Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Madera Bombing Range
(Fresno Army Air Base Bombing
Range, Madera Bombing Target No. 23)
US Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento
District History (1999)
Site Name: Currently, this site
is a residential area known as Bonadelle Ranchos, Subdivision
No. 6. The site was once known as Madera Bombing Range; Madera,
Bombing Target Number 23 (B.T. No. 23), and Fresno Air Base Bombing
Range.
Location: The site is located east of Highway 99, approximately
ten miles north-northwest of Fresno and nine miles-east of Madera,
Site History:
A real estate search determined the parcels were a portion of
six sections (six square miles or 3,821.25 acres) of land leased
August 11, 1941 from Mr. Robert K. Smith and Mrs. Mary Smith
for use as the Madera Bombing Range (Fresno Air Base Bombing
Range) for the U. S. Army Air Corps. The lease between R. K.
Smith and The United States of America stated the bombing range
used approximately 15,000 practice bomb shells. The last lease
renewal found was dated September 15, 1954. On May 1 1, 1965,
the property was sold to the Bonadelle Ranchos Corporation and
was subdivided for residential housing into two and five acre
lots. Sierra View Elementary School was also built within the
former bombing range. Approximately fifteen
percent of the subdivision is developed.
A July 12, 1945 Organization Chart for Naval Air Bases, 1 2Naval
District indicates that Naval Auxillary Air Station Crows Landing,
under Naval Air Station Alameda, also utilized Madera as a Rocket
Range. A 1945 Naval Air Bases, 1 2Naval District map titled,
"Madera Bombing Targets, B.T. No. 23," outlines the
various uses of this range, detailing the types of targets on
the property. The targets include a mock city, a mock pier, an
airplane fuselage, skip bomb target, and a mock cruiser for dive
bombing practice. An undated Navy document states that Madera,
B.T. No. 23, was used jointly with the Army from May 18, 1945
to September 27, 1945.
US Army Corps of Engineers Huntsville
Engineering and Support Center History (2001)
Plans for the Madera Bombing Range (MBR)
began during the summer of 1941, as the Fresno Air Base Bombing
Range (FABBR). The Corps of Engineers executed a lease for the
property on 11 August 1941, but prior oil and gas sub-leases
and property liens delayed its use. The Fresno Air Base planned
on operating the site on or after 20 January 1942. Within a year
and a half both the ahfield and the range received name changes.
The airfield became Hammer Field on 10 May 1942 and the FABBR
became the MBR before the summer of 1943.
By April 1943, the Army had placed one high altitude target and
one skip target (i.e. low altitude target) at MBR constructed
out of lime and containing a wooden pyramid bull's eye. Hammer
Field added a second low altitude target by that fall. Hammer
Field's heavy training schedule constantly bombarded the targets
with B-24s and B-25s during daylight hours and approximately
6 hours at night. Hammer Field also used three high altitude
precision targets and one air-to-ground gunnely range (at Hunter
Liggett Military Reservation), and off shore areas for air-to-ais
gunnery. Later, Hammer Field acquired the Soda Lake Air to Ground
Gunnely Range about 120 miles away.10 Dusing the summers of 1942
and 1943, over a dozen fues were caused by misplaced practice
bombs striking the sunounding pastures and grain fields. These
fues destroyed thousands of acres of vegetation and caused tens
of thousand of dollars in damage claims. This appears to be the
most significant reason behind the 4th Air Force's decision to
not use the range during the summer months of 1944. As a result
the Amy did not object to allowing grazing to occur at that time.
In October 1944, the Navy's interest in using MBR is clear with
the Interdepartmental Air Traffic Control Board (IATCB) with
a transferal of the Danger Area from the Army to the Navy. By
January 1945, the 12th Naval District planned on repairing existing
targets and adding more targets at MBR, including one for rockets
and a radar target with an aircraft fuselage. However, it appears
that it was not until 27 March 1945 that the 4th Air Force granted
Hammer Field authority to coordinate directly with the Navy for
use of the range. The 12th Naval District designated MBR as Target
No. 23 and placed it under the control of the Naval Auxiliay Air Station (NAAS) at Crow's Landing
about 65 miles away. MBR was also the designated rocket range
for NAAS Velnalis
and NAAS Hollister, about 80
and 75 miles away respectively. The Army retained some use of
the MBR, as Hammer Field had use of the range from 1430 to 1800
hours every day for chemical spray missions at least during May
1945.
The Navy formally requested the transfer
of MBR in May, but the 4th Air Force denied the request stating
a continuing need for the site. Following the end of the war,
the 12th Naval District donned the 4th Air Force that they no
longer planned to use the site. The 4th Air Force reported that
the MBR would go in temporay inactive status as of the December
3 lSt, but within a month, Continental Air Forces considered
using it as a range for Castle Field in Merced, CA. Castle Field's
inspection of MBR in April 1946 determined it was inadequate
in size and the targets resented an extensive fire hazard.
MBR was placed on sulplus status effective 14 May 1946, though
in June the Army Air Forces Training Command requested that it
be assigned to Mather Field. It is unclear if this transfer ever
occuned, but it appears unlikely as the Amy allowed the lease
to expire effective 3 1 October 1946.
Site Map of Madera Bombing Target No.
23
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