From the late 1940s until the conclusion of the Cold War, a fervent arms race unfolded between the United States and the Soviet Union. Both nations expanded their military arsenals, engaging in tests that, unsurprisingly, resulted in accidents. A noteworthy incident transpired in 1958 in Mars Bluff, South Carolina.
The United States continued developing bombs after World War II
World War II was a brutal and devastating conflict. In the summer of 1945, the US brought it to a close by deploying the atomic bombs Little Boy and Fat Man on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nevertheless, the nation’s efforts in developing advanced and more potent nuclear weaponry persisted.
Development of the Mk 6 nuclear bomb
The Mk 6 nuclear bomb, a successor to the explosive dropped on Nagasaki during WWII, saw various iterations. The design process spanned from 1951-55, and it remained in active service until 1962. During this period, over 1,000 were manufactured, each with different nuclear yield capacities.
The US Air Force aimed to ensure that its pilots were proficient in operating aircraft equipped with these bombs in the event of a conflict with Russia. Consequently, the Mk 6 nuclear bomb featured prominently in training exercises. Throughout the 1950s, some of these bombs were accidentally deployed, and these incidents were referred to by the US military as “broken arrows.”
A Mk 6 nuclear bomb is dropped on Mars Bluff, South Carolina
On March 11, 1958, a Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber took off from Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, with members of the 375th Bombardment Squadron, 308th Bombardment Wing. The aircraft was en route to the United Kingdom, with plans to then proceed to North Africa as part of Operation Snow Flurry, where pilots would simulate bomb drops in a timed training exercise.
Despite the exercise nature of the mission, the aircraft’s crew felt the pressure of being timed. Before takeoff, they’d encountered difficulties securing the Mk 6 nuclear bomb in the bomb bay. To address this, they placed the explosive in a sling and attempted to engage the steel locking pin with a hammer. While the mechanism unlocked during takeoff as per procedure, it failed to re-engage once the B-47 was safely airborne.
Navigator and bombardier Capt. Bruce Kulka was informed of the issue. During his inspection, he inadvertently pulled the emergency release pin, causing the bomb to plummet between 15,000-20,000 feet to the ground. Additionally, Kulka found himself in a precarious situation, nearly falling out of the open bomb bay. He grabbed onto something and managed to pull himself to safety, narrowly avoiding a fatal fall.
The Mk 6 nuclear bomb crashed into a playhouse constructed by a man named Bill Gregg for his children. At the time of impact, Gregg’s children were playing approximately 200 feet away. The blast obliterated the playhouse and left a 70-foot-wide crater. Gregg, his children, and his wife all sustained injuries, and seven nearby buildings suffered damage.
Reaction to the Mars Bluff Incident
Remarkably, none of those injured in the explosion suffered serious injuries, as the fissile nuclear core of the Mk 6 nuclear bomb was situated in a different section of the B-47. What detonated was the contained TNT. If a full-scale nuclear blast had happened, it would have caused extreme devastation.
Military officials were at the scene within a few hours. The Gregg family, who lost everything in the detonation, filed a lawsuit against the Air Force and were awarded $54,000. Despite the damage, Bill Gregg maintained a sense of humor about the situation, later telling the local newspaper, “I’ve always wanted a swimming pool, and now I’ve got a hole for one at no cost.”
Legacy of the Mars Bluff Incident
The nearly catastrophic event came to be recognized as the “Mars Bluff Incident,” garnering attention from both local and international media.
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It also played a role in prompting a shift in the US Air Force’s approach to conducting training exercises, given the frequency of such accidents, which the military had been reluctant to acknowledge. Soon after, the service stopped the practice of carrying nuclear bombs during training missions.