Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wasatch!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: pierson@cimnet.dec.com Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Seacoast Mortars and Nukes Message-ID: <8630@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 27 Jul 89 11:30:55 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 37 Approved: military@att.att.com From: pierson@cimnet.dec.com SEACOAST FORTIFICATIONS of the UNITED STATES, Emanuel Raymond Lewis, 1970, 1979, discusses the coast defense mortars. The standard ca 1900- 1910 was a 12 inch, in pits of 4 (later 2). After WWI some railway mounts appeared (this is in addition to the better known 16 inch railway rifles). 700 lb projectile, 15,000 yd range, 1500 fps MV. Tampa, Fla. Fort DeSoto Park is the only site listed with seacoast mortars still in place, having been abandoned in 1930's. Most of the guns and mortars were used for scrap metal during or after WWII. =================== About Nukes, (separate topic 8)>>) one reference is US NUCLEAR WEAPONS, by Chuck Hansen, ISBN 0617 56740-7 (If I copied it correctly). Hansen was involved in the "flap" in Wisconsin(?) 10 years ago over publication of "classified" stuff on H Bombs. He won that by demonstrating that the stuff had already been declassified. He has followed up with 300 "coffee table" sized pages of history, technology and pictures on the weapons. With LOTS of footnotes. Its approximately $30, I am reading a borrowed copy... I personally heard the "nuclear hand grenade" story (throwable x meters, lethal radius x+10 meters) ca 1960, at which point it was _always_ identified as a joke. The smallest yields in Hansen are on the order of 2 tons. The smallest "weapon" was the Davy Crockett nuclear round for recoilless rifle (I think). ADM's (Atomic Demolition Munition) for barrier cratering, pass blocking, etc have yields down to (below?) this range. The smallest discussed is clearly a two person load. (which also may have to do with the "two person" rule: Weapons to be serviced, etc, by two persons, always.) thanks dave pierson Digital Equipment Corporation |The opinions are my own 600 Nickerson Rd |The facts as true as I can manage Marlboro, Mass 01742