W19 (nuclear artillery shell)


The W19, also called Katie, was an American nuclear artillery shell, derived from the earlier W9 shell. The W19 was fired from a special howitzer. It was introduced in 1955 and retired in 1963.

Specifications

The W19 was in diameter, long, and weighed. It had a yield of 15-20 kilotons and was, like its predecessor the W9, a gun-type nuclear weapon.

Variants

W23

The W19 nuclear system was adapted into a nuclear artillery shell for the US Navy's 16 inch main battery found on the Iowa-class of battleships, the W23. Production of the W23 began in 1956 and they were in service until 1962, with a total of 50 units being produced.
The W23 was 16 inches in diameter and long, with a weight given variously as in reference sources. As with the W19, yield was 15-20 kilotons.