E-Book Overview
This volume tells the novel true stories concerning highly talented civilian scientists in some unusual places and situations during World War II. The purpose of the work is to present an almost forgotten history of secret war research in universities. The focus is on the narrow subject of chemical warfare research and on a small number of individuals, but with in-depth study of these individuals and what they did. Mostly graduate students and young instructors, they were working under the direction of professors at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of California (Berkeley). Action took place in California, Florida and the jungles of Panama. This history touches on the work of four senior Nobel Prize winners and eight junior, future Nobel Prize winners at Caltech and Berkeley.
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A BRIDGE NOT ATTACKED
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A BRIDGE NOT
ATTAC ICED Chemical Warfare Civilian Research During World War I1
Harold Johnston University of California, Berkeley, USA
vp World Scientific N E W JERSEY
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LONDON
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SINGAPORE
SHANGHAI
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HONG KONG
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TAIPEI * BANGALORE
Published by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. 5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224 USA office: Suite 202, 1060 Main Street, River Edge, NJ 07661 UK ofice: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
A BRIDGE NOT ATTACKED Chemical Warfare Civilian Research During World War I1 Copyright 0 2003 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. All rights resewed. This book, or parts theveoA may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, electrmic or mechanical, includingphotocopying, recording m any infomzacimt storage and retrieval ystem now known or to be invented. Without written permission jPom the Publisher.
For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to photocopy is not required &om the publisher.
ISBN 981-238-152-X ISBN 981-238-153-8 (pbk)
Printed in Singapore by World Scientific Printers (S) Pte Ltd
CONTENTS
Preface. National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) Acknowledgments
vii-ix xi-xii
Chapter 1. Hal Emory University California Institute of Technology (Caltech) One Day, Hal
1 11 19 28
Chapter 2. Egbert War Gases Studied in the Laboratory Change in the Nature of Our Research to Micrometeorology
53 53 60
Chapter 3. Sam University of California Cyclotrons “Dearest Helena” Sam’s Brilliant Research Career in Science Sam Ruben’s Contribution to Chemical Warfare Research One Day, Sam Sam Ruben Bibliography Tribute to Sam and 11 Other Young Chemists by Professor W.A. Noyes, Jr.
88 94 97 104 110 120 124 127
Chapter 4. Withlacoochee Bushnell, Florida Army Field Tests Switch to Persistent War Gases Micrometeorological Tree Tower
128 128 139 145 148
Chapter 5. Jungles Odyssey San Jose Island, Panama Southwest Pacific
159 168 194 V
vi
CONTENTS
Chapter 6. Florida 1945 Interpretation of Observed Meteorological and Weapon-test Data Last Phase of Our Work Thoughts about War Gases in World War I1 Based on Cases in this Book In Conclusion
196 202
Chapter 7. Other Divisions of NDRC Breadth of Activities of National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) NDRC Division 8, Explosives Division 11, Chemical Engineering Figure 7.1 is a picture of failure, and it gives a glimpse of some lost history.
220 220
Chapter 8. Principals an