Historic
California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Rice Army Air
Field
Rice
Army Air Field, 1942 (courtesy San Bernardino County Library).
Located two miles southeast
of the town of Rice, Rice AAF was a small airfield and a sub-base
of Thermal Army Air Field and later, San Bernardino Army Air
Field. It was used to train pilots and crews of aircraft whose
mission it was to support ground troops. This included a wide
variety of aircraft from observation planes to bombers. The airfield
consisted of two paved 5,000' runways and numerous dispersal
pads extending off the runways to the south.
In order to house the
more than 3,000 men, the Army constructed temporary barracks
and other buildings. By 1944, the airfield was assigned to March Field as a sub-base. Rice Army Air Field
was closed later mid-1944, and declared surplus at the end of
1944.
Source: World War II Sites in
the United States: A Tour Guide and Directory by Richard E. Osbourne
Bureau of
Land Management History
One of several combat-ready, fall-back
fields, in the event of a Japanese attack on the west coast.
"Rice, home of USAAF first P-51 group.
Gunnery range needs nothing more than a scoring crew, etc."
[John Lynch: E-mail June 9, 1999]
Rice Municipal Airport, at an elevation
of 850 feet (depicted on aeronautical charts as 832'), was acquired
by the IV Air Support Command on September 29, 1942, and was
operational by October 26,1942. Rice Army Airfield, like Desert
Center, was a sub-base of Thermal Army Airfield and later, San
Bernardino Army Air Field. It was used to train pilots and crews
of aircraft whose mission it was to support ground troops. This
included a wide variety of aircraft from observation planes to
bombers. The facility was in the heart of Desert Training Center/California
Arizona Maneuver Area (DTC/C-AMA) operations, close to Camps
Iron Mountain, Coxcomb, and Granite. In order to house more than
3,000 men, the army constructed barracks, recreation and mess
halls, power houses, hangars, and dormitories. Two paved runways
also existed, each measuring 5,000 by 150 feet and numerous dispersal
pads extending off the runways to the south; each had a load
bearing capacity of 30,000 pounds for use in transporting heavy
military cargo. The two runways can be seen to form an arrow
pointing toward the south. The San Bernardino County line bisects
the campsite, and the airfield lies wholly in Riverside County.
During the construction of the camp, a 900-foot-deep well was
dug to obtain water for the troops. Unfortunately, the well hit
hot mineral water that was unfit to drink. Rice Army Airfield
was located adjacent to the small railroad town of Rice, which
consisted of a small cafe and store (Eberling 1997: 3; U.S. Air
Force Historical Division n.d.a:1).
Under the IV Air Support Command in 1942
and early 1943; the 71st Reconnaissance Group and the 85th Bombardment
Group flew reconnaissance and dive bomber training missions with
the Army ground forces in the DTC.
After most Army units had deployed to
overseas theaters by mid-1943, Rice AAF became a Fourth Air Force
group training facility for units deploying to combat commands
overseas, training pilots and aircrew with a wide variety of
tactical aircraft, from light observation planes to medium bombers.
Known units assigned to Rice were:
• 312th Bombardment Group, April 13 - August 15, 1943
• 339th Fighter Group, September 1943 - March 1944
Having been equipped with A-24 and A-25
aircraft and trained in the dive-bomber role, the 339th were
re-equipped with P-39s in July 1943. The Group moved to Rice
Field, CA in September 1943 and stayed there until shipping overseas
on 22 March 1944. P-39Q 42-20720 is shown here as it appeared
at Rice Field. The artwork that this a/c bears is one of the
more popular pin-ups from Esquire Magazine, being Alberto Vargas'
"There'll always be a Christmas" from the December
1943 edition.
Fourth Air Force was activated as the
Southwest Air District of the GHQ Air Force on 18 December 1940,
at March Field, California. It was redesignated Fourth Air Force
on 26 March 1941 with a mission for the defense of the Southwest
and Lower Midwest regions of the United States.
Fourth Air Force supported Army Air Forces
Training Command's mission of training of units, crews, and individuals
for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations. After
personnel graduated from AAFTC flight schools, navigator training,;
flexible gunnery schools, and various technical schools, Fourth
Air Force organized the personnel, aircraft and equipment into
combat groups and squadrons. The newly-formed units received
secondary training prior to their assignment to the deployed
combat air forces in the various overseas theaters. Most P-51
Mustang and P-38 Lightning groups were trained by Fourth Air
Force primarily due to the proximity of their manufacturing plants
in Southern California. By 1944, most of the Operational Training
of groups ended, with the command concentrating on the training
of replacement personnel, using Army Air Force Base Units (AAFBU)
as training organizations at the airfields controlled by Fourth
Air Force.
Air Defense Wings were also organized
for the major metropolitan areas along the West Coast, using
training units attached to the Wings. By 1944 the likelihood
of an air attack along the West Coast was remote, and these air
defense wings were reduced to paper units.
