HISTORIC WENDOVER FIELD - Nevada Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

One of a group of six detailed history markers at the Victory Highway Monument near Wendover Will on Wendover Blvd. (old U.S. Hwy. 40).

Text of sign:

The history of the Wendover Field began when the United States Army designated the area near the town of Wendover as an additional bombing range. Though isolated, the area was well suited to fit the needs: the Western Pacific Railroad served the area; the land for the airfield was located near virtually uninhabited areas of the Great Salt Lake Desert in western Utah and eastern Nevada; the generally excellent year-round flying weather allowed safe and frequent training flights for aircraft. the actual selection of the site and construction of runways and building began in 1940. In September 1940, the Department of the Interior transferred over 1.5 million acres of land to the Army Air Corps. Additional acquisitions brought the total land area to over 3 million acres, ultimately making the Wendover facility the world’s largest and finest bombing and gunnery range. The first military personnel arrived in August 1941. With the entrance of the United States into World War II, December 8, 1941, the installation became home to more than 20,000 personnel

TOKIO TROLLEY
With the heavy bomber came the need to train the gunnery crews for needed aerial defense. An advanced training device was built north of the airfield to accommodate this necessity, which was nicknamed the “Tokio Trolley.” (T-o-k-i-o is the correct spelling.) This facility was a main part of the gunnery range and included over 60 buildings for operation and storage. The facility was built with various matching gun ranges which allowed gunners to first train from stationary emplacements at stationary targets; then from stationary emplacement at moving targets; and finally, the most difficult but the most realistic with regard to actual air combat, from a moving emplacement to a moving target. This final stage was accomplished by firing the mounted .50 caliber guns on a moving rail car along a section of track at up to 40 miles per hour while at the same time trying to hit moving targets, which were mounted atop moving (yet unmanned) jeeps guided by paved and wooden tracks located on the inside of the target berms. General Douglas McArthur voiced his praise by saying, “Wendover gunners were the best trained in the army.” After World War II, the facilities were removed, and all that remain today are the firing pits, berms, some concrete foundations, and stationary concrete firing platforms.

BOMB GROUPS
Twenty-two heavy bomber crews train at Wendover Army Air Field Base before being assigned overseas. The crews for B-17 (Flying Fortress), B-24 (Liberators), and the B-29 (Superfortress) are listed.
*100th Bomb Group, B-17s for European Theatre Nov. 1942-Jan. 1943
*302nd Bomb Group, B-24 replacement unit for U.S. duty July-Sep. 1942
*306th Bomb Group, B-17s for European Theatre Apr.-Aug. 1942
*308th Bomb Group, B-24s for Pacific Theatre Oct.-Nov. 1942
*379th Bomb Group, B-17s for European Theatre Dec. 1942-Feb. 1943
*384th Bomb Group, B-17s for European Theatre Jan.-Apr. 1943
*388th Bomb Group, B-17s for European Theatre Feb.-May 1943
*393rd Bomb Group, B-17 operational training unit in U.S. Apr.-Jun. 1943
*399th Bomb Group, B-24s for U.S. duty assignments Apr.-Dec. 1943
*445th Bomb Group, B-24s for European Theatre Jun.-Jul. 1943
*448th Bomb Group, B-24s for European Theatre Jul.-Sep. 1943
*451st Bomb Group, B-24s for European Theatre Jul.-Sep. 1943
*456th Bomb Group, B-24s for Mediterranean/European Theatres Jun.-Jul. 1943
*457th Bomb Group, B-17s for European Theatre Dec. 1943-Jan. 1944
*458th Bomb Group, B-24s for European Theatre Jul. 1943-Sep. 1943
*461st Bomb Group, B-24s for European Theatre Jul. 1943
*464th Bomb Group, B-24s for European Theatre and U.S. duty Aug. 1943
*467th Bomb Group, B-24s for European Theatre Aug.-Sep. 1943
*489th Bomb Group, B-24s for European Theatre Oct. 1943-Apr. 1944
*490th Bomb Group, B-24s for European Theatre Oct. 1943
*494th Bomb Group, B-24s for the Far East Dec. 1943-Apr. 1944
*509th Composite Group, B-29s for atomic warfare Dec. 1944-Apr. 1945
For a short time in 1944, Wendover Field trained fighter groups with the P-47 long-range fighter-bombers developed specifically for use in the Pacific Theater. However, the Wendover training was abruptly canceled in September of that same year. The fighters were transferred out to make room for a group of Boeing B-29 Superfortresses.

THE 509TH COMPOSITE GROUP
The 509th Composite Group began forming in Wendover in September of 1944 and was commanded by then, Colonel Paul W. Tibbets. The unit was completely self-contained, outfitted with the latest B-29 Heavy Bombers; its own logistics, including land and air transports; its own security and FBI details; and specific hand-picked crews and soldiers. Anything that was needed from men to materials simply required Colonel Tibbets to us the code name, “Silver Plate,” which had been provided to him by General “Hap” Arnold, Chief to the U.S. Army Air Forces. This code overrode any other military orders with regard to operations, men, materials, and equipment and was directly linked to the overall “Manhattan Project.” The 509th utilized the vast bombing and gunner ranges located around Wendover Field to train for the dropping of the first atomic weapons. The facilities took on a new name, the “Technical Site.” The “Technical Site,” along with the specific men and equipment assigned by Colonel Tibbets, was given the code name, “Site W47.” This “site” was used to design, modify, and develop the aerial delivery technology and explosive components necessary for these first atomic weapons. This was done in conjunction and coordination with the atomic scientists working at Los Alamos, New Mexico. Today these facilities are abandoned, and some even removed. After the end of World War II, in order to keep secrecy with regard to the atomic program, all related atomic activities were consolidated and moved to the Los Alamos area in New Mexico. Today we know this atomic program as the Sandia National Laboratories near Albuquerque. As a result of the abrupt consolidation of atomic programs, several of the “final” assembly buildings in the “Technical Site” were removed quickly, some being removed with blow torches by cutting the metal beams of the buildings off at ground level. As a result of the fast move, the floors and foundations of the final assembly buildings were left intact, including the copper-lined floors, which were grounded in order to prevent inadvertent detonation of the weapons during build-up and modifications by the crews.
Unlike other bomber units of World War II, the 509th Composite Group trained intensely to achieve the mission of dropping but one bomb with an extremely high degree of precision for the technology of the day. They of course succeeded, dropping two atomic weapons on Japan; Hiroshima (August 6, 1945, by the aircraft “Enola Gay”) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945: by the aircraft “Bockscar”). After the completion of the August 9, 1945, mission, Japan made an unconditional surrender, bringing to an end World War II, and ultimately saving tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of American and Japanese lives, which would have certinly been lost with the planned invasion of Japan scheduled to occur later in 1945 or early 1946.

WHENEVER FIELD TODAY
After the war, Wendover Field continued to be used for training exercises, gunnery range operations, and as a research facility. The Air Force closed Wendover Field in 1969, and the base was declared surplus. In 1972, it was turned over to the State of Utah for use as a municipal airport and then finally deeded to the City of Wendover in 1977, followed by Tooele County in 1998. A portion of the original bombing range is now called the Utah Test and Training Range and is used extensively by the U.S. Air Force.

Marker Title (required): HISTORIC WENDOVER FIELD Marker Text (required): See Detailed Description County (required): Elko Marker Type (required): Metal Plaque Other Marker Type (optional): NA Is Marker Damaged? (required): No Other Damage Type (optional): NA URL - Website (optional): [Web Link] Marker Number (If official State Marker from NV SHPO website above, otherwise leave blank): Not Listed

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