200 yard Moving Target Ranges

[kebecker]

http://www.noah.norfolk.gov.uk/ShowI...TF645341-A.jpg



http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.87...16&r=0&src=msl
PNK, am I seeing the same spots you see when you look to hard?

[P Bellamy]

http://www.noah.norfolk.gov.uk/ShowI...TF645341-A.jpg

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.87...16&r=0&src=msl
PNK, am I seeing the same spots you see when you look to hard?

Nice, I'd never noticed the Snettisham Gunnery Range had one of those before.
There was an 8AF Air Division Gunnery School established there in late 1943, using both the ground-air and air-air ranges for B-17 gunners, B-24 gunners seem to have mainly used the similar school at Derryouge in Northern Ireland.

All the best,
PB

[PETERTHEEATER]

Not just a pretty face kebecker, how did you find that? Carnaby will think all his birthdays have come at once!

So, it looks like some USAAF ranges had 200 yard MTRs; and why not? They had more air gunners than the RAF I think. Although we think of live fire training for turret gunners using either fixed or mobile firing points, there is no reason why the target range could not be used to train 'free' gunners (e.g B17 waist gunners)

On the aerial image that you posted there is a second and discrete 'butt' just to the NE; would that be a 'free' gun range?

Now all we have to do is look at all the USAAF range areas......... and prolong the agony!

[PETERTHEEATER]

Castle Kennedy - I have already trawled around looking for an MTR. Logic says that it would have a 'safe heading' over water and would be coastal like most others but since Dumfries had an inland MTR there may be another.

Assuming CK did not use the West Freugh facility then an MTR located for CK use might have been located on the banks of one of the adjacent lochs or inland to the north or east of the airfield where the terrain rises steeply.

There was an MAP Range at Braid Fell well to the north but an unlikley site due to distance from CK.

[P Bellamy]

The ground-air range at Mousehole was home to the 8AF Gunnery School until summer 1943, after which the two Air Division Gunnery Schools took over at the ranges mentioned previously.

The USAAF were also allocated sole or shared use of a number of bombing, air-air and air-ground ranges of which I have a partial list.

All the best,
PB

[PNK]

Any idea as to the location? The area around Mousehole itself doesn't lend itself to an MTR so maybe it was a few miles away?

[kebecker]

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.07...17&r=0&src=msl

spots in front of my eyes again ?

[PNK]

I see what you mean. Not sure though. Nothing on the old maps but that's no proof against.

[PETERTHEEATER]

An unlikely location due to the absence of a safe heading and distance from those training schools which required them.

SD559 dated 1945 'Armament Training Areas' does not show any military range in this area.

Don't let that put you off kebecker, keep looking and good hunting!

[PETERTHEEATER]

Hush my mouth!!.

You may have something kebecker

Browsing through my records for something else I note that there was a 8th AF USAAF Range for Air to Ground gunnery located near Mousehole in WW2.

See, I keep forgetting the USAAF were here too!

I have no other details.