Upshot-Knothole Annie
Encyclopedia
Upshot-Knothole Annie was a nuclear weapons test
conducted by the United States
as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole
. It took place at the Nevada Test Site on 17 March, 1953, and was nationally televised.
Operation Doorstep was a civil defense study conducted by the Federal Civil Defense Administration
in conjunction with Annie. It studied the effect of the nuclear blast on two wooden frame houses, fifty automobiles and eight bomb shelters designed for residential use.
The administration concluded that if windows were left open to prevent the car collapsing on its occupants a car would be "relatively safe" from a small nuclear bomb if at least ten blocks away from the hypocenter
. The homes in the study were constructed in such a way as to minimize the thermal effects of Annie, with an eye towards determining if, in the absence of fire, the basement of the closer home — 3500 feet (1,066.8 m) from the hypocenter — might shelter its occupants, while the second — at 7500 feet (2,286 m) — could remain standing. Both homes performed as expected under the conditions of their construction.
Nuclear testing
Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. Throughout the twentieth century, most nations that have developed nuclear weapons have tested them...
conducted by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole
Operation Upshot-Knothole
Operation Upshot-Knothole was a series of eleven nuclear test shots conducted in 1953 at the Nevada Test Site.Over twenty-one thousand soldiers took part in the ground exercise Desert Rock V in conjunction with the Grable shot...
. It took place at the Nevada Test Site on 17 March, 1953, and was nationally televised.
Operation Doorstep was a civil defense study conducted by the Federal Civil Defense Administration
Federal Civil Defense Administration
The Federal Civil Defense Administration was organized by Democratic president Harry S. Truman on December 1, 1950, and became an official government agency on January 12, 1951...
in conjunction with Annie. It studied the effect of the nuclear blast on two wooden frame houses, fifty automobiles and eight bomb shelters designed for residential use.
The administration concluded that if windows were left open to prevent the car collapsing on its occupants a car would be "relatively safe" from a small nuclear bomb if at least ten blocks away from the hypocenter
Hypocenter
The hypocenter refers to the site of an earthquake or a nuclear explosion...
. The homes in the study were constructed in such a way as to minimize the thermal effects of Annie, with an eye towards determining if, in the absence of fire, the basement of the closer home — 3500 feet (1,066.8 m) from the hypocenter — might shelter its occupants, while the second — at 7500 feet (2,286 m) — could remain standing. Both homes performed as expected under the conditions of their construction.