In 1968, a U.S. B-52 bomber, carrying four hydrogen bombs on a covert mission, experienced a crash near Thule Air Base in Greenland, an event that remained shrouded in secrecy for years. Following the crash, both American and Danish authorities initiated a cleanup operation to address the radioactive debris and retrieve scattered components of the nuclear bombs. Despite these efforts, doubts lingered for years regarding whether all four bombs had indeed been accounted for, fueling speculation and raising concerns.
The uncertainty surrounding the fate of the hydrogen bombs persisted until 2008 when the BBC published an article based on recently declassified documents related to the Thule accident. The article asserted that one of the four bombs had never been recovered from the crash site. This revelation prompted the Danish prime minister to call for a fresh investigation into the declassified documents cited by the BBC, seeking clarity on the matter.
To address the growing skepticism, Danish scholar Svend Aage Christensen spearheaded an investigation into the declassified documents referenced in the BBC report. The findings of this inquiry refuted the BBC’s claim, revealing that the report had not relied on any newly declassified information. Instead, it drew from previously available data. Furthermore, the investigation concluded that all four weapons had indeed been destroyed during the 1968 crash, as confirmed by the National Security Archive.
The resolution of this decades-long uncertainty brought closure to the Thule incident, laying to rest the lingering doubts surrounding the fate of the hydrogen bombs. The thorough investigation led by Christensen provided clarity and dispelled misinformation, reaffirming the account provided by the National Security Archive regarding the disposition of the nuclear weapons involved in the crash.
While the Thule accident remains a significant event in the annals of Cold War history, the meticulous examination of declassified documents and the subsequent findings underscore the importance of transparency and accurate reporting in matters of national security. The episode serves as a reminder of the complexities and challenges inherent in investigating historical events involving sensitive military operations and underscores the need for diligent research to separate fact from fiction.