long duration positive-phase air blast.
Six steel-frame industrial buildings were tested in Operation Redwing:

three drag-type structures, 30 ft in height, 40 ft in span, and 40 ft in
length; and three semidrag-type structures, 30 ft in height, 40 ft in span,
and 80 ft in length. These buildings were located on Yurochi and on three
man-made islands along the shallow reef between Yurochi and Namu. The
locations from GZ were selected at such range distances (20,500, 24, 000,

29,000, and 36,000 ft) as to produce expected degrees of damage ranging
from severe to moderate deformation.
~
=
-Because of a gross bombing error for the chars

all structures were subjected to pressures higher than expec

and suliered

complete collapse; therefore, the planned gradation of damage was not
achieved.

However, a qualitative demonstration of the effectiveness of the long

duration positive blast phase was achieved, since one drag structure collapsed at a lower overpressure than that which an identical structure on
Operation Teapot received without collapse. This agrees with theoretical

studies which have indicated that, for drag-type targets, as the length of the
positive phase of the blast wave increases, the overpressure required to
cause a given degree of damage decreases.
Analytical studies will be made of the test results obtained during
Redwing and Teapot in an effort to determine the magnitude of the bonus
effect of the long duration of the positive phase.

2.1.4

Program 4, Biomedical Effects
The only project in this program was Project 4.1, Chorioretinal Burns,

by Air Force School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

It was a sequel to a study in 1953 during Operation Upshot-Knothole. In
the latter study, weapons of about 20 kt produced burns in the eyes of
rabbits at distances of 2 to 42.5 statute miles from GZ. On all studies >

‘prior toOperation Redwing, rabbits were the only experimental animals
used to evaluate ocular damage.

Four cases of accidental human burns were

produced at distances of 2 to 10 statute miles.

The present study was designed to furnish additional information on
the requirements for protection against retinal burns, utilizing both rabbits
and monkeys as experimental animals. The effectiveness of various parts
of the power pulse was evaluated as to its ability to produce chorioretinal
burns on rabbits and monkeys. This was accomplished by two series of
time-fractionating shutters.

increasing intervals of time.

The first group, open at time zero, closed at

The second series, closed at time zero, were

open for preselected time increments during the flash.

- 32 -

The feasibility of

Select target paragraph3