Artillery training area in So. Calif....who?

Hi!
I was wondering if anyone knew of any artillery units that trained in the So. Cal area of the Mojave Desert, specifically around the Grey Butte Army Airfield. They would've fired 75, 105 and 155mm rounds. There may have been a AAA unit there too.

Any info would be appreciated.

Rick

 

That whole area down there (Around Ft. Irwin) was used by Patton prior to WW2 and many other units after. It would be safe to assume that most west coast Artilley units transitioned through there from 1939-1954.

 

Thanks for the reply, but this isn't part of where Patton's troops trained (Desert Training Center or CA-AZ Manuever Area). It's about 60mi. from the outer edge of that training area. I just found this on the Ft. Irwin page - "In 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range, a military reservation of approximately 1000 square miles in the area of the present Fort Irwin. In 1942, the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range was renamed Camp Irwin", but that doesn't mean there wasn't artillery units there. I'm thinking they might have come from Camp Callan. I agree with you that most training on open desert stopped around the mid-50's (there was the 1964 Operation Desert Strike which used most of the same area as Patton did). I'll keep looking, but you gave me some ideas.

Thanks!