Nukes in My Backyard Brought to You by Nike By Jim Shneer
Nukes in My Backyard Brought to You by Nike
By Jim Shneer
Image-Nike Hercules missiles
This article is a continuation of my previous one on the Nike program in and around Palos Verdes. The second and last generation of the Nike missile to become operational was called the Hercules. It was larger than the Ajax which was described in the previous article and had a range of 75-90 miles when used for air defense and, most significantly, it could be fitted not only with conventional warheads but with up to a 40 kiloton yield nuclear warhead as well. So, whereas the Ajax, if it were on target, would eliminate a single bomber, a nuclear-armed Hercules could takeout many aircraft by being detonated somewhere within the formation
W31 nuclear warhead, used on the Hercules, in a shipping container
Deployment of the Hercules resulted in the need for fewer Nike sites and many sites were retired as others were equipped with the new missile. It is hard to pin down what percentage of missiles at a site were actually fitted with nuclear warheads but I have heard that typically about 80% were.
In addition to LA-43 described in the preceding article, the other Nike site in the area was LA-55 located in what is now Rancho Palos Verdes.
Nike Ajax missiles at LA-55L (National Archives)
LA-55L, the launch facility, was located in what is now the Rancho Palos Verdes city yard and is quite complete although un-restored. The administration and support building is now being used as the Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall.
Nike Ajax missiles at LA-55L
Rancho Palos Verdes Civic Center Complex (Google Earth)
Rancho Palos Verdes City yard and former Nike Site LA-55L as they exist today (Google Earth)
Existing original entry control point (author's collection)
Existing missile assembly building (author's collection)
Nike Hercules missiles being transported somewhere in Palos Verdes (George Arzuman)
The LA55C command and control facility was where Del Cerro Park is now located. Nothing of it remains.
LA-55C command and control facility (Ed and/or Rick Sharpe)
By the early 1970s, the threat from manned bombers was overshadowed by the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) threat and the need for the defense provided by the labor intensive Nike system was diminishing. That fact combined with the cost of the Vietnam War spelled the end of the Nike program. By 1974 all of the Nike bases were closed. In 1975 most of the Point Vicente tract which included LA-55L as well as the LA-55C area were both turned over to Rancho Palos Verdes. White Point with LA-43L and the upper reservation of Fort MacArthur, on which LA-43C had been located, were turned over to the City of Los Angeles.
Jim is a former aerospace engineering manager who, since retiring, has become an author and speaker on a variety of military subjects. To read more about his work, please visit https://easyreadernews.com/the-battle-that-didnt-happen/. To learn about the military history of Fort MacArthur and Palos Verdes, please visit http://www.lulu.com/shop/james-shneer/exploring-the- military-history-of-fort-macarthur-and-palos-verdes/paperback/product-23784472.html to purchase a copy of his recent book.