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Whites Point Nature Preserve (Los Angeles, California)

USA / California / Rancho Palos Verdes / Los Angeles, California
 park, military, nature conservation park / area
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Originally part of Rancho San Pedro (and later Rancho de los Palos Verdes), this parcel of land was once grazed by cattle. In 1917, planning began for the construction of White Point's military facilities. In 1920, the Fortress Commander's Station and the Fire Commander's Station were completed in June. Similar in importance to the fighting bridge on a warship, these fire control stations were where the highest-ranked commanders would have planned maneuvers had Los Angeles Harbor come under attack. Some of the stations located here have been destroyed or buried, while others have been removed for preservation.
In 1941, construction began on a Battery Construction #127 (later renamed Battery Paul D. Bunker), a gun battery containing two 16-inch guns. Other military facilities constructed here during this time was an air strip which ran parallel to Paseo del Mar, a skeet range, a training area for tank drivers, a flamethrower range, a hand grenade range, and a training area used by engineers to set up Bailey bridges. After WWII, the guns were decommissioned.
During the '50s, the site was used as a temporary LASHUP medium-range radar site named LA43, using WWII-vintage radars. It later became a NIKE-Ajax site (and later upgraded to NIKE-Hercules), which was active until 1975.
As of 2000, the site is now an open space preserve.

www.ftmac.org/BatteryBunker127.htm
www.cdsg.org/cdsghis6.htm
www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/airdef/radar.htm
www.militarymuseum.org/HDLA.html
www.aeroflight.co.uk/military/us_missile.htm
blog.sanpedropalisades.org/3-the-neighborhood/history/
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   33°43'5"N   118°18'54"W

Comments

  • Mark Lakata (guest)
    Also known as White's Point military base. There are some huge guns here from WWII, as well as underground ruins.
This article was last modified 15 years ago