Operation Upshot/Knothole
US Atomic Veterans
G. L. Shafer
From: "HOLLY BEAN" RAIDERS85-86@msn.com
To: "Keith" pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: Dad
Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003
Holly Bean, daughter of G.L Shafer researched and coordinated the submission of this story. Her father is alive and well and resides in Midland, Texas.
Lieutenant (G.L. Shafer) with 867th A Battery Field Artillery Unit.
I obtained my commission through the ROTC at Texas A&M University, Field Artillery, US Army.
I was called into the service in March 1952. I reported to Fort Sill, OK and attended BOC
(Battery Officer’s Course) for 3 months. Upon completion, I was a Lieutenant assigned to the
867th Field Artillery Battalion, Battery A. I was subsequently assigned as Gun Platoon
Commander of the 1st Platoon, A Battery. At Fort Sill a Master Sgt. / Sgt. Major recommended
me to attend the Atomic Projectile School, which required top-secret clearance.
Representatives of the FBI and/or NSA went to my hometown and interviewed people who knew me and my family. Apparently, they approved me, because I subsequently received clearance in order to attend the Atomic Projectile Assembly School. To my recollection, it was taught by civilians, and lasted approximately 2 weeks. We learned how to assemble the components of an atomic projectile. We were cautioned that this information was of great importance to the U.S. and was highly confidential.
My platoon trained firing various artillery pieces, consisting of 105’s, 155’s, and 8” Howitzers. Later, our platoon received the first 280 mm cannon that was delivered to the
US military. (Several other 280 mm cannons were later delivered to various units at Fort Sill, and at Fort Bragg, NC). Five engineers from Aberdeen, Maryland also accompanied the cannon, to assist us in de-bugging the deficiencies we found in the weapon. So, at first we basically tested the piece, firing it and finding problems with it, and working with the engineers to correct the problems. The 280 mm was considerably larger and more massive than other pieces we’d trained on. It was a newly designed piece made to fire a 900 pound atomic projectile over twenty miles. The tube alone weighed several tons. Our platoon trained on this 280 mm cannon for several months, firing HE (high explosive) rounds.
There were two ways to operate the weapon system…manually or hydraulically, with the electricity for the hydraulics being supplied by a large generator. There was a hoist on the side of the carriage. With the hoist, we would pick up the HE projectile and place it on a metal slide, whereby we would then use a hydraulic system to insert the projectile into the tube. One of the first bugs we encountered with the cannon was that the hydraulic system was not strong enough to properly seat the round in the tube. The hydraulic system had to be given more power in order to accomplish proper seating. Until these systems were upgraded, we had to manually ramrod the projectile. We had to use the 6 strongest gunners in our platoon to do this. Another bug we found was that each time the cannon was fired, the entire carriage would move backwards. The cannons were equipped with a double recoil system. In theory, the tube should recoil, then the carriage should recoil, and the base plate housing the whole system should remain in place. However, in reality, each time the gun was fired, the base plate housing the whole system would actually move backwards approximately 2-3 feet. To overcome this deficiency, we devised a “dead man” system whereby a telephone pole was buried in a trench and a cable was attached to the pole and to the base plate of the cannon to keep it in place. Additionally, one of the main disadvantages to the cannons was their immobility when in damp or wet terrain (off road). Due to their weight, they would get heavily bogged down and stuck. We found nothing to help this problem.
After the testing period in which we debugged the system, we prepared to train on it by assigning each man in the platoon a specific duty to perform, relating to the firing of the weapon. We also participated in writing the Field Manual for the 280 mm cannon during this time. We proceeded with our training on the weapon and we were after both speed in placement and firing, and accuracy. Each time we fired the cannon, there would be an extremely loud boom and a huge amount of dust would rise and circulate all around us. This was hard on our ears and our breathing. My ears rang and hurt quite a bit, and often I couldn’t hear.
Then in the Spring of 1953, our platoon was chosen to go to Camp Desert Rock, NV to test the firing of a 280 mm atomic projectile. We loaded two 280 mm cannons (that of our platoon, and another unit’s; an extra in case of malfunction of one gun) on railroad flatcars at Fort Sill, OK, and these were sent by rail to Camp Nellis, NV (near Camp Desert Rock). These guns were unloaded at Camp Nellis and subsequently driven in caravan of several vehicles including ammunition trucks, to Camp Desert Rock and placed in the firing positions. The guns were so large that a vehicle (prime mover) was located both at the front and rear of the weapon. This was to facilitate turning corners in tight areas. The drivers of each end could communicate with each and wore headphones. Two men were located in each prime mover vehicle, a driver and an assistant, so that the driver could watch the left side and the assistant could watch the right side. I remember riding in a jeep, and going through Las Vegas to get to Camp Desert Rock. It took several hours, since we had to go at a low rate of speed. After the guns were placed, the gunpowder and projectiles were unloaded in the desert near the gun sites. There were no facilities to store the ammo, and so it was just put out on the ground in the desert. Several days after our arrival, a heavy rain occurred which damaged the gunpowder. Thus new powder had to be obtained before testing could continue. This was the first major rain to occur at the location in a considerable length of time.
