Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields

Tomales Bay Bombing Target

(Abbotts's Lagoon Bombing Target No. 2, Tomales Point Aerial Mine Laying Range)

 

US Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District History (1999)

Tomales Bay Bombing Target was located in Marin County at a Latitude of 380 12' N and a Longitude of 122° 56' W near or one Hog Island. A water borne target was constructed in Tomales Bay under Contract Noy 4165. On 16 October 1956, Tomales Point Aerial Mine Laying Range was established west of Tomales Point. It covered an area approximately 28,000 feet long and varied from 7,000 to 12,000 feet in width and was located more than 100 yards from the shoreline. Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target was also located in Marin County in the southern portion of Abbott's Lagoon. Revocable Permit No. 40 was granted by the State Lands Commission and took effect on 4 April 1941, granting the U.S. the legal right to use the southern portion of Abbott's Lagoon.

 

At the Tomales Bay Bombing Target Navy Aircraft used two types of practice bombs at this range. The first type was a miniature bomb with a marker charge similar to a shotgun shell. The second was a water bomb consisting of a light metal shell filled with water. No explosives were used. A public notice by the United States Engineer Office, San Francisco, dated June 4, 1941 declared Tomales Bay Bombing Target a danger zone. The danger zone had a 750 yard radius and was located 2,000 yards, 129 degrees true from the southwesterly extremity of Tomales Point. At Tomales Point Aerial Mine Laying Range wooden markers three inches in diameter, 14 inches long, and weighing approximately five pounds were dropped into the Pacific Ocean. Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target was also a practice bombing target where U.S. Army and Navy pilots would drop practice bombs at a pyramid shaped target with sides that were approximately 25 feet long.. This target was anchored in the middle of the southern portion of the lagoon. When the practice bombs struck the target they left white stains that washed away when it rained.

 

A memorandum from Commander Fleet Air, Alameda to Commander Naval Air bases, Twelfth Naval District lists Tomales and Abbott's Lagoon as targets for Permanent Retention. However, a memorandum from Commander Fleet Air, Alameda, dated 4 March 1952, stated that when the target ranges at Crows Landing were activated, the government would initiate action to cancel the leases for the ground rights to the Tomales Bay Bombing Target and Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target. On 21 May 1952, the Air Space Subcommittee, a division of the Bureau of Aeronautics canceled the air space danger areas covering the two Target areas. No leases have been located pertaining to these three bombing targets.

 

Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District History (May 1999)

 

Site Names:

 

• Tomales Bay Bombing Target: Some of the names that have been used for the Tomales Bay site are the Tomales Bay Bombing Target Near Hog Island, Tomales Bay; the Tomales Bay Target Area, and "Bombing Target Number One". The site will be referred to as the Tomales Bay Bombing Target for the remainder of this report.
• Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target No. 2: The site located in Abbott's Lagoon also had several different names, including Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target, Abbott's Lagoon, Abbott's Lagoon Target Area, Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Range, and "Bombing Target Number Two". For the remainder of this report, the site will be referred to as Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target.
• Tomales Point Aerial Mine Laying Range: There was also an area west of Tomales Point, known as the Tomales Point Aerial Mine Laying Range, which is the name that will be used to describe the site for the remainder of this report.

 

Location:

 

All of the sites are located within the Point Reyes National Seashore, in Marin County, California, approximately 30 miles north of San Francisco. The Tomales Bay target is located just north of Hog Island in Tomales Bay. Abbott's Lagoon is located between Pierce Point Road and the Pacific Ocean. A short hiking trail provides access to the road east of the lagoon, and a sand bar separates the lagoon from the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Tomales Point Aerial Mine Laying Range is located due west of Tomales Point, in the Pacific Ocean (See Figure 1).

Site History:

 

During and after World War II, Point Reyes hosted training in skip bombing, dive bombing, landing barge practice, and air sea rescue. Dive bombers operating from Hamilton Army Air Field (AAF), Santa Rosa AAF, and Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda practiced in the waters of Drakes Bay, Abbott's Lagoon, and Tomales Bay. The pilots also fired at towed and fixed targets on the high seas west of Tomales Point.

 

Tomales Bay Bombing Target: A bombing target was located very near or on Hog Island in Tomales Bay. The water borne target was constructed in Tomales Bay (Lat. 38° 12' 20.839" North, Long. 122° 56' 10.349" West) under Contract Noy 4165. The danger zone for this target was 750 yards in radius and was located 2,000 yards, 129 degrees true from the southwesterly extremity of Tom Point. See Figure 2 for the layout of Tomales Point/Abbotts Lagoon and the neighboring areas (Techlaw Inc., Preliminary
Assessment Report, Drakes Bay, 31 July 1998).

