Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: khearn@uts.amdahl.com (Bug Hunter)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Atomic Cannon
Message-ID: <1990Aug31.030647.23852@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 31 Aug 90 03:06:47 GMT
References: <1990Aug29.014355.7169@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 44
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: khearn@uts.amdahl.com (Bug Hunter)

In article <1990Aug29.014355.7169@cbnews.att.com> G_AHRENDT@VAXA.CC.UWA.OZ.AU (Gunter Ahrendt) writes:
>
>
>From: G_AHRENDT@VAXA.CC.UWA.OZ.AU (Gunter Ahrendt)
>I was wondering if anyone might be able to give me some (any!) information or 
>references to the Atomic Cannon the US Army was testing in the Desert in the 
>late 40's or early 50's?
>
>I think it only ever fired one shot ;)
>
>All i've seen was some footage of this HUGE cannon with a enormous amount of
>recoil blast it's projectile into the sky and seconds later a mushroom in the
>distance... 

I'm not sure exactly what is meant by "atomic cannon." If you mean a
  cannon that uses an atomic blast to fire the projectile - YOWZA!!!
  I doubt that is what was done or what you mean. If you mean a cannon
  that can fire a nuclear device, yes its been done. I don't know what
  the original tests used that you mention, but the army currently
  uses (or rather plans to use) the 203mm (8 inch) howitzer for that
  particular job. I'm not sure of the yield (and I'm sure the Army
  wouldn't tell me either), but i doubt its more that a couple of
  kilotons (much more on the battlefield would probably be overkill).  

The cannon itself is impressive, but not what I'd call 
  "HUGE". It is usually found on a M110A(somethng) carrier, which is a 
  tracked platform with the gun sitting on top. No armor. There are 
  a couple of "spades" that extend into the ground from the back to 
  keep the recoil from rolling it into the next county. I've never 
  seen the nuclear round go off (obviously), but I have seen a 
  conventional 203mm round hit, and I was impressed. You could feel 
  it in your chest from over a mile away.

Keith

-- 
Keith Hearn               \    Four is greater than three,
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