Big Lagoon Bombing Range (site)

 Second World War 1939-1945, military, lagoon

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www.corpsfuds.com/php/siteindex.php?site=J09CA0064&stat... --

"This property is currently part of the Dry Lagoon State Park, adjacent to the Big Lagoon County Park. The target area is located on a 3-mile long sand spit which separates the lagoon and the ocean. A parking lot just south of both the lagoon and the spit includes a boat ramp which provides access to the lagoon. The parking lot is part of the Big Lagoon County Park and the spit is part of the Dry Lagoon Beach State Park. The park and beaches are open to the public twenty-four hours a day. There is a campground adjoining the lagoon to the south, and there are numerous small homes and cabins adjacent to the campground and parking lot.

"The inland property bordering the lagoon is covered with long grasses, shrubs and trees. The spit consists of a long stretch of wind-blown sand down the middle, rocks and driftwood on the ocean side, and small plants on the lagoon side."


www.corpsfuds.com/reports/INPR/J09CA0064inpr.pdf --

"According to a station history of NAAS, Arcata submitted on October 16, 1945, Fleet Air Alameda designated NAAS, Arcata (the Station) as a training Station for forward rocket firing. On April 25, 1944, five officers and eleven men reported aboard as Fleet Air Training Detachment from Alameda. The mission of this detachment was the installation of rocket targets for the training of Fleet Air Squadrons (Fleet) in forward rocket firing.

"An undated list titled Gunnery Range and Target Areas Released since WWII by the Twelfth Naval District indicates that the Big Lagoon Range consisted of 153.O3 acres acquired by leasehold condemnation on June 13,1944. A Naval Speedletter dated May 21, 1945, requests that the Commandant advise of activities needed for fiscal year 1946. Included in the activities listed is a reference to a lease with Harnet Barto et al, for 153 acres for Big Lagoon the B-1 Target. According to a September 24, 1945 memorandum, Big Lagoon Target No. 12, was included with the Humboldt Bay Bombing Target under Lease No. NOy(R)-38139 which was for 494.54 acres.

"The first Fleet target, located in Big Lagoon, was completed in June 1944, but the adverse weather prevented full utilization of the facilities. From September 1944 until June 1945, the rocket training program was accelerated to a very high degree with the average size carrier-based squadron completing its training in the course of one week. As the rocket program became more and more paramount in naval aviation, it was necessary to establish a second target at the Station to meet the increasing number of squadrons arriving for training. A second target was located on the south spit of Humboldt Bay and was in operation in December 1944."