# Atomic Annie (DD-004)

> In the Grable test (May 25, 1953, Nevada), the 83-ton M65 Atomic Cannon fired the only nuclear artillery shell in history.

- Department: Military (also History)
- First published: 2026-04-17
- Last updated: 2026-04-25
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/atomic-annie/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **May 25, 1953**: Grable test: the M65 Atomic Cannon fires the only nuclear artillery shell in history

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=atomic-annie

## Quick facts

- **DD-004-F01**: Atomic Annie, the M65 280mm Atomic Cannon, is the only artillery piece ever to fire a nuclear shell. _(Write-up · Intro)_
- **DD-004-F02**: The M65 Atomic Cannon, nicknamed Atomic Annie, weighed 83 tons. _(Write-up · Exhibit A)_
- **DD-004-F03**: On May 25, 1953, in Nevada, Atomic Annie fired the only nuclear artillery shell in history during the Grable test. _(Write-up · Exhibit B)_
- **DD-004-F04**: The nuclear shell fired in the 1953 Grable test had a yield of about 15 kilotons. _(Write-up · Exhibit C)_
- **DD-004-F05**: Atomic Annie fired the Grable test's nuclear shell about 7 miles downrange. _(Write-up · Exhibit D)_
- **DD-004-F06**: The 1953 Grable test was part of the U.S. nuclear test series Operation Upshot-Knothole. _(Reel transcript (burned-in captions))_

## Write-up

The M65 280mm Atomic Cannon, nicknamed Atomic Annie, is the only artillery piece ever to fire a nuclear shell.

1. **M65 280mm Atomic Cannon**: Atomic Annie weighed 83 tons.
2. **The Grable test**: On May 25, 1953, in Nevada, it fired the only nuclear artillery shell in history.
3. **15 kilotons**: The shell's yield was about 15 kilotons.
4. **About 7 miles**: The shell was fired about 7 miles downrange.

## Related case files

- [Cannikin Quake (DD-026)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/cannikin-quake/): Both are U.S. nuclear tests: Atomic Annie's above-ground 1953 artillery shot versus Cannikin's 1971 underground megaton blast.
- [XB-70 Valkyrie (DD-048)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/xb-70-valkyrie/): Another Cold War nuclear delivery system.
- [Nuclear Fireball (DD-052)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/nuclear-fireball/): Another nuclear test: the 1953 Grable shot, the only nuclear artillery shell ever fired.
- [The Atomic Gun (DD-083)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-atomic-gun/): I linked another nuclear artillery weapon
- [Fall Marya (DD-412)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/fall-marya/): I linked more nuclear tests
- [Shoot-and-Scoot (DD-736)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/shoot-and-scoot/): Another artillery piece

## Video: Atomic Annie: The Only Cannon Ever to Fire a Nuclear Shell (Grable Test, 1953)

- Duration: 24 s · Published: 2026-04-17
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DXQNl-_kUkE.mp4

### Transcript

Did you know? The Grable test was a historic U.S. nuclear weapons test conducted in 1953 during Operation Upshot-Knothole, notable for being the only time a nuclear weapon was fired from a cannon. The device was launched by Atomic Annie, an enormous 280 mm artillery gun, which fired a nuclear shell roughly seven miles before it detonated in the air with a yield of about 15 kilotons, similar to the Hiroshima bomb. Now you know!

## Questions & answers

**Q: How much did Atomic Annie, the M65 280mm Atomic Cannon, weigh?**  
A: Atomic Annie weighed 83 tons. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (M65 280mm Atomic Cannon))_

**Q: On what date did Atomic Annie fire its nuclear shell in the Grable test?**  
A: The Grable test took place on May 25, 1953, in Nevada. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The Grable test))_

**Q: How many nuclear artillery shells have ever been fired?**  
A: Atomic Annie's Grable shot was the only nuclear artillery shell ever fired. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The Grable test))_

**Q: What was the approximate yield of the Grable shell?**  
A: The Grable shell's yield was about 15 kilotons. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (15 kilotons), from the Reel)_

**Q: About how far downrange was the Grable shell fired?**  
A: The shell was fired about 7 miles downrange. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (About 7 miles), from the Reel)_

## Sources

- Sources not logged yet.

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Atomic Annie." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-004, last updated Apr 25, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/atomic-annie/