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Operation Dew refers to two separate field trials conducted by the United States in the 1950s. The tests were designed to study the behavior of aerosol-released biological agents.

General description

Operation Dew took place from 1951 to 1952 off the southeast coast of the United States, including near Georgia, and North and South Carolina.^[1]^[2] Operation Dew consisted of two sets of trials, Dew I and Dew II.^[2] The tests involved the release of 250 pounds (110 kg) of fluorescent particles from a minesweeper off the coast.^[1] Operation Dew I was described in a U.S. Army report known as "Dugway Special Report 162", dated August 1, 1952.^[2] The purpose of Operation Dew was to study the behavior of aerosol-released biological agents.^[1]

Dew I

Operation Dew I consisted of five separate trials from March 26, 1952, until April 21, 1952, that were designed to test the feasibility of maintaining a large aerosol cloud released offshore until it drifted over land, achieving a large area coverage.^[2] The tests released zinc cadmium sulfide along a 100-to-150-nautical-mile (190 to 280 km) line approximately 5 to 10 nautical miles (10 to 20 km) off the coast of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.^[2] Two of the trials dispersed clouds of zinc cadmium sulfide over large areas of all three U.S. states. The tests affected over 60,000 square miles (150,000 km²) of populated coastal region in the U.S. southeast.^[3] The Dew I releases were from a Navy minesweeper, the USS Tercel.^[2]

Dew II

Dew II involved the release of fluorescent particles (zinc cadmium sulfide) and plant spores (Lycopodium) from an aircraft.^[2] Dew II was described in a 1953 Army report which remained classified at the time of a 1997 report by the U.S. National Research Council concerning the U.S. Army's zinc cadmium sulfide dispersion program of the 1950s.^[2]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Croddy, Eric, et al. Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Comprehensive Survey for the Concerned Citizen, (Google Books), Springer, 2002, p. 231, (ISBN 0387950761).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h U.S. National Research Council, Subcommittee on Zinc Cadmium Sulfide. Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion, (Google Books), National Academies Press, 1997, pp. 44-77, (ISBN 0309057833).
^ Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion, p. 74.

References

U.S. National Research Council, Subcommittee on Zinc Cadmium Sulfide. Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion, (Google Books), National Academies Press, 1997,(ISBN 0309057833).

[croddy-1] Croddy, Eric, et al. Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Comprehensive Survey for the Concerned Citizen, (Google Books), Springer, 2002, p. 231, (ISBN 0387950761).

[nrc-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h U.S. National Research Council, Subcommittee on Zinc Cadmium Sulfide. Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion, (Google Books), National Academies Press, 1997, pp. 44-77, (ISBN 0309057833).

[nrc2-3] Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion, p. 74.

