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that fired the live nuclear shot. It was restored in 2010 and is now displayed with prime movers replacing those that were lost in an accident when the cannon was retrieved from
Germany by the museum in 1964. After the initial test, it was mistakenly switched with a different cannon. The mistake was
434:
each. The cannons weighed 83.3 tons, were 84 feet long, 16.1 feet wide, and 12.2 feet tall. Operated by a crew of 5-7 artillerymen, the cannon fired 280mm caliber shells that weighed 600 pounds and had a range of 7-20 miles. The atomic yield of the shells could be anywhere from 15-20 kilotons. They
348:
turns on 28-foot (8.5 m) wide paved or packed roads. The artillery piece could be unlimbered in 12 minutes, then returned to traveling configuration in another 15 minutes. The gun was deployed by lowering it from the tractors onto levelled ground. The whole gun assembly was balanced on a ball
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were deployed overseas to Europe and Korea, and frequently shifted around to avoid being detected and targeted by opposing forces. Due to the size of the apparatus, their limited range, the development of nuclear shells compatible with existing artillery pieces (the
329:, chief of the ballistics section of the ordnance department's research and development division. A three-year developmental effort followed. The project proceeded quickly enough to produce a demonstration model to participate in
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511:
discovered 10 years later prompting a search for the original weapon. The search was concluded successfully in West
Germany 1964, following which the cannon was decontaminated and restored.
463:
tactical nuclear missiles), the M65 was effectively obsolete soon after it was deployed. However, it remained a prestige weapon and was not retired until 1963. In that same year, the
344:. Each of the tractors was rated at 375 horsepower (280 kW), and the somewhat awkward combination could achieve speeds of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) and negotiate
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was tasked with creating a nuclear-capable artillery piece. Robert
Schwartz, the engineer who created the preliminary designs, essentially scaled up the
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and socket joint so that it could be swung around the footplate. The traverse was limited by a curved track placed under the rear of the gun.
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407:, which was a recoilless smooth-bore gun firing the warhead mounted on the end of a spigot inserted in the barrel of the weapon.)
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warhead) at a range of 7 miles (11 km). This was the first and only nuclear shell to be fired from a cannon. (The
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T1 Gun, one of two produced as part of a separate design program which was abandoned in favor of the T131
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418:, testing of the M65 artillery on 5/25/1953. The footage at normal speed is about 2 and a half minutes.
1152:
1189:
333:'s inaugural parade in January 1953. The gun was initially designated T131 and the carriage was T72.
61:
803:
882:
Atomic
America: How a Deadly Explosion and a Feared Admiral Changed the Course of Nuclear History
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The cannon was transported by two specially designed tractors in the same manner as railroad
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19:"Atomic Annie" redirects here. For the French businesswoman and nuclear power advocate, see
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Of the twenty M65s produced, at least seven survive on display. Most no longer have their
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942:; Burr, William (1 November 1999). "Appendix B: Deployments by Country, 1951-1977".
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The W9 280mm nuclear artillery shell as equipped, and fired from, the M65.
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prototype of the M65. The weapon at the museum is actually a conventional
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On May 25, 1953, at 8:30 a.m., the atomic cannon was tested at the
564:, the manufacturing facility where all the pieces were all manufactured
539:
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The M65 fired the W9 nuclear artillery shell, first tested during the
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Atomic Cannon program. Both the T1 and T131/M65 share T72 carriages.
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device. It was developed in the early 1950s, at the beginning of the
239:
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After the successful test, at least 20 cannons were manufactured at
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shot in 1953, yielding 15 kilotons, about the same strength as the
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given to a pair of German K5 guns which were employed against the
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nuclear artillery shell came into service with the US Army.
