An item reported that the US minister of navy Charles S. Thomas (1) announced on a press conference at Los Angeles that the USA now possessed a new secret weapon eliminating a eventually submarine warfare. Of course he could not supply more details than it was a important defence weapon against the large Soviet submarine fleet. The US navy was much ahead of their opponent. Aircraft carriers like the Forrestal could attack any spot on this world. In the last years was the US navy included her submarines switched from steam to nuclear propulsion and in the air she had supersonic aircraft.
The edition dated 25 October 1957 paid again attention to this topic. The US minister of defence Neil McElroy announced at Washington that the US navy now improved her nuclear depth charges. Some ships of the Atlantic Fleet were already fitted out with this new anti submarine weapon which also could be used by aircraft. This development was a decisive answer on the increasing threat of the Soviet submarine fleet. Every one would be interested in possessing such a weapon. McElroy held his conference after returning from New London (Connecticut) where he visited the USS nuclear submarine Seawolf. The minister of navy Thomas Gates who accompanied McElroy on his journey said that the nuclear depth charge was called Betty.(4) Almost two years earlier was it tested in the Pacific Ocean.
Notes
1 Charles Sparks Thomas 28 September 1897 Independence, Missouri-17 October 1983 Corona del Mar, California). Secretary of Navy 3 May 1954-1April 1957 and succeeded by Gates.
2. Neil Hosler McElroy (30 October 1904 Berea. Ohio-30 November 1972 Cincinnati, Ohio), Secretary of Defence 9October 1957-1 December 1959, later succeeded by Gates.
3. Thomas Sovereign Gates Jr. (10 April 1906 Germantown, Pennsylvania-25 March 1983 Philadelphia)Under Secretary of Navy between 7 October 1953 and 1 April 1957 and than Secretary of Navy 1 April 1957-8 June 1959 and later Secretary of Defence. One of his main issues was the nuclear defence.
4. The website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_90_nuclear_bomb referred to the Mark 90 nuclear bomb nicknamed Betty. The bomb was the developed in 1952, 1955 during Operation Wigwam tested but around 1960 already taken out of service.
