W19 (nuclear artillery shell) explained

The W19, also called Katie, was an American nuclear artillery shell, derived from the earlier W9 shell. The W19 was fired from a special 11inches howitzer. It was introduced in 1955 and retired in 1963.^{[1] [2]}

Specifications

The W19 was 11inch in diameter, 54inch long, and weighed 600lbs. It had a yield of 15–20 kilotons and was like its predecessor the W9, a gun-type nuclear weapon.

Variants

W23

The W19 nuclear system was adapted into a nuclear artillery shell for the US Navy's 16-inch (406 mm) main battery found on the Iowa-class battleships, the W23. Production of the W23 began in 1956 and they were in service until 1962, with a total of 50 units being produced.

The W23 was 16 inches (406 mm) in diameter and 64inches long, with a weight given variously as 1500lbs1900lbs in reference sources. As with the W19, yield was 15–20 kilotons.

See also

• Nuclear artillery
• List of nuclear weapons
• W9

External links

• Allbombs.html webpage listing all US nuclear weapons, at nuclearweaponarchive.org

Notes and References

1. Book: Cochran . Thomas B. . Arkin . William M. . Hoenig . Milton M. . Nuclear Weapons Databook: U.S. Nuclear Forces and Capabilities . 1984 . Ballinger Publishing Company, Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc . 7, 12, 35 . 13 February 2024.
2. Norris . Robert S. . Kristensen . Hans M. . U.S. Nuclear Warheads, 1945–2009 . Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists . 1 July 2009 . 65 . 4 . 13 February 2024.