February 5th - Tybee Bomb

On this day, in 1958, the hydrogen bomb, known as the Tybee bomb, was lost by the US Air Force off the coast of Savvanah, Georgia. The bomb has never been recovered but Ray Charles did write a song about the incident called "Georgira On My Mind." More like "Georgia On My Guilty Conscience."

This mess started when the B-47 that was carrying the bomb collided with another aircraft. You could also argue that this mess started when Americans were invented, but that is an entirely different inflammatory statement for another time. After the collision, the B-47 was just airworthy (and crazy) enough to work. The pilot requested permission to jettison the bomb so that it wouldn't explode at an inconvenient moment during an emergency landing. Permission was granted because the control tower knew the pilot was a big girl's blouse.

"Bomb's away" came the call from the bomb section of the bomber. The crew watched one of the world's most effective fireworks land in the water and they reported that it didn't explode on impact. The crew were hoping for a similar result in their upcoming emergency landing. They were right to be optimistic because they made it back to base and landed safely. Only the threat of nuclear holocaust at the hands of those damned fool commies could ruin their day now.

A search for the bomb was launched and involved hundreds of navy personnel and a few unhelpful and disappointed blood-hounds. This initial search did not find the bomb, but they did find a copy of the Beatles' album Revolver, which has been described as "the bomb".

In 2004, a retired Air Force Colonel reported that he had discovered the location of the bomb using a Geiger counter, but he, like so many B-47 bomber aircraft, was shot down. The radiation he detected was attributed to natural radioactive sources. Nature: one, retired Air Force Colonel: zero.

The bomb weighs 3400kg and is marked with the serial number 47782. If you see a bomb fitting this description please report it at your first convenience. It is believed to be buried in silt at the bottom of the ocean and the Air Force have decided it is better to leave it there than risk excavation and explosion.

The risk of explosion only comes from the conventional explosives in the bomb. There is no risk of nuclear explosion as the nuclear capsule was removed before the flight. Perhaps the Air Force has learnt the lesson that the less of a nuclear weapon you put on board a plane the safer the flight will be. The logical conclusion is that a plane with no part of a nuclear weapon on board is the safest of all.

The official term for a nuclear weapon incident that does not lead to a risk of nuclear war is "a broken arrow." The unofficial term is "a mighty balls up."

For his efforts, the pilot of the bomber was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the good people of Savannah Georgia wereawarded an unexploded hydrogen bomb.