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"Davy Crockett" US M388 Supercaliber Atomic Projectile. US M28 Light System Delivery.
For a time in the early portions of the Cold War, military planners anticipated that atomic weapons might be used in large scale conflicts of the future. Both the Soviet Union and the United States worked on the tactical use of atomic weapons made possible by the miniaturization of nuclear components. In 1950, a 280mm atomic cannon was developed in the United States, as were later close support weapons such as the Honest John and Davy Crockett.
Named for the famous Tennessee frontiersman, US Congressman and martyr of the Alamo, the Davy Crockett consists of a 279mm atomic projectile fired from a 120mm recoilless gun. A fixed-round charge of propellant and a separate piston, could launch the approximately 1 kiloton-yield projectile to a range of 2,000 meters.
By the late 1960's, the limitations of the Davy Crockett were recognized, and it was withdrawn from the military arsenal. |