See the firing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goMNAxFqGbk&t=65s
150 left and fire for effect.
I question this. It was claimed that the canon, or a variation thereof was being tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground in 1954.
IKE sent 3 of them to Japan in 53, the war in Korea ended quickly once the word was out.
Gonna disagree with the premise of this article. That “size” and design of the heavy artillery gun and its mount and its transporters only shot one nuke artillery shell in Nevada test range - this is true.
But the cannons could fire both conventional and nuclear shells, and several dozens were deployed for many years from bases in Germany and the Netherlands-Italy-UK with both kind of rounds. They were a credible part of the US nuclear deterrent in the 50-60-early 70’s.
Gonna disagree with the premise of this article. That “size” and design of the heavy artillery gun and its mount and its transporters only shot one nuke artillery shell in Nevada test range - this is true.
But the cannons could fire both conventional and nuclear shells, and several dozens were deployed for many years from bases in Germany and the Netherlands-Italy-UK with both kind of rounds. They were a credible part of the US nuclear deterrent in the 50-60-early 70’s.
15 kiloton blast. Same approximate size as the Little Boy device.
I liked the Davy Crockett that fired an M-388.with a 20 ton yield.
“I love the smell of napalm in the morning, it smells like victory.” As do atomic artillery.
Oddly our great nation post WWII has fought with one hand behind its back due to political correctness starting with Korea. We were pushed back into the Pusan and in all probability of defeat. Due to heroic effort of our troops with great sacrifice of life this did not happen. Many dead American soldiers lay dead and frozen in the cold.
This insane political ideology continued to the Vietnam War.
We were supreme on the field of battle. We lost the political battle.
What an insane war that was. Our guys kicked their ass on the ground, in the air but not in the media war. The bad guys won.
Charles McMahan was my friend. He got drafted and died, oddly at the close of the war. He left behind a young lady and child. That death would have been honorable if we concluded that war to an honorable war of freedom.
His death was a waste of a good man.
Anytime one chooses to engage in a limited war with rules you have already lost. Your enemy has thus defined the rules of engagement and you will lose.
War is not pleasant. It should be avoided if at all possible. If one goes to war it should be prosecuted with extreme violence and death. Thus those oppose you fear you.
It works for the good guys and the bad guys also. That is just the way it is today and thousands of years past.
Me too. In fact I worked for several months in the building across the street from Atomic Annie. That was about 35 years ago - seems like yesterday.
I remember touching it back in 96 when I was at Sill.
There had been little plastic cordon chains keeping us undisciplined 13b from wandering off the pathwaus.
Not that it stopped us.
Major asked me what it felt like, I said “POWERRRR”.
He laughed.
Was she kin to Able Able Common?
I had a friend (who died just last fall) who was in the army unit that deployed these cannon. He was stationed in Europe, near as possible to the Soviet Union Border. He had a Physics degree from Princeton, which was probably he got assigned to that unit. He said that his only claim to fame there was that he almost ran over Albert Einstein.
I read that the Soviets ALWAYS knew where Atomic Annie was.
The 280 MM Gun At The Nevada Proving Ground
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9F-l_3eLcE
Atomic weaponry was a staple in military arsenals during the Cold War. During the early onset of the arms race in the 1950s, atomic projectiles were not yet being fitted on missiles, but rather appeared in the form of bombs. For the U.S. Army, however, where military tactics included the use of atomic weapons on and close to the front line, a weapon was designed to deliver an atomic artillery around behind the front lines. The demand for such a weapon led to the development of the M65 280MM Motorized Heavy Gun, also known as “Atomic Annie” or the Atomic Cannon.