Runways in the Sand

Just got hold of a copy of Runways in the Sand by Art Wilson a history of Blythe Army Air Base in Southen California. 128 pages describing the development of the station together with a chapter on what is left today.

And.....PNK hope you are sitting down, they had a moving target range.

Where should I post the Googly Earth link for this range?

vaguely quoting;

a moving jeep target provided practice for aerial gunners. A driverless jeep followed concrete tracks around a giant oval. Mounted on the jeep was a target that moved up and down. The oval was inside a proctive berm, outside the berm gunners fired at the target from mock turrets.

sort of unquote

the site you want is in the north west extermity of teh site, the tarck is 2/3 extant and can best be described as coat hanger in shape, the top part has been eaten by one of the irrigation circles. Look inbetween the third and forth circle fronm the road. The berms are very visible.

The pic in the book show a 1940's pic and the range is very evident. Pictures from today show the track and the berm.

Actually the book only cost 21 US dollars, would the Archive like a copy for Crimbo?

spot on, the book also lists the airfeild as having two bombing ranges available, I have not read all of it yet so cannot tell if there is more information.

So do we need an overseas MTR thread?

Yes. The UK MTR thread is 'busy' and it is evident that there were many more MTRs built that found records indicate.

Making a separate thread for Overseas MTRs will probably have to be renamed later as Canadian MTRs or, possibly, North American MTRs if the USAAF had any on their mainland.

I doubt very much that any existed outside of UK, Canada and USA but, you never know, the Aussies may have a trick up their sleeve!