It is rumored that Rice was once considered
as "ground zero" for the Trinity site test of the worlds
first nuclear weapons test explosion. Rice escaped becoming "Rice
Crispy" partly because the Army office charged with choosing
the actual test site had a previous falling out with General
Patton and didn't want to have any further contact with the fiery
General who commanded and controlled the Rice airfield. The actual
test site chosen was located in the northwest sector of the Alamogordo
Army Air Station near Socorro, New Mexico.
By May 1944, the airfield was assigned
to March Field 15th Bombardment Wing at March Field as a sub-base,
and the Second Airdrome Detachment was disbanded. Rice Field
was closed on August 2, 1944, and declared surplus in October.
The airfield was maintained for a short time afterward by resources
found at other DTC/C-AMA sites. There a detachment of Squadron
H from Thermal Armyairfield was maintained for a short time afterward
by resources found at other DTC/C-AMA sites. There a detachment
of Squadron H from Thermal Army Airfield (U.S. Air Force Historical
Division n.d.a:1). The facility was inactivated and turned over
to the Army Corps of Engineers on 1 January 1946.
Current Condition: The Rice Army Airfield
was located 2.2 miles east of the "town" of Rice. The
main entrance to the airfield is easily located today. A lone
tree immediately south of California Highway 62 and the Atchison
Topeka and Santa Fe railroad tracks marks the entrance road.
Foundations can be found throughout the area, including those
for barracks, mess halls, and guard shacks. Most of the access
road to the runways and airplane parking areas were coated with
oil and are, therefore, still clear today. Runways and taxiways
can also be found, although many of them are currently covered
with sand and vegetation. Several airplane parking areas still
exist, along with an extensive apron and a firing butt for airplane
stationary-target practice. There appears to have been a tent
camp associated with the airfield, as several rock-lined walkways
and tent areas are located immediately west of the airfield.
Roads lined with basalt rocks also exist throughout the area.
Rice Army Airfield, therefore, contains elements of several types
of resources found at other DTC/C-AMA sites. There are reports
of aerial target ranges existing to the south, as well as to
the north, of the airfield. A few old cars can be found on some
of these ranges, exhibiting signs of having been extensively
shot.
National
Register of Historic Places History
Rice Field pre-dated World War II. It
began as a municipal airport for the community of Rice constructed
sometime after 1932 (Freeman 2011). A decade later, the airport
was acquired by the 4th Air Support command and was in military
use by October 26, 1942.
As part of the combat training, the Army
Air Force and the Army Service Force were included, serving as
support to Army Ground Forces (AGF).
Air squadrons were primarily assigned
supporting roles to the ground units, providing tactical support
and generally creating a realistic combat environment (Blake,
1996).
During maneuvers and other training operations,
planes flew low over the troops in order to prepare them for
strafing in actual combat. Air crews also practiced bombing and
gunnery on several ranges spaced throughout the DTC/CAMA. For
the most part, air-to-ground gunnery practice was focused on
the toes of nearby mountains (Hazenbush, 1944).
A variety of airplanes were used. L-1
and L-4 Piper Cubs were common for surveillance, proving invaluable
in spotting enemy units and directing artillery fire more effectively.
Low flying, twin-engine A-20 Havoc attack airplanes (light bombers)
were perhaps the most frequently encountered by ground troops.
Because of the presence of these aircraft, small units learned
the importance of camouflage, dispersion, and the digging of
slit trenches. In several instances, C-50 cargo planes were used
to supply troops during maneuvers. Douglas C-47, P-39 Airacobra,
P-40 Warhawk, and P-38 Lightning were also known to have been
used at the DTC/CAMA.
The Rice AAF had two 5,000-foot runways
and numerous dispersal pads. The airfield contained barracks,
recreation and mess halls, powerhouses, and support facilities
to house 3,000 men. By 1943, 4,000 men were reportedly stationed
there (Bischoff 2000, p. 93; Fergusson and Calvit 2009, p. 2-10).
The 836th Engineer Aviation Battalion was temporarily stationed
in adjacent Camp Rice to assist in construction/improvement of
the airfield before being moved to Camp Young which had better
amenities.
After the DTC/C-AMA was closed on April
30, 1944, Rice AAF was assigned to March Field as a sub-base.
It ceased operating on August 2, 1944. In 1949, the field was
reopened as a civilian airport. The air field was privately owned
from 1951 through 1955. Its final abandonment occurred sometime
between 1955 and 1958 (Freeman 2011). [PP: 571]
Bischoff (2007), the Applicant’s
historian for RSEP, argues that the Rice AAF and Camp Rice should
be considered eligible for listing in the NRHP, having sufficient
integrity to reflect their important historical association with
the DTC/C-AMA. He regards Rice AAF to be, by far, the best example
of a DTC/C-AMA airfield. It was a multifaceted facility containing
many important elements, still evidenced by elaborate, improved-surface
runways, taxiways, dispersal pads, streets, rock-lined walkways
associated with a tent area, and foundations for various temporary
structures such as barracks, mess halls, kitchens, lavatories,
bathhouses, operations, etc. Staff concurs with Bischoff’s
eligibility recommendations for both the Rice AAF and Camp Rice.
