Chapter 36- Scorched Earth

[Red Shirt]

OK, so thank you goes to Witch_Doctor for pointing out my error with the type of warhead that was used, and to Cabbage Patch for their work on the previously mentioned blast and fallout report.

With that information in hand, I reviewed my damage assessment of Irwin. Which is still a total loss:

irwin3.JPGirwin4.JPG

You can see that the damage is still extensive and that the garrison proper is still toast.

However,

Several important considerations to think about are that:

• The B-83 overall size is mostly a delivery device. Hell, the rear third is a parachute. The actual physics package is only 3-4 feet long and easily hidden...
• Hidden where? if Kimmet had it placed in a basement then blast mitigation is slightly on our side. If he placed it, say at the top of a water tower then the damage could have been greater. (The blast calculator tool doesn't specify sub-surface, surface or air burst...)
• The B-83 has a variable yield warhead, adjustable from the low Kt range to a max of 1.2 Mt...

I still think though, that any birds in the air were probably destroyed. But, if they reacted fast enough, it is possible that they might have been able to shadow behind terrain to escape the blast. Any of the mountains to the West, North or South may have been sufficient. However, there was still a massive EMP associated with this detonation...

The Ammo Holding Area South of garrison would likely be a total loss, as would the West AHA. Both AHA's are relatively close, the South AHA across a stretch of open flat land. However, depending on the exact location of the bomb in garrison and that the doors of the south ammo bunkers face away from base and the West AHA is 'behind' a small mountain, it is possible that they survived the blast.
(I am looking at the satellite for the AHA locations, I have no idea if they were in use in May of 2009.)

Again, depending on the location of the bomb, it is possible that C130's parked out at Bicycle Lake Army Airfield might have survived the blast. It is hard to say if the mountains between garrison and the likely parking area at BLAA are tall enough. I don't recall if it was directly addressed, but I think that with Boulder getting overrun, airworthy C130's would have taken off for Irwin... with or without evacuees.

I think it might be time to go back to Bell and hit up Supply's NBC cage and get some Radiacs.