The M65 Atomic Cannon was a towed artillery piece built by the United States and capable of firing a nuclear device. As part of Operation Upshot-Knothole, the test shot GRABLE was a test of the Atomic Cannon. The GRABLE Test was the first time an artillery-fired atomic projectile was utilized, and it remains the only nuclear artillery shell ever fired in the U.S. nuclear weapons test program.
The GRABLE Test occurred on May 25, 1953, and would have been visible from this site. The Atomic Cannon launching the GRABLE Test was located in a part of the Nevada Test Site called Frenchman Flat, approximately 14.0 miles north of this location. The detonation occurred approximately 20.4 miles north of here, with a yield of about 15 kilotons.
Click on the image below to view the M65 Atomic Cannon and the GRABLE Test.