 

Navy aircraft used two types of practice bombs at this range. The first type was a miniature (three to five pound) bomb with a marker charge similar to a shotgun shell: The second was a water bomb consisting of a light metal shell filled with water. No explosives were used. A U.S. Army corps of Engineers(USACE) representative concluded that missiles dropped in the bay would have sunk into the mud to a depth sufficient to preclude endangering any small craft navigating the area. It was determined that no further precautionary measures were necessary (Techlaw Inc., Preliminary Assessment Report, Drakes Bay, 31 July 1998).

In 1952, when the Crows Landing, California target ranges were to be activated, the Government initiated action to cancel the lease for the ground rights to the Tomales Bay Bombing Target (Baker One). A storm sank the target at Tomales Bay, so no restoration was anticipated. On 21 May 1952 the Air Space Subcommittee(Bureau of Aeronautics), Western District canceled the air space danger areas covering the Tomales Bay Bombing Target. Since no hazardous exposure pathway exists, no Department of Defense Action is Indicated (NDAI) for this area.

Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target No. 2: On 19 March 1941, the commanding officer at NAS Alameda requested that a permit be granted by the State Lands Commission (SLC) authorizing the Navy to use the southern portion of Abbott's Lagoon for dive bombing practice. On 4 April 1941, the SLC consented to the use of Abbott's Lagoon for dive bombing practice by the United States. Revocable Permit No. 40 took effect on 4 April 1941 and ended 4 April 1946, giving the United States the legal right to use the southern portion of the lagoon. The target area was approximately one half mile in diameter. NAS Alameda referred to the bombing target in the southern finger of Abbotts Lagoon as "Bombing Target Number Two." According to U.S. Navy records, the State of California permitted the Navy the use of this portion of Abbotts Lagoon for the construction and maintenance of target facilities in connection with bombing activities at NAS Alameda under permit number Noy(R) 54848 (Techlaw Inc., Preliminary Assessment Report, Drakes Bay, 31 July 1998).

 

Pilots from the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy dropped practice bombs at this pyramid shaped target. The sides of the target were approximately 25 feet long, and it was anchored in the middle of the southern portion of the lagoon. Practice bombs that struck the target left white stains that washed away when it rained (Techlaw Inc., Preliminary Assessment Report, Drakes Bay, 31 July 1998). During the 1940s, Mr. Charlie Zetterquist, a longtime resident of the area whose father worked at the Point Reyes Lighthouse in the 1930s and 40s, found practice bombs approximately one foot long that were used at this range. The bombs had hollow wooden bodies, lead tips, and tin fins. Mr. Zetterquist also found hollow metal bombs approximately two feet long. These practice bombs were found on Point Reyes Beach and on the sandy bottom of the lagoon after it had drained. The water level in Abbotts Lagoon drops significantly when storms break down the sand bar that encloses the lagoon.

 

On 13 April 1946, a resolution was adopted by the SLC authorizing the issuance to the U.S. Navy of a five year permit with no renewal privilege, thus extending the use of the Abbotts Lagoon Bombing Target through 3 April 1951. In 1951, the permit was once again extended for five years through 3 April 1956. In 1952, when the Crows Landing Target Ranges were to be activated, the Government initiated the cancellation of the lease for the ground rights to the Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target. On 21 May 1952, the Air Space Subcommittee(Bureau of Aeronautics), Western District canceled the air space danger areas covering the Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target. It appears that the Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target was not used after that date.

 

Tomales Point Aerial Mine Laying Range: On 16 October 1956, Tomales Point Aerial Mine Laying Range was established west of Tomales Point. It covered an area approximately 28,000 feet long and varied from 7,000 to 12,000 feet in width and was located more than 100 yards from the shoreline. No explosives were to be used. During mine laying exercises, wooden markers three inches in diameter, 14 inches long, and weighing approximately five pounds were dropped into the Pacific Ocean. The wooden markers contained a small quantity of chemicals that produced smoke upon contact with salt water.

Prior to March 1957, three rake stations were established to observe the exercises at the Tomales Point Aerial Mine Laying Range. They were to be known as Monuments Dave, Goat, and John (NAS Alameda, 15 March 1957). To date no leases permitting Government use of these properties have been located.

 

 

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Updated 6 April 2016