The Navy accepted a Chief of Ordnance's offer to participate at White Sands and a Navy cantonment area was built adjacent to the Army cantonment area. A blockhouse designed to withstand the impact of a rocket falling freely from an altitude of 100 miles remains and is still used. A missile assembly building, and 16- by 16-foot Dallas type hutments were built to house incoming troops.Īrmed Forces Circular Number 268, dated July 13, 1945, announced that the White Sands Proving Ground had been officially activated on July 9, 1945.Ĭonstruction of launch facilities commenced on July 10, 1945, at a location approximately 6½ miles east of the Headquarters site. Because the facility was considered temporary, old Civilian Conservation Corps structures were transferred from Sandia base near Albuquerque. Initially, the Army planned to use the range not more than 5 to 6 weeks during 1945 to launch only 10 to 15 long-distance projectiles. Original site plans were formulated in Washington during April and May 1945, and construction began on June 25. The site recommendation from the Army's Chief of Ordnance was approved by the Secretary of War on February 20, 1945. Although the potential range was not as large as the initial specifications called for, the basin met all the other criteria and was selected to become the "White Sands Proving Ground." An important factor regarding the cantonment site selection within the Tularosa Basin was the availability of well water. The War Department also wanted the site to be located near an existing Army post so that support would be available.Īn Army site survey team arrived in New Mexico's Tularosa Basin in the fall of 1944. Constant clear skies were needed to facilitate uninterrupted testing. Surrounding hills were required for observation. Ideally, the site needed to be within the continental United States covering uninhabited terrain with extensive level regions. In the fall of 1944, with advances in American missile development, the Army's Ordnance Department and California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed a land range where missiles could be launched and recovered for further study.
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