Hawthorne Bomb Plot

{{Short description|Formerly Used Defense Site in Nevada}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}

{{For|the Hawthorne USO Site 26-105 |Babbitt, Nevada#World War II{{!}}Camp Jumbo}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}

{{Infobox military installation

| name = Hawthorne Bomb Plot

| ensign =

| native_name = Navy Fallon RBS

| partof =

| location = Babbitt, Nevada

| nearest_town = Hawthorne, Nevada

| country =

| image = File:Babbitt-Map2.gif

| alt =

| caption = Map of Babbitt, with the station to the east

| image2 =

| alt2 =

| caption2 =

| type =

| coordinates = {{coord|38|32|10.84|N|118|38|2.73|W|type:landmark|display=inline}}

| image_map =

| image_mapsize =

| image_map_alt =

| image_map_caption =

| pushpin_map =

| pushpin_mapsize =

| pushpin_map_alt =

| pushpin_map_caption =

| pushpin_relief =

| pushpin_image =

| pushpin_label =

| pushpin_label_position =

| pushpin_mark =

| pushpin_marksize =

| ownership =

| operator = United States Air Force

| controlledby =

| open_to_public =

| site_other_label =

| site_other =

| site_area =

| code =

| built =

| used =

| builder =

| materials =

| height =

| fate = Demolished

| condition =

| battles =

| events =

| current_commander =

| past_commanders = Unknown-1966 Lt Col Hollacher{{r|MCIN}}
1966-Unknown Lt Col McHan

| garrison =

| occupants =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Hawthorne Bomb Plot{{Cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p7gkAAAAIBAJ&pg=2769,1123179&dq=bomb-scoring&hl=en | title=Mineral County Independent-News - Google News Archive Search | access-date=2020-12-02 | archive-date=2022-06-29 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629164439/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p7gkAAAAIBAJ&pg=2769%2C1123179&dq=bomb-scoring&hl=en | url-status=live }} is a Formerly Used Defense Site that had a Strategic Air Command (SAC) AUTOTRACK radar station during the Cold War. Operations began at a temporary RBS train site{{Specify|reason=Where was the railroad spur used for the RBS Express? Babbitt does not appear to have had a railroad.|date=May 2013}} for RBS Express #2 was at the Hawthorne area in December 1961,{{Cite news |date=14 December 1961 |title=Hawthorne "Bombed" Daily |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/nevada-state-journal/1961-12-14/page-14 |newspaper=Nevada State Journal |access-date=2012-06-20}} and the 11th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron{{Verify source |reason=What is the text on the photo that states this information?|date=May 2013}}{{Citation |title=Babbitt, NV Historical Calendar |year=2007 |orig-year=2006 |publisher=Mineral County Museum }} subsequently established the fixed military installation for Radar Bomb Scoring in Babbitt, Nevada, the military housing community near the local Navy/Army{{Specify|reason=Was the depot Navy in 1961, or had it been transferred to the Army by then? |date=May 2013}} depot.{{Cite news |date=22 June 1966 |title=Young Men To Enter Academies |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=amllAAAAIBAJ&pg=1820,5752525&dq=bomb-scoring-unit&hl=en |newspaper=Mineral County Independent News |access-date=2012-07-09 |quote=Lt. Col. … Hollacher has been in command of the SAC Radar Bomb Scoring unit located in Babbitt. |archive-date=2022-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629164439/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=amllAAAAIBAJ&pg=1820%2C5752525&dq=bomb-scoring-unit&hl=en |url-status=live }}

Detachment 12 operated and maintained the radars, e.g., {{circa|1977-2000}}, Reeves AN/MSQ-77 Bomb Directing Central (serial number 10) was at the Hawthorne Bomb Plot after use for Guam RBS and Vietnam Combat Skyspot bombing. The unit was reassigned to 1CEVG's RBS Division in 1966 and tracked training sorties at the Nellis Air Force Range (e.g., during the Vietnam War){{Cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fPBkAAAAIBAJ&pg=4089,1743293&dq=combat-evaluation&hl=en | title=Mineral County Independent-News - Google News Archive Search | access-date=2020-12-02 | archive-date=2022-06-29 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629164440/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fPBkAAAAIBAJ&pg=4089%2C1743293&dq=combat-evaluation&hl=en | url-status=live }} and scored SAC bombers. Hawthorne's Oil Burner route ("OB-10 Hawthorne") for SAC low-level bomber flights extended from a "point west of Elko, Nevada, running southwest to Mina, Nevada" at flight level "FL130-140"{{Dead link |date=May 2013}}{{Cite report |year=c. 1970 |title=Proposed IAO/DTE Resource Availability |url=http://www.corpsfuds.com/reports/other/J08UT1001HistoricalDoc19.pdf |access-date=2013-04-18 |quote=OB-10-Hawthorne: A point west of Elko, Nevada, running southwest to Nuna, Nevada FL130-140) }}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (the Tonopah "SAC Targets 1 and 2"{{r|CAU408}} were at South Antelope Lake.){{Cite report |title=Tonopah Test Range…Corrective Action Sites |volume=DOE/NV/25946--1036 |quote=CAS TA-55-002-TAB2 (Bomblet Target Areas) consists of six separate locations [that] include Mid Target, BLU-63 area, SAC Target, South Antelope Lake, and Tomahawk Targets 1 and 2 … CAS RG-52-007-TAML (Davis Gun Penetrator Test) consists of Davis Gun testing locations on Antelope, Brownes, Pedro, and Main Lakes, and Antelope Tuff 1, Antelope Tuff 2, Sidewinder Tuff, Myers Ridge, and Mt Helen (Nellis Range 75). The only location with land use restrictions is Antelope Lake.}} (for SAC Targets 1 and 2, see DOE/NV--1409)

The USAF detachment publicized their 1985 move to the Havre Radar Bomb Scoring Site,{{Cite news |date=29 May 1985 |title=Air Force Group Bids Farewell to Hawthorne |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JPskAAAAIBAJ&pg=3699,975306&dq=combat-evaluation&hl=en |format=Google News Archive |newspaper=Mineral County Independent-News |access-date=2013-05-16 |quote=…the majority of the personnel will be moving with the radar equipment to Havre, Montana. |archive-date=2022-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629164440/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JPskAAAAIBAJ&pg=3699%2C975306&dq=combat-evaluation&hl=en |url-status=live }} cf. Baker RBS Site (MT89799F06160), Forsythe RBS Site (FUDS B08MT0282), Poplar RBS Site (MT89799F0660001), & Wibaux RBS Site (MT89799F07020) but the Hawthorne radar station was still used by NAS Fallon in 1993, and the Whiskey Flats RV park was established in the general location of the former radar station{{Cite web |title=Babbitt (13) |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/coldwararchaeology/6342069553/ |format=caption for town photograph |publisher=flickr |access-date=2012-07-08 |date=2011-11-08 |archive-date=2016-02-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204131727/https://www.flickr.com/photos/coldwararchaeology/6342069553/ |url-status=live }} in 2004.{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}}