Longboat Key in Manatee County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

World War II Bombing Range

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 4, 2014

1. World War II Bombing Range Marker

Inscription.
During the war years of the 1940s, the Army Air Corps had bombing targets set up near here and pilots in training from many bases in Florida took turns shooting at targets set up near the beach. Later on, they tried skip bombing techniques and unfortunately lost many pilots in the Gulf of Mexico when the planes failed to pull up in time. Shopping became a problem for the families at the north end of the Key since the road on Longboat Key was blocked during target practice and there was no bridge at the north end until 1958.

Beachcombers occasionally find 50-calibre shell casings, and in 1985 a World War II P-40 airplane canopy was washed ashore.

Erected by Town of Longboat Key and Longboat Key Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1958.

Location. 27° 23.51′ N, 82° 38.551′ W. Marker is in Longboat Key, Florida, in Manatee County. Marker is on Gulf of Mexico Drive (Road 789) 0.2 miles south of Sutton Place, on the left when traveling south. Marker is located in front of a water treatment facility building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4250 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key FL 34228, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this

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marker, measured as the crow flies. Corey's Landing and Farming Community (approx. 2.7 miles away); Whitfield Estates on Sarasota Bay (approx. 4.4 miles away); Beverly Pepper American, 1922-2020 (approx. 5.1 miles away); Ca’D’Zan: House of John (approx. 5.2 miles away); Sarasota Bradenton International Airport/Sarasota Army Air Field (approx. 5½ miles away); Indian Beach (approx. 5.6 miles away); The 1890 Bratton Store/The 1912 Cortez Rural Graded Schoolhouse (approx. 5.7 miles away); The Village of Cortez (approx. 5.8 miles away).

Also see . . . Sarasota County's Bombing Ranges in WWII. Sarasota History Alive website entry:
Pilots flying P-40s and P-51s first used the Army Firing Range, located just north of the Sarasota-Manatee County line on Longboat Key. They would practice dive-bombing and gunnery tactics. In 1943 the target range was used for training by fighter planes. Planes from Sarasota, Venice, Mac Dill in Tampa and well as other planes stationed in nearby counties used the range. An emergency landing strip was located just north of the range. The training was dangerous and accidents occurred. In 1943 alone, two planes crashed into Longboat Key, killing three pilots and two pilots were killed in a mid-air collision over the key. (Submitted on April 25, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

World War II Bombing Range Marker (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 4, 2014

2. World War II Bombing Range Marker (wide view)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,399 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 7, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.