Mark 6 (Nuclear bomb)

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The Mark 6 (Nuclear bomb) launched from a B-29A-BN bomber.

Description

The Mark 6 nuclear bomb was one of the most common US nuclear weapon in 1950s based on the Mark 3 and Mark 4 design with an overall rounded, streamlined casing.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

The bomb is only carried by the following dedicated mission assets:

  • ☢B-29A-BN

It is not available on tech tree vehicles.

General info

Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the bomb.

Effective damage

The Mark 6, like all nuclear bombs, can conclude a battle immediately upon its explosion. Albeit there are visual effects of blown-away shrapnel of buildings, the bomb does not inflict in-game damage to any vehicles.

Comparison with analogues

Give a comparative description of bombs that have firepower equal to this weapon.

Usage in battles

Like all its counterparts carried by their designated vehicles, Mark 6 can immediately end a battle as long as the carrier can reach the main ground battlefield; therefore there are still chances of interception by aircrafts or SPAA, especially at B-29's current battle rating where jets start to become commonplace. Be sure to evade enemy detection and gunfire before entering the battlefield for the victory strike.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Immediately claims the victory of battle once deployed at battlefield

Cons:

  • Slow carrying aircraft for its tier, can possibly be intercepted by jets during the bombing run

History

The Mark 6 was the main US atomic bomb as the improved, lightweight version of the previous Mark 4 bomb with design traced back to the Mark 3 "Fat Man". Unlike the Fat Man, the Mark 6 used gun-type fission. Developed by Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL, now LANL with National replacing Scientific) and first manufactured in July 1951, the bomb would undergo several improvements including increasing implosion point and weight reductions for its seven variants ranging from 8 to 160 kt TNTe.

Although never used during the Cold War, one of the 1,100 bombs was accidentally dropped by a B-47 on May 1958 at Mars Bluff, South Carolina, leaving 6 civilian injuries due to the detonation of the conventional explosives used as trigger mechanism (the core would only be installed after strike orders had been received).

The recorded retirement of the Mark 6 was in 1961 and it was likely phased out by more advanced nuclear weapons.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

External links

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  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Nuclear bombs
Mark 6 · Mark 7 · AN-52 · RDS-4