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piece built by the United States and capable of firing a
515:
United States Army
Ordnance Training and Heritage Center
383:; it resulted in the successful detonation of a 15
658:
List of U.S. Army weapons by supply catalog designation
250:; and fielded between April 1955 and December 1962, in
1165:
Atomic Annie fired during NATO Exercise
Keystone, 1954
730:
728:
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724:
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451:), and the development of rocket- and missile-based
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as a point of departure for the carriage. (The name
1157:is available for free viewing and download at the
1154:The 280 mm Gun at the Nevada Proving Ground (1953)
1049:"Historic Fort Sill Cannon to Receive Restoration"
715:
1171:
846:
844:
842:
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585:has been erroneously identified as possessing a
525:National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
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370:Chairman-delegate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
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364:series of nuclear tests. The test—codenamed "
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1195:Military equipment introduced in the 1950s
521:, with the two large prime movers attached
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102:12 feet 2 inches (3.71 m)
1185:Cold War artillery of the United States
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802:Pursglove, S. David (1 February 1963).
156:double recoil, ball and socket traverse
1172:
1035:"RIA Self-Guided Tour: 'Atomic Annie'"
878:
810:. Davis Publications. pp. 50–54.
795:
1131:"Informational Didactic for T1 Gun".
1061:from the original on 28 November 2016
302:(then the maximum in the arsenal) to
1015:from the original on 3 February 2020
931:
853:"M65 Atomic Cannon - "Atomic Annie""
804:"What Happened to the Atomic Cannon"
783:from the original on 7 December 2020
737:"M65 Atomic Cannon - Specifications"
195:2,500 feet per second (760 m/s)
1080:Crawley, Jeff (16 September 2010).
1003:Berliner III, Sam (13 April 2020).
203:approximately 20 miles (30 km)
13:
473:
378:United States Secretary of Defense
14:
1206:
1145:
945:Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
317:likely derives from the nickname
78:78,410 kg; 86.433 short tons
833:– via theatomiccannon.com.
639:
627:
607:
200:Effective firing range
36:
16:Cold War US heavy towed howitzer
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634:View from the front prime mover
622:1958 deployment in Korea (film)
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996:
958:10.1080/00963402.1999.11460395
872:
773:"280mm Atomic Annie Artillery"
698:"History of the Atomic Cannon"
1:
1009:Sam Berliner's Ordnance Pages
879:Tucker, Todd (3 March 2009).
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306:and used the similarly sized
42:A preserved M65 atomic cannon
498:U.S. Army Artillery Museum,
125:280 millimeters (11 in)
7:
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405:Davy Crockett weapon system
10:
1211:
1107:"Atomic Annie on the move"
1082:"Atomic Annie on the Move"
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300:240 mm howitzer shell
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554:Watervliet Arsenal Museum
414:Full uncut detonation of
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58:Place of origin
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35:
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482:An M65 atomic cannon at
323:Allied landings in Italy
62:United States of America
531:, with two prime movers
529:Albuquerque, New Mexico
506:. This is the original
484:Aberdeen Proving Ground
583:Newport News, Virginia
487:
419:
416:Upshot-Knothole Grable
368:"—was attended by the
342:extra-long fire trucks
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276:Upshot-Knothole Grable
182:360° (by moving float)
1057:. 14 September 2010.
549:Rock Island, Illinois
536:Junction City, Kansas
481:
413:
273:
52:Heavy towed artillery
1005:"Atomic Cannon Page"
808:Science and Mechanic
562:Watervliet, New York
519:Petersburg, Virginia
381:Charles Erwin Wilson
331:Dwight D. Eisenhower
221:W9 (nuclear warhead)
191:Muzzle velocity
94:10 feet (3.0 m)
1137:. 19 February 2019.
1134:Virginia War Museum
1113:. 16 September 2010
938:Norris, Robert S.;
779:. 5 February 2014.
