Project Seal: A Backup to the Atomic Bomb
The secret mission aimed at developing a tsunami-causing weapon in World War II.
Innovation Fueled By War
World War II brought rapid advances in technological advancement. Many were developed as a response to painful lessons learned or unique needs. Customized solutions occurred across several fields.
Ships, vehicles, tanks and arms. Navigation, communications, and medicine. Small arms, missiles, and atomic weapons. Rapid advances occurred at a disorienting rate. Yet there’s one innovative weapon in development that was shelved on account of a discovery in New Mexico.
Secret Mission Down Under
It was 1944 and the United States had teamed up with New Zealand to start developing a new weapon. A weapon they deemed equally as important as the atomic bomb. The highly classified experiment was known as Project Seal. And its objective was to create a weapon that would create a tsunami.
The idea was conceived in the mind of the American naval officer E.A. Gibson. He sought to take out coastal defenses and cities by producing an artificial tsunami. The idea was shared with New Zealand’s War Cabinet.
After reaching an agreement for joint development, preliminary tests began in New Caledonia. In early 1944, scientists from Auckland University conducted trials off Noumea’s coast. The early results were promising.
Ramping Up Their Efforts
In May of 1944, New Zealand’s Array Research Unit began conducting more rigorous tests. To generate the type of wave they were after, they needed a new bomb. And a whole new set of technologies.
One hundred and fifty people assigned to the unity began developing specialized equipment. Remote-wave recording devices, radio-controlled firing mechanisms, and those specialized marine explosives.
Formal operations began on June 6, 1944 - yes the same day the Allies stormed Normandy. There were needs for backup plans should the amphibious assault fail. A tsunami causing bomb could be helpful in future amphibious assaults.
When British and American scientists caught wind that there was a project centered around deep-sea explosions, they had to see for themselves. Upon invitation, they went to observe. Over 3,700 experimental explosions the project conducted.
Varying sizes and types of explosives were tried. Scientists quickly learned that deep explosions would not elicit the type of waves they wanted. They also learned that one charge could not create the tsunami they desired.
For the idea to be a success, they needed a line of massive charges along the coast. They would all need to be detonated simultaneously. Even then, the best they could do was a wave estimated to reach 10-12 meters in height.
Success Leads to a Scrapped Mission
As the team worked on Project Seal, the Allies continued their march across Europe. They had also gained a foothold in the Pacific Theatre. With the momentum of the war turning towards the Allies, and news of progress from New Mexico, Project Seal’s priority was reduced. It was eventually shelved.
It is worth mentioning that the Allies weren’t the only ones who considered this tactic as a weapon. The Soviets explored a torpedo with a 100-megaton warhead in the early 1960s. Their hope was that with the perfect timing, the explosion would generate a tsunami.
As recently as 2018, Russia had plans for a weapon called the Poseidon Torpedo. An unmanned underwater vehicle, the Russians hoped it could create a massive tsunami.
History for the Hurried:
March 23, 1775: Patrick Henry ignited the American Revolution. At the Virginia convention in Richmond, he declared, "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"
March 25, 1807: The British Parliament abolished the slave trade following a long campaign against it by Quakers and others.