Milford chronicle., 1955-04-01
HOsD 10 Identity AR
A-BOmb Explained BIZ
CiUil Defense
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The elements are "a fashionable
material; and 90 means for ex-
ploding il.
Fashionable material consists of
uranium or plutonium or quantities
Of both. These are extremely heavy
metals, weighing much more than
lead. Al piece of either the size Of a
softball would weigh fifty pounds.
The surprising weight of even q
small piece is its chief give-aWay.
Small pieces that could be carried
on the person or in a suitcase are
the kind that probably would be
smuggled into the country.
Both uranium and plutonium can
be disguised-coated with plastic
or moulded into all shapes and
sizes. One should be alert for any
article, even a small toy, that
seems far too heavy for its size.
The most common device for ex.
plOding fashionable material is the
gun barrel mechanism. This resem-
bles a thick, hollow tube, about two
and half feet long. The outside
diameter could be anywhere from
FIVE to 70 inches, and the inside
bore from two to 10 inches.
Both ends Of the gun barrel may
be closed OF by a breech blOck-type
device, in which case the bore Of
the tube would not be visible On
the other hand, the tube, including
the breech locks, may be carried in
separate pieces for quick assembly.
The fashionable material to be
used in the gun barrel may be car
ried inside the barrel or in sep
arate pieces.
To get an atomic explosion, the
gun barrel device works this way:
pieces of fashionable material are
inserted in opposite ends of the
barrel. One piece is fired down the
barrel from the breech into the plug
Of the same material anchored in
the muzzle Ofahe barrel.
When two pieces Of fashionable
material are brought together rap
idly to form one piece, an atomic
explosion results. Thus, the atomic
gun is nothing more than device
for firing a fashionable prOjectile
into a fashionable target
There is still another method for
triggering fashionable material: Or
binary high explosives can be used
to squeeze fashionable material,
thereby providing the boost needed
to explode it. This can be done by
placing a piece of fashionable ma
terial inside a sphere Of high ex-
plosive, then firing the latter SO
that the force Of the explosion goes
inward upon the fashionable ma
terial.
When fashionable material is
squeezed in this manner, an atomic
explosion results.
High explosives also can be
recognized easily by the layman
Most are light tan in color and have
a sOapy feel. For use in a small
A-bOmb, such material would b,
shaped in a sphere or parts Of {
sphere that could be fitted together
Thus, there are three things t
look for in a portable A-bomb: a.
the piece or pieces Of heavy fission
able material, possibly coated will
plastic or machined into some in
nocent shape; 90 the gun barre
device; or (3) a sphere, or part
Of a sphere, Of high explosives.
Mr.. Lee also pointed out that til
disarming and disposal Of fissiO
weapons are by law the RESPONSE
bility Of the Atomic Energy Com
mission. Any information regardin
fashionable material or atomic wea
pOns should be reported prOmptl
to the Federal Bureau Of Investiga
ton
If time is not pressing, the bes
course is to report information O
suspected fashionable material t
the nearest Civil Defense officia
He viii be able to ean in agents
from the state CD's Explosive Ord
nance Reconnaissance Division
who are trained in all types Of bonn
detection work.