Long Point Military Reservation: Difference between revisions

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{|{{FWpicframe}}
{|{{FWpicframe}}
|- valign="top"
|- valign="top"
|width="50%"|[[File:Battery 240 - 21.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Long Point MR Site from Below]]
|width="50%"|<!--[[File:Battery 240 - 21.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Long Point MR Site from Below]]-->
|width="50%"|[[File:NIKE LA-55 - 01.jpg|300px|thumb|right|City of Rancho Palos Verdes Complex on Old Long Point MR]]
|width="50%"|<!--[[File:NIKE LA-55 - 01.jpg|300px|thumb|right|City of Rancho Palos Verdes Complex on Old Long Point MR]]-->
|-
|-
|colspan="2"|[[File:Long Point MR - FC - 15.jpg|795px|thumb|center|Long Point MR 1930 Fire Control Station]]
|colspan="2"|[[File:Long Point MR - FC - 15.jpg|795px|thumb|center|Long Point MR 1930 Fire Control Station]]
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[[File:Battery 240 Emp1 - 3.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Long Point MR, Battery 240 Gun Emplacement #1]]
[[File:Battery 240 Emp1 - 3.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Long Point MR, Battery 240 Gun Emplacement #1]]
In the opening days of [[World War II]], Battery B of the [[3rd U.S. Coast Artillery]] moved two 155mm GPF guns from the upper reservation gun park at [[Fort MacArthur]] to emplacements at [[Long Point Military Reservation]]. These were temporary field emplacements that were later replaced by two Panama mounts. The Panama mounts were completed by the end of March 1942 and the guns were emplaced there until [[Battery 240]] was completed and proof fired in 1943. The emplacements were located on the north side of Long Point below the 1930s fire control stations.
In the opening days of [[World War II]], Battery B of the [[3rd U.S. Coast Artillery]] moved two 155mm GPF guns from the upper reservation gun park at [[Fort MacArthur]] to emplacements at [[Long Point Military Reservation]]. These were temporary field emplacements that were later replaced by two Panama mounts. The Panama mounts were completed by the end of March 1942 and the guns were emplaced there until [[Battery 240]] was completed and proof fired in 1943. The emplacements were located on the north side of Long Point below the 1930s fire control stations.
Construction on the modern 6" twin gun [[Battery 240]] began in 1942 and was completed with the proof firing of the guns in October 1943. [[Battery 240]] was located on the upper level of the reservation overlooking Point Vincente. Two fire control stations were built at FC Site #3  behind [[Battery 240]] higher up in the hills at the 500' level. These fire control stations serviced [[Battery 240]], [[Battery 241]], [[Battery 127]] and would have serviced [[Battery 128]] had it been armed.
Two SCR-296 Radar fire control stations were built even higher up in the hills at the 700' and 1000' levels. These Radar sites serviced [[Battery 240]] and [[Battery 127]].


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{{MrLongPointWWII}}
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[[File:Long Point Army Tracts 1944.jpg|thumb|left|795px|Army Controlled Land Tracts near Long Point, 1944]]
[[File:Long Point Army Tracts 1944.jpg|thumb|left|795px|Army Controlled Land Tracts near Long Point, 1944]]
[[File:Long Point MR WWII Plan.jpg|thumb|left|795px|Long Point Military Reservation Plan]]
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== [[Cold War]] (1947–1991) ==
[[File:Long Point MR - FC - 01.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Former Nike Launch Site LA-55L on Long Point MR (now part of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes complex)]]
[[File:NIKE LA-55C - 06.jpg|thumb|left|200px|View from former NIKE Site LA-55C now Del Cerro City Park]]
A NIKE missile launch and administrative site LA-55L was located on the Long Point Military Reservation in 1956. The site consisted of a launch facility/magazine and and a barracks/administrative facility. The launch/magazine facility is now a maintenance yard for the city of Rancho Palos Verdes and the barracks/administrative facility is the city hall complex.
A separate control site LA-55C was located in the hills above the launch site. The control site housed the Radar (AN/FPS-71,  AN/FPA-16) and communications equipment for controlling the missile intercepts of hostile enemy aircraft.
The NIKE systems at the Long Point Military Reservation evolved with the NIKE program into an advanced aircraft interceptor missile system with a nuclear capability. In the 1970s the threat changed from long range bomber attacks to intercontinental nuclear missile attacks and the NIKE system became obsolete. In 1974 the NIKE system was deactivated and the NIKE facilities at Long Point MR were closed.
The abandoned site was first offered to Federal agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard retained a small portion of the site that included [[Battery 240]] for a communications site. In the end, the newly formed city of Rancho Palos Verdes obtained title to the former military reservation and the NIKE control site above it.
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{{LongPointNike}}


