page_title: British hydrogen bomb programme
section_title: Preparations
hierarchical_section_title: British hydrogen bomb programme / Testing / Preparations
caption_attribution_description: Dusky Sound, situated on the west coast of the South Island, is the largest fiord in New Zealand. It was first sighted by Captain Cook on 13 March 1770. He named it Dusky Bay because of its sombre aspect. Cook did not enter the Sound until 26 March 1773, when he returned on his second voyage. He remained in the Sound until 11 May 1773, exploring and charting the area. Cook was impressed by the wealth of birdlife in the area, and this can be seen in his naming of features such as Shag Rock, Pigeon and Parrot Isles, and Goose and Woodhen Coves. Clearings were made in the bush and an observatory was established. There was also a blacksmith's shop, a sailmaker's camp, and a brewery. Cook's headquarters were at Pickersgill Harbour on the south-east shore of the Sound. The next visitor to Dusky was George Vancouver, in the Discovery, who arrived on 2 November 1791. He stayed about three weeks, during which time he surveyed the north arm of Breaksea Sound, now called Vancouver Arm. In 1792 Captain Raven, master of the Britannia, called and left a sealing gang at Luncheon Cove on Anchor Island. They were the first temporary European residents of New Zealand. The photograph above shows the Survey Ship HMNZS Lachlan in Dusky Sound. This photograph comes from the historical photographs series, part of the Land Information New Zealand holdings at Archives New Zealand. Land Information New Zealand (Toitu te Whenua), commonly known as LINZ, was established on 1 July 1996. The National Office of LINZ, its Regional Offices and Branch Offices came into existence on the same date. LINZ had responsibility for providing New Zealand's authoritative land and seabed information. Its direct services to the public included the issue of land titles, making available Government held land information and the approval of survey plans. Archives Reference: ABWN 23196 W5480 3/44 105 (R22755259) www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=22755259 More information about Cook's sighting of Dusky Sound can be found here: www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/dusky-sound Material supplied by Archives New Zealand
context_page_description: The British hydrogen bomb programme was the ultimately successful British effort to develop hydrogen bombs between 1952 and 1958.
  During the early part of the Second World War, Britain had a nuclear weapons project, codenamed Tube Alloys. At the Quebec Conference in August 1943, British prime minister Winston Churchill and United States president Franklin Roosevelt signed the Quebec Agreement, merging Tube Alloys into the American Manhattan Project, in which many of Britain's top scientists participated. The British government trusted that America would share nuclear technology, which it considered to be a joint discovery, but the United States Atomic Energy Act of 1946 ended technical cooperation.
  Fearing a resurgence of American isolationism, and the loss of Britain's great power status, the British government resumed its own development effort, which was codenamed "High Explosive Research".
  The successful nuclear test of a British atomic bomb in Operation Hurricane in October 1952 represented an extraordinary scientific and technological achievement.
context_section_description: Implicit in the creation of a hydrogen bomb was that it would be tested. Eden, who replaced Churchill as prime minister after the latter's retirement, gave a radio broadcast in which he declared: "You cannot prove a bomb until it has exploded. Nobody can know whether it is effective or not until it has been tested."
  Testing of boosted designs was carried out by Operation Mosaic in the Monte Bello Islands in Western Australia in May and June 1956. This was a sensitive matter; there was an agreement with Australia that no thermonuclear testing would be carried out there. The Australian Minister for Supply Howard Beale, responding to rumours reported in the newspapers, asserted that "the Federal Government has no intention of allowing any, hydrogen bomb tests to take place in Australia. Nor has it any intention of allowing any experiments connected with hydrogen bomb tests to take place here."  Since the tests were connected with hydrogen bomb development, this prompted Eden to cable the Prime Minister of Australia, Robert Menzies, detailing the nature and purpose of the tests. He promised that the yield of the second, larger test would not be more than two and a half times that of the Operation Hurricane test, which was 25 kilotonnes of TNT (100 TJ). Menzies cabled his approval of the tests on 20 June 1955. The yield of the second test turned out to be 60 kilotonnes of TNT (250 TJ), which was larger than the limit of 50 kilotonnes of TNT (210 TJ) for tests in Australia.
  Another test site was therefore required. For safety and security reasons, in light of the Lucky Dragon incident, a large site remote from population centres was required. Various remote islands in the South Pacific and Southern Oceans were considered, along with Antarctica. The Admiralty suggested the Antipodes Islands, which are about 860 kilometres (530 mi) southeast of New Zealand. In May 1955, the Minister for Defence, Selwyn Lloyd, concluded that the Kermadec Islands, which lie about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) northeast of New Zealand, would be suitable. They were part of New Zealand, so Eden wrote to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sidney Holland, to ask for permission to use the islands. Holland refused, fearing an adverse public reaction in forthcoming elections. Despite reassurances and pressure from the British government, Holland remained firm. The search for a location continued, with Malden Island and McKean Island being considered. The former became the frontrunner. Three Avro Shackletons from No. 240 Squadron RAF were sent to conduct an aerial reconnaissance and Holland agreed to send the survey ship HMNZS Lachlan to conduct a maritime survey.
  The test series was given the secret codename "Operation Grapple". Air Commodore Wilfrid Oulton was appointed task force commander, with the acting rank of air vice marshal from 1 March 1956. He had a formidable task ahead of him. Nearby Christmas Island was chosen as a base. It was claimed by both Britain and the United States, but the Americans were willing to let the British use it for the tests. With pressure mounting at home and abroad for a moratorium on testing, 1 April 1957 was set as the target date. Oulton held the first meeting of the Grapple Executive Committee on New Oxford Street in London on 21 February 1956. The RAF and Royal Engineers would improve the airfield to enable it to operate large, heavily loaded aircraft, and the port and facilities would be improved to enable Christmas Island to operate as a base by 1 December 1956. It was estimated that 18,640 measurement tons (21,110 m³) of stores would be required for the construction effort alone. The tank landing ship  HMS Narvik would reprise the role of control ship it had for Operation Hurricane; but as it was also required for Operation Mosaic, it had very little time to return to the Chatham Dockyard for a refit before heading out to Christmas Island for Operation Grapple.
  Having decided on a location and date, there still remained the matter of what would be tested. John Challens, whose weapons electronics group would have to p
caption: The survey ship HMNZS Lachlan
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