Military history

The Day We Lost the H-Bomb: Cold War, Hot Nukes, and the Worst Nuclear Weapons Disaster in History

The Day We Lost the H-Bomb: Cold War, Hot Nukes, and the Worst Nuclear Weapons Disaster in History

On January 17, 1966, a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber exploded over the sleepy Spanish farming village of Palomares during a routine airborne refueling. The explosion killed seven airmen and scattered the bomber’s payload–four unarmed thermonuclear bombs–across miles of coastline. Three of the rogue H-bombs were recovered quickly. Tracking down the fourth required the largest search-and-salvage operation in U.S. military history.

JANUARY

Chapter 1: Mighty SAC

Chapter 2: The Accident

Chapter 3: The First Twenty-four Hours

Chapter 4: The Ambassador

Chapter 5: Parachutes

Chapter 6: Call In the Navy

FEBRUARY

Chapter 7: Villa Jarapa

Chapter 8: Alvin and the Deep, Dark Sea

Chapter 9: The Fisherman's Clue

Chapter 10: Guest Charts a Course

Chapter 11: The Fisherman's Catch

Chapter 12: Radioactividad

MARCH

Chapter 13: Spin Control

Chapter 14: The Photograph

Chapter 15: POODL versus the Bomb

APRIL

Chapter 16: Hooked

Epilogue

Bibliography

Notes

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