== Current Status ==
== Current Status ==
Most of the old military reservation site is owned by the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California. The city hall and other city facilities are located on the former military reservation. The area around gun emplacement #2 of [[Battery 240]] is marked with U.S. Government signs. Access to the former NIKE launch site and magazine is restricted by city signs but nearly all of the sites can be photographed from unrestricted areas.
No remains of the 155mm gun emplacements.
 
----
The NIKE control site above the old military reservation is now the Del Cerro City Park with no remnants or mention of the military facilities. The view of the California coast and Catalina Island is spectacular from this site.
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(M) 33.7447911, -118.4045523, Long Point Military Reservation
(M) 33.7447911, -118.4045523, Long Point Military Reservation
(1930-1974)
(1930-1974)
(B) 33.744684, -118.406741, Battery 240
(1942-1948) 
(L) 33.74375, -118.403773, NIKE LA 55L
(1956-1974)
(C) 33.758007, -118.368094, NIKE LA-55C
(1956-1974)
(B) 33.739374, -118.401622, Battery 155 - Long Point
(B) 33.739374, -118.401622, Battery 155 - Long Point
(1941-1943)
(1941-1943)
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</googlemap>
</googlemap>
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|valign="top"|
'''Location:''' City Hall, Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California.
'''Location:'''Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California.


{{Mapit-US-cityscale|33.7447911|-118.4045523}}
{{Mapit-US-cityscale|33.7447911|-118.4045523}}
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[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Preserved]]
[[Category:Preserved]]
[[Category:City Park]]
[[Category:World War II Forts]]
[[Category:World War II Forts]]
[[Category:Military Reservations]]
[[Category:Military Reservations]]
[[Category:Starter Page]]
[[Category:Starter Page]]
[[Category:2013 Research Trip]]
[[Category:2013 Research Trip]]

Revision as of 15:07, 12 January 2013

Long Point Military Reservation (1930-1974) - An Coastal Military Reservation first established in 1930 above Long Point and Point Vincente in the present day city of Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California. A sub-post of Fort MacArthur. Abandoned in 1974.

Long Point MR 1930 Fire Control Station

Part of the Harbor Defense of Los Angeles.

Long Point MR 1930s Plan
Long Point MR 1930 Fire Control Station

The Long Point Military Reservation was initially acquired in 1930 to house six fire control stations for the large caliber guns at Fort MacArthur. The initial site was a small hillside reservation overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Long Point. The fire control stations were rectangular reinforced concrete structures built into a steep hillside.

World War II (1941-1945)

Long Point MR, Battery 240 Gun Emplacement #1

In the opening days of World War II, Battery B of the 3rd U.S. Coast Artillery moved two 155mm GPF guns from the upper reservation gun park at Fort MacArthur to emplacements at Long Point Military Reservation. These were temporary field emplacements that were later replaced by two Panama mounts. The Panama mounts were completed by the end of March 1942 and the guns were emplaced there until Battery 240 was completed and proof fired in 1943. The emplacements were located on the north side of Long Point below the 1930s fire control stations.


Long Point Military Reservation World War II Battery (edit list)
Battery
Click on Battery links below 		No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Battery Cost Notes
Battery 155 - Long Point 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1941-1942-1943-1944 $ 8,208
Source: CDSG
Army Controlled Land Tracts near Long Point, 1944



Current Status

No remains of the 155mm gun emplacements.

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Location:Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California.

Maps & Images

Lat: 33.7447911 Long: -118.4045523

Recent Blog Posts:

Sources:

  • U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles, (LA-AN-WDC-44), 31 Aug 1944, CDSG

Links:

Visited: 4 Jan 2013

Long Point Military Reservation Picture Gallery

Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!

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