579:Virginia War Museum
568:Yuma Proving Ground
545:Rock Island Arsenal
86:85 feet (26 m)
887:Simon and Schuster
858:GlobalSecurity.org
742:GlobalSecurity.org
664:2A3 Kondensator 2P
558:Watervliet Arsenal
547:, Memorial Field,
488:
428:Watertown Arsenals
420:
292:
136:Welin breech block
30:M65 atomic cannon
1180:Nuclear artillery
940:Arkin, William M.
617:
453:nuclear artillery
374:Arthur W. Radford
360:) as part of the
296:Picatinny Arsenal
230:M65 atomic cannon
226:
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1190:280 mm artillery
1159:Internet Archive
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430:, at a cost of
399:test shot of a
397:Little Feller 1
362:Upshot–Knothole
311:K5 railroad gun
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232:, often called
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148:hydro-pneumatic
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21:Anne Lauvergeon
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356:(specifically
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68:Specifications
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744:. 18 May 2019
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1115:. Retrieved
1111:www.army.mil
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1089:. Retrieved
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1075:
1063:. Retrieved
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1029:
1017:. Retrieved
1008:
998:
952:(6): 66–67.
949:
943:
933:
923:– via
881:
874:
862:. Retrieved
857:
827:. Retrieved
807:
797:
785:. Retrieved
776:
746:. Retrieved
741:
705:. Retrieved
701:
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508:Atomic Annie
507:
492:prime movers
489:
421:
351:
335:
318:
315:Atomic Annie
314:
293:
288:World War II
252:West Germany
235:Atomic Annie
234:
233:
229:
227:
1091:13 February
1065:13 February
1019:13 February
864:13 February
829:14 February
748:13 February
660:(SNL D-57)?
595:280 mm
591:240 mm
587:240 mm
461:Honest John
457:Little John
449:203 mm
441:155 mm
432:US$ 800,000
346:right-angle
319:Anzio Annie
304:280 mm
256:South Korea
179:7.5° (fine)
1174:Categories
1117:2023-04-29
905:2008013842
787:11 October
675:References
540:Fort Riley
424:Watervliet
372:, Admiral
280:Little Boy
990:470268256
974:0096-3402
966:1938-3282
921:16752530M
913:218189183
816:0036-8202
500:Fort Sill
391:) shell (
387:(63
294:In 1949,
284:Hiroshima
240:artillery
238:, was an
162:Elevation
1086:army.mil
1059:Archived
1013:Archived
982:48034039
781:Archived
652:See also
504:Oklahoma
447:for the
443:and the
439:for the
248:Cold War
216:armament
172:Traverse
153:Carriage
1054:KSWO-TV
824:1765193
707:4 March
669:2B1 Oka
601:Gallery
403:used a
286:during
266:History
260:Okinawa
258:and on
244:nuclear
121:Caliber
988:
980:
972:
964:
919:
911:
903:
893:
822:
814:
366:Grable
308:German
144:Recoil
131:Breech
99:Height
83:Length
962:eISSN
468:155mm
91:Width
1093:2021
1067:2021
1021:2021
986:OCLC
978:LCCN
970:ISSN
909:OCLC
901:LCCN
891:ISBN
866:2021
831:2021
820:OCLC
812:ISSN
789:2008
750:2021
709:2019
577:The
459:and
426:and
376:and
228:The
214:Main
107:Crew
73:Mass
48:Type
954:doi
581:in
465:W48
445:W33
437:W48
401:W54
166:55°
110:5–7
1176::
1109:.
1084:.
1051:.
1011:.
1007:.
984:.
976:.
968:.
960:.
950:55
948:.
917:OL
915:.
907:.
899:.
889:.
885:.
856:.
839:^
818:.
806:.
775:.
758:^
740:.
717:^
700:.
683:^
570:,
560:,
556:,
527:,
517:,
502:,
494:.
393:W9
389:TJ
385:kt
262:.
254:,
1161:.
1120:.
1095:.
1069:.
1023:.
992:.
956::
927:.
868:.
791:.
752:.
711:.
486:.
290:.
138:-
23:.
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