For the first several weeks at Desert Rock, we test-fired the cannon using HE rounds, and also empty atomic projectiles (with no nuclear devices). When we fired the empty atomic projectiles, helicopter units would retrieve the projectiles and study the effects
on the insides of the projectiles. The impact area was centered in a mock town in Frenchman’s Flat which had been constructed and consisted of concrete and wooden buildings, and various vehicles and tanks. We visited and observed the target area several days prior to firing the hot round (atomic projectile). Our test, shot Grable, was delayed several days due to weather and wind conditions. It was then set to occur on May 25th…The day before, several VIPS and dignitaries (including Lyndon Johnson, and other Congessmen, the US Secretary of Defense, several high ranking military officials, and others) were brought to the gun emplacements, and I gave a short presentation of the gun’s and projectile’s capabilities, and the plans for the following day’s test. The day of the test, a helicopter delivered the atomic components before dawn, and we assembled them in the projectile in a trailer adjacent to the gun site. Upon assembly, we moved the projectile to the cannon and loaded it. We set deflections and aimed sites at the two aiming posts, and leveled the bubbles on the quadrants, which elevated the gun tube to the proper positions. We set a time fuse which would explode the round at the specified distance (approximately 7 miles away from the gun site and 500 feet above the target area).
The time fuses which were employed were the standard time fuses which had been used by the US Army for many years. These fuses were sometimes not reliable. So my gun crew and I had some apprehension about the atomic round possibly exploding prematurely, somewhere between the gun and our target about 7 miles away. When the order was received, we moved to nearby trenches and fired the gun remotely. Once fired, it took several seconds for the round to reach the target area and explode. When it did, there was an extremely bright and brilliant light flash, similar to thousands of electric arch welders, followed by a huge ball of fire, turning into a large mushroom, ascending to approximately 50,000 to 60,000 feet. Several moments after the blast, we felt a wind blast coming from the target area. Then several seconds later, we felt a wind blast in the opposite direction, going back in toward the target area. Then we felt a heat wave coming from the target area. It was like nothing I had ever seen…an awesome force to observe. Some time later (a few days), we went near the target area and viewed the damage to the structures which had been tested with the blast. It was almost total devastation near ground zero. We were very accurate in our shot…we missed the target area by only a few feet. Days later, we drove the guns back to Camp Nellis and loaded them on rail cars to return to Fort Sill OK.
Some other things I remember about being at Camp Desert Rock:Living facilities (sleeping quarters, latrines, and etc) at Camp Desert Rock consisted of lots of large canvas tents. Some had wooden floors and half walls, and others had dirt floors. One night, our tent blew over in the extreme wind. There were also some permanent wooden structures consisting of the Mess Hall and the Commissary, and some other military headquarters. The climate was often windy…very hot and dry during the day and very cold at night. While we were testing the gun, we normally wore fatigues and a cloth cap (no sunscreen). We normally had long days, outside from daylight until dark, 12-14 hours out in the sun most days. I remember being sunburned everyday and my lips always severely chapped and dried out due to the sun and dry climate.
While at Camp Desert Rock, we were issued badges to wear to monitor our radiation exposure. I don’t recall themever being checked. On the day we fired the hot atomic round, we wore our regular fatigues…no protective gear of any kind. I recall perhaps being given some dark glasses for viewing the blast.In Operation Upshot Knothole, there was a schedule of several planned atomic detonations. Some of the shots were tower detonations and others were bombs dropped by the U. S. Air Force. While stationed at Camp Desert Rock, I observed some of these shots. I remember many times that the dust and particles raised from these atomic blasts would drift across where we and other personnel were located. We would see the blast, then the mushroom cloud ascend, then it would start to descend over a large area. The wind would blow these hazy fine particles all around us. Incidentally, I seem to recall that if a south wind was blowing, the shot was postponed, to prevent the atomic residue from being blown into Las Vegas, located approx 60-80 miles south of Camp Desert Rock.
On weekends when possible, I would go into Camp Nellis and stay at the BOQ (bachelor’s officers quarters). This was a nice indoor facility with clean linens, and hot showers…all for economical price of $1 per night. Also, I would go into Las Vegas. I remember going to the Desert Inn. They had a very elaborate late evening buffet. One night, Debbie Reynolds played blackjack at the same table where I was seated. She was pleasant and charming.
Sometimes when I was in Vegas, when other Upshot Knothole
atomic detonations were scheduled, I remember that many people in downtown Vegas would
pour out into the streets and observe these shots. We could see the blasts and mushroom
clouds clearly from over 60 or so miles away.
G. L. Shafer
Email: Holly Bean
Keith Whittle
December 30, 2003
Operation Upshot/Knothole