Operation Upshot/Knothole
US Atomic Veterans
Mac McVicker
From: mcvee1@webtv.net (Mac McVicker)
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002
To: jctpet@bellsouth.net (jctpet)
Subject: Re: INFORMATION REQUEST
The 2nd BW made an overflight of one of the tower
shots on Tumbler-Snapper in 1952. I don't remember the exact date but I
was the lead navigator on the mission.
We flew an odd formation after
rendezvousing some distance from the actual shot. The formation was an
inverted vee--the open end faced the direction of flight. Our aircraft was
in the center of the open end. I don't remember our altitude, but we
knew when the shot would be fired--it was at dawn, I believe and we were
to position our B-50D aircraft two miles short of the tower at the time
of the shot.
My ETA was photo scored--they figured I was six seconds
early. Our crew flew a photo recon mission a week or so before the
shot to find the exact location of the tower--there were a lot of tall
tower-like structures nearby--I guess for instrumentation purposes.
The Grey Fox(Reynolds) rode with us on the actual overflight. He was
actually quite blase about the whole thing--we had to wake him before
the shot and if I remember correctly he fell asleep soon afterward.
As I remember the shockwave wasn't too bad, but things were certainly
bright.
Weren't them the fun days?
Mac McVicker
mcvee1@webtv.net
Keith Whittle
August 11, 2002
Operation Upshot/Knothole