undetermined just how large the resulting explosion would be. First estimates were 12 megatons, later revised to 10.4 megatons.
The device was detonated on the island of Elugelab - one of the northern islands in the chain of islands making up Eniwetok Atoll, in the Marshalls. The resulting explosion not only vaporized the island, but created a crater more than a mile across (6,240 feet) and 164 feet deep.
These black and white aerial photos of the coral reef making up the northern end of the atoll have white overlays indicating the position of islands, and show the "before" and "after" position of Elugelab. It also damaged one other island. When I was flown over the area by one of the L-13 liaison pilots there on Eniwetok, to say I was impressed would be a gross understatement.
The initial fireball was 3 miles across, with the mushroom spreading to 60 miles across. The top of the mushroom rose to 130,000 feet.
Aircraft (F-84's) there to sample the cloud were not capable of climbing to the cloud area, and entered the stem of the mushroom at an altitude of 42,000 feet. As they entered they reported a red glow and heat, with their radiation monitors going off scale. Of the three aircraft that entered, two of them exited the cloud. The third one, piloted by Captain Jimmy P. Robinson, experienced aircraft problems and spun out, but was able to regain control at 20,000 feet. He was directed to a refueling aircraft but was unable to locate it because of equipment failure. With fuel exhausted he was able to make it to within three miles of the end of the runway at Eniwetok, where he crashed in the ocean. Captain Robinson was killed.
I witnessed the explosion on board a navy vessel 35 - 40 miles south of the shot. With my back turned and eyes shielded, the feeling of intense heat was comparable to going from the cool of an early morning drizzle, to the heat of a mid-summer noonday sun-all in the matter of a few seconds. When I was able to view it the sight I saw was the first picture above. Eerie and awesome - this was all taking place in complete silence. It wasn't until several minutes later that the shock wave and sound like a shotgun arrived, followed by long rolls of thunder that echoed and re-echoed across the ocean. That bright churning mass of burning debris formed itself into a ball and began climbing, churning and burning until it finally began forming a white frozen cap on top. The mushroom began to form and to turn white as it cooled, as in the lower photo. It spread to over 100 miles wide, before it began breakup.
A gentleman by the name of Mr. Keith Whittle has a site here on the internet which makes available more declassified information plus videos, of this and other nuclear tests conducted by the U.S. You can also read on there some of the letters from wives, sons and daughters of participants in these operations, who are now suffering the effects of the radiation received during the tests. Also you will be made aware of the difficulties they are encountering with the U.S. Government in receiving assistance in the treatment of their illnesses.click here to go to his site
