M65 atomic cannon

M65 atomic cannon
Surviving 240mm prototype at the Virginia War Museum
Type Heavy towed artillery
Place of origin United States of America
Specifications
Weight 83.3 tons (gun and carriage)
Length 84 feet (26 m)
Width 16.1 feet (4.9 m)
Height 12.2 feet (3.7 m)
Crew 5–7[1]
Caliber 280 mm
Effective firing range approximately 20 miles (30 km)[2]

The M65 atomic cannon, often called "Atomic Annie",[3] was a towed artillery piece built by the United States and capable of firing a nuclear device. It was developed in the early 1950s, at the beginning of the Cold War, and fielded, by 1953, in Europe and South Korea.

History

The Grable mushroom cloud with the atomic cannon in the foreground

Picatinny Arsenal was tasked to create a nuclear capable artillery piece in 1949. Robert Schwartz, the engineer who created the preliminary designs, essentially scaled up the 240 mm shell (then the maximum in the arsenal) and used the German K5 railroad gun as a point of departure for the carriage.[2] (The name "Atomic Annie" likely derives from the nickname "Anzio Annie" given to a pair of German K5 guns which were employed against the American landings in Italy.[1]) The design was approved by the Pentagon, largely through the intervention of Samuel Feltman,[2] chief of the ballistics section of the ordnance department's research and development division. A three-year developmental effort followed. The project proceeded quickly enough to produce a demonstration model to participate in Dwight D. Eisenhower's inaugural parade in January 1953.

The cannon was transported by two specially designed tractors, both capable of independent steering in the manner of some extra-long fire trucks. Each of the tractors was rated at 375 horsepower (280 kW), and the somewhat awkward combination could achieve speeds of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) and negotiate right angle turns on 28-foot (8.5 m) wide, paved or packed roads.[1] The artillery piece could be unlimbered in 15 minutes, then returned to traveling configuration in another 15 minutes.

On May 25, 1953 at 8:30 a.m., the atomic cannon was tested at the Nevada Test Site (specifically Frenchman Flat) as part of the Upshot–Knothole series of nuclear tests. The test—codenamed "Grable"—was attended by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Arthur W. Radford and United States Secretary of Defense Charles Erwin Wilson; it resulted in the successful detonation of a 15 kiloton shell (W9 warhead) at a range of 7 miles (11 km). This was the first and only nuclear shell to be fired from a cannon.[1] (The Little Feller 1 test shot of an W54 used a Davy Crockett weapon system, which was a recoilless smooth-bore gun firing the warhead mounted on the end of a spigot inserted in the barrel of the weapon.)

After the successful test, at least 20 of the cannon were manufactured at Watervliet and Watertown Arsenals, at a cost of $800,000 each.[1] They were deployed overseas to Europe and Korea, frequently shifted around to avoid being detected and targeted by opposing forces. Due to the size of the apparatus, their limited range, the development of nuclear shells compatible with existing artillery pieces (the W48 for the 155 mm and the W33 for the 203 mm), and the development of rocket- and missile-based nuclear artillery (such as the Little John and Honest John tactical nuclear missiles), the M65 was effectively obsolete soon after it was deployed. However, it remained a prestige weapon and was not retired until 1963.

Surviving units

Of the twenty M65s produced, at least seven survive on display, plus the 240mm prototype. Most no longer have their "prime movers".

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "280mm Atomic Annie Artillery". OliveDrab.com. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  2. 1 2 3 "M65 Atomic Cannon". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  3. ↑ Tucker, Todd. Atomic America: How a Deadly Explosion and a Feared Admiral Changed the Course of Nuclear History. Simon and Schuster, 2009. ISBN 1-4165-4433-X. p.92
  4. ↑ "Historic Fort Sill Cannon to Receive Restoration".
  5. ↑ "Atomic Annie on the Move".
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