Kilian CAVALOTTI wrote:
On Thursday 19 June 2008 10:11:18 am you wrote:
To add some more OT stuff to this thread, I don't think a nuclear
weapon has ever been used (or even considered being used) to kill
troops on a battlefield.
look up "tactical nukes". These were the USA's only hope of
defending Europe from a Soviet ground invasion.
Well, what would have been the effect of launching nuclear weapons to
defend Europe in case of a Soviet invasion? They would have been either
launched to where the Soviet troops actually were, ie, on Europe, with
the main effect of wiping up the countries they were supposed to
protect. Not so appealing.
Or, and it's probably the most plausible scenario, they would have been
aimed to USSR, and likely to major cities, where they would have killed
mostly civilians, not troops. With the hope that the Soviet government
would withdraw from Europe.
This is terribly off topic, but you are thinking of strategic nuclear weapons.
You couldn't aim a tactical nuke at a city in the USSR unless you were a mile or
so from the city. These were small rocket or artillery fired warheads of less
than 100 pounds. Tactical nukes are not large enough to destroy cities. The
main effect would not be wiping out the countries they were meant to protect,
the main effect would be to wipe out large tank formations and make small areas
temporarily irradiated to block the movement of troops.
That's why I think nuclear weapons are hardly a mean to kill military
troops on a battlefield.
Strategic nukes, no. Tactical nukes, yes.
--
Glen L. Beane
Software Engineer
The Jackson Laboratory
Phone (207) 288-6153
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