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+{{Short description|1950s US biological warfare tests}}
 '''Operation Dew''' refers to two separate field trials conducted by the United States in the 1950s. The tests were designed to study the behavior of [[aerosol]]-released [[biological agent]]s.
 ==General description==
-Operation Dew took place from 1951-1952 off the southeast coast of the United States, including near [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[North Carolina|North]] and [[South Carolina]].<ref name=croddy/><ref name=nrc/> Operation Dew consisted of two sets of trials, Dew I and Dew II.<ref name=nrc/> The tests involved the release of 250 pounds (110&nbsp;kg) of [[fluorescent]] particles from a [[Minesweeper (ship)|minesweeper]] off the coast.<ref name=croddy/> Operation Dew I was described in a [[U.S. Army]] report known as "Dugway Special Report 162", dated August 1, 1952.<ref name=nrc/> The purpose of Operation Dew was to study the behavior of aerosol-released [[biological agent]]s.<ref name=croddy>Croddy, Eric, et al. ''Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Comprehensive Survey for the Concerned Citizen'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=MQMGhInCvlgC&pg=PA231&dq=%22Operation+Dew%22+chemical&lr=&client=firefox-a Google Books]), Springer, 2002, p. 231, ({{ISBN|0387950761}}).</ref>
+Operation Dew took place from 1951 to 1952 off the southeast coast of the United States, including near [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[North Carolina|North]] and [[South Carolina]].<ref name=croddy/><ref name=nrc/> Operation Dew consisted of two sets of trials, Dew I and Dew II.<ref name=nrc/> The tests involved the release of 250 pounds (110&nbsp;kg) of [[fluorescent]] particles from a [[Minesweeper (ship)|minesweeper]] off the coast.<ref name=croddy/> Operation Dew I was described in a [[U.S. Army]] report known as "Dugway Special Report 162", dated August 1, 1952.<ref name=nrc/> The purpose of Operation Dew was to study the behavior of aerosol-released [[biological agent]]s.<ref name=croddy>Croddy, Eric, et al. ''Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Comprehensive Survey for the Concerned Citizen'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=MQMGhInCvlgC&dq=%22Operation+Dew%22+chemical&pg=PA231 Google Books]), Springer, 2002, p. 231, ({{ISBN|0387950761}}).</ref>
 ==Dew I==
-Operation Dew I consisted of five separate trials from March 26, 1952 until April 21, 1952 that were designed to test the feasibility of maintaining a large aerosol cloud released offshore until it drifted over land, achieving a large area coverage.<ref name=nrc/> The tests released [[zinc cadmium sulfide]] along a {{convert|100|to|150|nmi|km|adj=on}}  line approximately {{convert|5|to|10|nmi|km|-1}} off the coast of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.<ref name=nrc/> Two of the trials dispersed clouds of zinc cadmium sulfide over large areas of all three U.S. states. The tests affected over 60,000 square miles (150,000&nbsp;km²) of populated coastal region in the U.S. southeast.<ref name=nrc2>''Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion'', p. 74.</ref> The Dew I releases were from a Navy minesweeper, the {{USS|Tercel|AM-386|6}}.<ref name=nrc/>
+Operation Dew I consisted of five separate trials from March 26, 1952, until April 21, 1952, that were designed to test the feasibility of maintaining a large aerosol cloud released offshore until it drifted over land, achieving a large area coverage.<ref name=nrc/> The tests released [[zinc cadmium sulfide]] along a {{convert|100|to|150|nmi|km|adj=on}}  line approximately {{convert|5|to|10|nmi|km|-1}} off the coast of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.<ref name=nrc/> Two of the trials dispersed clouds of zinc cadmium sulfide over large areas of all three U.S. states. The tests affected over 60,000 square miles (150,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of populated coastal region in the U.S. southeast.<ref name=nrc2>''Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion'', p. 74.</ref> The Dew I releases were from a Navy minesweeper, the {{USS|Tercel|AM-386|6}}.<ref name=nrc/>
 ==Dew II==
-Dew II involved the release of fluorescent particles ([[zinc cadmium sulfide]]) and plant spores (''[[Lycopodium]]'') from an aircraft.<ref name=nrc/> Dew II was described in a 1953 Army report which remained classified at the time of a 1997 report by the [[U.S. National Research Council]] concerning the U.S. Army's zinc cadmium sulfide dispersion program of the 1950s.<ref name=nrc>[[U.S. National Research Council]], Subcommittee on Zinc Cadmium Sulfide. ''Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=0YdRGhvBfRoC&pg=RA1-PA64&dq=%22Operation+Dew%22&client=firefox-a#PRA1-PA64,M1 Google Books]), National Academies Press, 1997, pp. 44-77, ({{ISBN|0309057833}}).</ref>
+Dew II involved the release of fluorescent particles (zinc cadmium sulfide) and plant spores (''[[Lycopodium]]'') from an aircraft.<ref name=nrc/> Dew II was described in a 1953 Army report which remained classified at the time of a 1997 report by the [[U.S. National Research Council]] concerning the U.S. Army's zinc cadmium sulfide dispersion program of the 1950s.<ref name=nrc>[[U.S. National Research Council]], Subcommittee on Zinc Cadmium Sulfide. ''Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=0YdRGhvBfRoC&dq=%22Operation+Dew%22&pg=RA1-PA64 Google Books]), National Academies Press, 1997, pp. 44-77, ({{ISBN|0309057833}}).</ref>
 ==See also==
@@ Line 19: / Line 20: @@
 ==References==
-*[[U.S. National Research Council]], Subcommittee on Zinc Cadmium Sulfide. ''Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=0YdRGhvBfRoC&pg=RA1-PA64&dq=%22Operation+Dew%22&client=firefox-a#PRA1-PA64,M1 Google Books]), National Academies Press, 1997,({{ISBN|0309057833}}).
+*[[U.S. National Research Council]], Subcommittee on Zinc Cadmium Sulfide. ''Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=0YdRGhvBfRoC&dq=%22Operation+Dew%22&pg=RA1-PA64 Google Books]), National Academies Press, 1997,({{ISBN|0309057833}}).
 {{U.S. biological weapons}}

v t e United States biological weapons program
Weaponized agents	Anthrax Botulism Brucellosis Q fever Enterotoxin type B Rice blast Tularemia VEE Wheat stem rust
Researched agents	AHF BHF Bird flu CHIKV Dengue fever EEE Glanders Hantavirus Lassa fever Melioidosis VND Plague Potato blight Psittacosis Ricin RVF Rinderpest Smallpox Typhus WEE Yellow fever
Munitions	E120 bomblet E133 cluster bomb E14 munition E23 munition E48 particulate bomb E61 bomb E77 balloon bomb E86 cluster bomb E96 cluster bomb Flettner rotor bomblet M114 bomb M115 bomb M143 bomblet M33 cluster bomb
Operations and testing	Operation Sea-Spray Operation Big Buzz Operation Big Itch Operation Dark Winter Operation Dew Operation Drop Kick Operation LAC Operation Magic Sword Operation May Day Operation Polka Dot Operation Whitecoat Project 112 Project Bacchus
Facilities	U.S. Army Biological Warfare Labs Building 101 Building 257 Building 470 Deseret Test Center Dugway Proving Ground Fort Detrick Fort Douglas Fort Terry Granite Peak Installation Horn Island Testing Station One-Million-Liter Test Sphere Pine Bluff Arsenal Plum Island Animal Disease Center Vigo Ordnance Plant
Related topics	Biological agent Biological warfare Entomological warfare Soviet biological weapons program Korean War bio-warfare allegations List of topics U.S. biological weapons program U.S. biological defense program U.S. bio-weapons ban War Bureau of Consultants War Research Service