British Nuclear Device Exploded In Pacific

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28573, 30 April 1958, Page 20

British Nuclear Device Exploded In Pacific

(N-Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, April 28. A nuclear device— assumed to be a hydrogen bomb—was exploded successfully high over the Central Pacific today. v A statement from the Ministry Snpply tonight, announcing this, said that early indications were that the fallout would “again be negligible.” The Ministry would not confirm that it was an explosion in the megaton range, but observers thought there was no doubt that it was.

The belief was that Britain had tested a reliable, fairly cheap, and relatively “clean” hydrogen weapon.

If so, it was Britain’s fifth hydrogen bomb explosion within about 12 months in the Christmas Island area of the Pacific. A Ministry statement said: “The Minister of Supply (Mr Aubrey Jones) has received a report from Air Vice Marshal John Grandy, a Task Force Commander, Christmas Island, that a British nuclear device was successfully exploded at a high altitude over the Central Pacific today.

“The scientific measurements are being collected for accurate evaluation.

“Early indications are that fallcut will again be negligible.” The explosion was foreshadowed last week bv a warning to shipping from the Admiralty. This said that from April 26 a 37,000-square-miles area of the Pacific would be dangerous to shipping because of a test of a British nuclear weapon. Last year, Britain exploded four hydrogen bombs in the Christmas Island area. A Ministry spokesman, asked whether it was an explosion in the megaton range (a hydrogen bomb), said: “I can add nothing to the statement. However, it will be recalled that previous tests at Christmas Island were in the megaton range.” Fall-out tests were immediately made by high-flying Canberra aircraft using special equipment. Russian Decision By exploding the weapon. Britain became the first country to do so since the Russian decision to terminate hydrogen and atomic weapon tests. Today’s explosion came 28 days after the Supreme Soviet adopted a resolution on this unilateral termination of tests. The Russian announcement expressed the hope that “the Parliaments of other States possessing atomic and hydrogen weapons will do everything to terminate •test explosions of these weapons by their countries as well.” The Admiralty announced tonight that four warships and two fleet auxiliary vessels made up

the Naval contribution to the current tests. In addition, the Navy was manning Port London, where its base has been given the ship name H.M.S. Resolution. The Admiralty named the warships as the destroyer Cavalier, the frigate Ulysses, the New Zealand frigate Pukaki (commanded by Lieutenant-Commander W. B. Elliott, R.N.Z.N.), the tank landing ship Narvik, the store ship Fort Beauharnois and the oiler Wave Ruler. An Admiralty statement said: “In the course of the test programme, Ulysses, Cavalier and Pukaki have had the important task of weather reporting and patrol duties, while Narvik has been employed in communications with out-lying islands. “Fort Beauharnois and Wave Ruler have been engaged in supplying food to the island and fuels for aircraft and ships respectively.” The Air Ministry has disclosed that many types of Royal Air Force aircraft are being used in the programme in different roles. The weapon was dropped from a four-jet Vickers Valiant—the first of Britain’s V bombers to go into operational service. None of the Valiant’s crew had flown in any of the previous Christmas Island tests, it was learned at the Air Ministry. They were protected from the glare by special steel window shields and their aircraft was painted white to deflect the heat.