Evening star., 1952-05-04
By Elton c. Foy

AUleTlCdIlS may get auOCIl6r aIlC
more graphic look at an atomic
bomb explosion to show them in
particular what would happen tc
homes, factories and Offices under
enemy attack. =
The last look was a little dis
appointing to all. but the handful
of observers out on the Nevada
desert proving ground on April %
Millions of citizens turned from
their television screens with an
impression of having seen a dis
tant and apparently harmless
blob of smoke, followed by a mild
bang.
Technical limitations and safety
and security restrictions placed on
the television recording, together
with the conditions under which
the bomb was exploded, may have
produced widespread conviction
that an atomic bomb Is just an
other weapon.
Civilian Defense Request.
The plan for another publicly
recorded demonstration, which is
understood to be under considera-
ton by the Atomic Energy Com
mission and the Defense Depart
ment, isn't designed primarily to
put the atomic bomb back in true
public focus.
Chiefly, the proposal arises out
iof a request by civilian defense
officials for an actual test and
demonstration, here in the United
States, on sample structures of all
types, including bomb-proof shel-
tiers and duplicates of homes and
office buildings designed to with
stand reasonably close atomic ex-
plosions. Civil defense leaders
want to participate in such test.
More than 100 representatives
of national and State civil defense
organizations saw the April %
test explosion at Yucca Flats, but
that test was only for nuclear ef-
Ificiency of a bomb and against
types of military targets unre-
lated to civil defense tanks, guns,
aircraft. Troops were in foxholes.
Probably Set for Next Year.
The plan reported to be under
study now is to stage another
demonstration - probably next
year, because there is insufficient
time and money for such a test in
the current Nevada series-with
civilian defense the motif. g..
And the next time, say some of
those familiar with the project.
Itelevision and newsreel cameras
and observers should be closer to
the blast, nearer to a real ringside
seat.
Technical difficulties encoun-
tered in publicly recording the
April % shot will be guarded
against in another demonstration.
Bad Stage Appearance.
Circumstances under which the
Exercise Desert Rock w" bomb
was exploded nitigated against a
good stage appearance for the
weapon. Among them were these
| !. The bomb was exploded
higher than any previous airburst
explosion. Dropped with ilncanny
accuracy from a bomber flying at
80, 900 feet altitude, the bomb burst
at $500 feet, its intended level, and
only 184 feet from the aiming
point. The military wanted the
Explosion at high altitude to give
it a broader coverage area for
tactical purposes. Y
Used as a strategic weapon
lagainst industrial targets or cities,
lit is blown at lower altitude to in
Icrease the effects Of blast. heat and
radiation.
2. Observers and cameras, in
cluding the primary television
camera. were 10 miles from the
blast. Motion pictures taken by
Army Signal Corps photographers
in the foxholeS with troops. four
miles from the blast, were drama
tic. impressive recordings of the
furious explosion.
TV Camera Fizzled.
Klaus Landsberg, general man
lager of the Los Angeles television
station KTLA. pioneered in the
first live" television broadcast of
an atomic explosion-and he was
handicapped by such troubles as
beset all pioneers. Although he
had the help of the Acc. marine
helicopters to get relay transmit
ters to position, and of the Signal
Corps, they couldn't prevent a
power failure for his main camera,
which occurred at the crucial mo-
ment of the explosion.
This camera, at the observers
site, was equipped with q telephoto
lens to pull the view close up to
the camera. MIR. Landsberg, as a
precaution. had set up Q second
camera on a distant mountain
But this camera was fitted with q
"wide-angle" lens for covering a
broad picture area. It had no tel
escopic power. It was this camera
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