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Description and History: 1526-1972
FIGURE 1-50. THE ISLAND CHAIN AND CRATER AFTER EVENT MIKE.
effects and caused the United States to enlarge the oceanic area in which
i
fishing and shipping would be excluded.84
OPERATION REDWING: MAY-JULY 1956
|
In 1953, the United States had established the pattern of testing in the |
Pacific and in Nevada on alternate years. This was continuedin 1956, when '
il of the [7 shots of Operation Redwing were fired at Enewetak and the
other six were conductedat Bikini. Most of the yields from this series were
classified and only the Seminole Event at 13.7 KT and the Lacrosse Event
at 40 KT were announced. Of the Enewetak events, two were carried out
on island surfaces, six were tower shots, and two were barge shots.
Additionally, the first air drop of a thermonuclear bomb was executed,
with a yield of several megatons. The Redwing series at Enewetak
extended from 4 Mayto 2! July 1956.
Seminole, one of the surface shots, removed a good part of Boken
(Irene) Island in much the same manner as Mike removed Elugelab. The
other surface shot was Lacrosse, which formed a large crater on the
northern reef of Runit. The shot tower on Aomon for Event Kickapoo of
the Redwing series is shown at Figure 1-SI.