200 yard Moving Target Ranges

While the USAAF ground gunnery range for B-17 crews is given as Snettisham, the B-24 crews were apparently used the "Derryogue range", which would likely have been adjacent to Greencastle airfield.

All the best,
PB

PNK;28997 wrote:

.., old photos of Dorset. It is located near Chickerell at NGR SY648785. I don't know why its there but hopefully somebody does.

PeterTheEater then added:

There was an A/G Range located at Chickerell during WW2 (Chesil Bank)

Warmwell, (for a limited period), became No.2 Air Observers School in 1939 for training in bombing and gunnery, (source: AP3236).

As mentioned in post #60 above the functions and locations of Gunnery Schools varied considerably from 1939 to 1945. I suspect a 'snapshot' decision was made at an Air Ministry meeting on one occasion to the effect that, 'Air Gunners will need MTRs. The following stations will therefore be equipped with such a device.' Hindsight shows that six months later this list would be obsolete, but no doubt the unstoppable cogs would be grinding.

Graham

I had a site visit to Snettisham today.
Brief report and photo's to follow as soon as I get home.
Should have it online by 9pm. ish.

BBS,
PB

A couple of lovely hours were spent on the sunny Norfolk coast today nosing around the remains of the two Moving Target Ranges at Snettisham.

Special thanks to the RSPB chap who guided me through the reed beds to the second range firing stands, I'd have never got to them otherwise.

Starting off at the firing stands for the original RAF 200yd Range:

M&E Plinth:



Switchgear room behind, still in use:



Hut bases, looking downrange past the firing stands:



Firing stands, with individual pintle mounts:



Detail of one of the 17 mounts:



These were arranged in four sets of four, plus one on it's own at the NE end.

Moving across the site to the later range's firing platform, which was completely overgrown:



Underneath the plants, the surface was in good condition, and there was a deep cable trench running down the centre of the long axis:



There was a hut base extant behind the stand, with a number of apple trees growing beside it. Seeded from a discarded gunner's snack perhaps?

Moving downrange, after a short distance the trackbed for this range's target railway is easily found as it consists of a pair of rails set into a solid concrete foundation. This 5' gauge track can be followed continuously to where it joined the target loop:



The circular trackbed at the target area has almost completely disappeared, but this short length survives. The camber can be seen clearly:



The protective banks have been much reduced on this range, with the backstop seemingly having been mainly removed with only half the centre section remaining at full height:

In the target area of the original 200yd range, the shingle earthworks survive in much better condition. The only major damage is where a section of both the protective bank and the embanked trackbed have been cut through at the SE end of the loop. None of the earthworks on either range appear to have had concrete walls or supports.

This is the far end of the range, looking back toward the firing stands in the distance.
In the centre of the picture is the embanked trackbed, with its protective bank behind:



Moving around to the side, the embanked trackbed can be seen clearly looping around:



The 5' high protective bank with it's distinctive shape can be seen here, looking directly across the range. The trackbed ran in the hollow in the foreground here:



Standing on the 6' bank between the ranges, the height of the trackbed toward the front of the 200yd range can be seen:



And finally, just to confirm its use as a firing range, here are a few of the .50 Cal projectiles seen scattered across the embankment. A mix of M1 Incendiary (blue tip), M2 or M10 Tracer and M2 Armour Piercing (black tip) as represented here was one of the 8AF's usual combinations for the 1943-44 period (2xINC, 2xAP, 1xTR):



All the best,
PB

P wrote:

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,

All the best,
PB

`

It's the 1st-time I've signed in for ages & Richard & Co. probably wondered where I'd gone !

I've enjoyed browsing this thread, especially your pictures Paul(, as it's basically right "on my doorstep".

I play for the local 'Pool' team, in the actual-building that (I'm told) was used as "the" mess hall for the 8th A.F.guys based/using/passing thru "Station #172" 1.CCGS.

As I'm naturally friends with the owner (& was there last-night, we won 7-2 !), I've been given a couple of interesting pictures taken at "172" during the 8th A.F's time there (the photo's were amongst a cache of 1930's-1940's shots of the building itself, gifted by the prev' owners for historical-purposes; & being an a/c (& 8th/9th A.F) enthusiast, I made a beeline for TWO shots in particular.

To my knowledge, I've NEVER seen shots of #172 during wartime (prior to these 2), so, they MAY be unique ????????

On the instructions of the owner (tho' copyright has debateably passed), I've promised I won't "punt 'em out" before finding out more on WHO (any) of the SEVEN USAAF airmen 'may' be (in one of the two shots), as we'd like to see if anyone "stateside" might recognise their Grandfathers (or Fathers) in the "Beach" picture, in front of the Austin K.2

The other photo' would be of greater interest to folks on here

Again, taken on the beach, it shows numerous (6-7) 'Gunner/Instructor' teams, spaced-out, at intervals, firing SINGLE 0.50 cal MG's out to sea, across the 'Wash'

Interesting to note that the instructors are wearing their Leather-outer/Sheepskin-lined flying jackets, suggesting a relatively cold day, although anyone who visits Snettisham beach regularly knows just how blustery it can get !

I'll pop back to this thread around Xmas & see (with interest) what else turns up.

Glad you found the miniature "railway-lines" in the dunes...
I've often wondered where they went to whilst walking my Alsatian thru the area in your (superb) pix.

I haven't looked (yet), but I'm presuming this subject (Station #172) doesn't have it's 'own' thread within the Norfolk/East-Anglia section of the forum ????????

`

I'm playing catch-up with this thread and I can see that you have all been busy.

Welcome to Movingtarget, I am happy that you have confirmed an MTR probably associated with Stormy Down.

Also, Paul has confirmed from his Snettisham visit, that the USAAF used a standard pattern MTR for free gunnery training which suited their requirement.

So, the numbers grow. A fascinating story which, no doubt, will run and run.