15. Ballistics and Bomb Testers
During World War II, women played a crucial role in testing and ensuring the safety of military ordnance. They worked as ballistics calculators, known as “computers,” at facilities like the University of Pennsylvania, where they calculated trajectories for artillery and bombs. Additionally, women served as “Calutron Girls” at the Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, operating mass spectrometers to separate uranium isotopes for the atomic bomb. Their precision and technical expertise were vital to the war effort. More information is available at the National Archives: archives.gov.