These resources meet all NRHP Criteria A, B, C, and D (also CRHR
Criteria 1-4). [PP: 583]
The Rice Army Air Field site consists
of three major areas: (1) the administration area, (2) runways,
and (3) dispersal pads. The administration area is located at
the north end of the site, just south of SR 62 and consists of
a small road network, with the remains of former buildings, now
restricted to concrete slabs and footings. Interpretation has
led to their identification as the Administration Building, Base
Operations Building, Barracks and Mess buildings, etc. At the
lower center of the administration area, just north of the runway
area, is a well-preserved concrete pad 800 feet long and 300
feet wide. It is likely (based partly on discussions with World
War II veterans) that this served as a parade ground or deck
for mustering and reviewing troops and equipment.
There are two runways at Rice Army Air
Field that are at right angles to one another and that are oriented
northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast, respectively. The
runways themselves are to be 5,000 feet long and 150 feet wide.
The broader, formerly cleared areas adjacent to and surrounding
the runways create a giant V-shaped, cleared area with two legs,
each 545 feet wide. Where the legs meet at the ‘V’,
they are 1.07 miles long (short or inner edge) and 1.17 miles
long (long or outer edge). As stated above, lighter-colored bursage
has recolonized the runways to a density similar with that of
the surrounding desert. Darker creosote bush, however, has recolonized
only sparsely such that the runways are clearly visible on aerial
photographs.
Features
The following is a summary of the most numerous types of features:
Pits: There are 48 pit features on the
Rice Army Air Field site. These include a large number of rock
lined pits and rock-lined trenches, wood-lined pits, septic pits,
and burned debris pits. Many of the buildings have small (2-foot
by 4-foot), wood-lined pits located just outside the building.
Concrete pads: There are 27 concrete slabs
or pads at the site, representing former buildings (most of the
slabs) and a large parade ground. Some of these have anchor bolts
or pipes sticking up out of the slabs. The largest concrete pad
measures 870 feet by 300 feet and probably served as a parade
ground or deck. From the size and features associated with the
building foundations, the following building types were identified:
Base headquarters
Airfield Operations Building
Mess hall
Lavatories
700 Series temporary buildings serving
as barracks
Pump motor foundations and fuel storage
tanks
Shower buildings
Storehouses
Officer’s lavatory and shower building
Power or pump house
Rock piles: There are six rock pile features
at Rice Army Air Field. These are up to 3 meter diameter piles
of the basalt rocks that are commonly available onsite and nearby.
Emplacements: There are seven features
recorded as emplacements. These are generally shallow pits with
low embankments from 1 to 14 meters in length and width. Some
are square, and open in one direction.
Rock alignments: There are four features
recorded as isolated rock alignments at Rice Army Air Field.
Many of the buildings also have rock-lined pathways leading from
the road to the building, a common practice on military installations.
The rocks used are locally obtained basalt. There are two areas
of rock alignments that seem to delineate tent areas, likely
for unit tents with possible insignias out of rock.
Airfield marker: Near both runways are
large, stone Xs made from basalt rocks, likely as an indication
that the runways are closed.
Firing butt: One of the airfield’s
dispersal pads faces directly into a large mound of dirt and
likely served as a firing butt used for light testing of aircraft
guns without having to take off. This particular dispersal pad
faces away from the dispersal pad network.
Concrete footings: One feature consists
of an array of 33 small concrete footings in three rows of eleven
footings each; these were probably footings for a barracks structure.
Rice Army Air Field is significant to
our military history because it played an important role in training
U.S. Army troops for World War II in North Africa. The combined
training of air and land forces was a valuable tool for the men
that would help win World War II. It would be eligible for the
NRHP and the CRHR under Criterion A for its association with
CAMA and Criterion B for its association with a significant historical
figure, General Patton.
Rice Army Air Field and Camp Rice are
important components to the NRHP-eligible DTC/CAMA cultural landscape
district. A draft multiple property submission for this district
was previously prepared and submitted, and is awaiting edits
for final approval. Rice Army Air Field and Camp Rice are likely
to be designated as contributing elements to this overall submission
for the DTC/CAMA district. Integrity considerations for these
types of sites are very different from traditional sites. As
stated above, construction of permanent facilities for the DTC/CAMA
was very limited, which reflects war time urgency as well as
the commander’s desire for Spartan conditions. Further,
when viewed as an important component of the whole, Rice Army
Air Field and Camp Rice both help to convey the significance
of this broader DTC/CAMA district. The integrity of location,
design, and setting are generally still able to convey the significance
of both Camp Rice and Rice Army Air Field. As a result, Rice
Army Air Field and Camp Rice should be considered eligible for
listing on the NRHP (and the CRHR) under Criteria A and B.
Although some features, such as the runways
and dispersal pads remain in outline, Rice Army Air Field has
become more of an archaeological site than an architectural site,
as the structural remains have deteriorated. A multidisciplinary
approach was therefore taken to this assessment, and included
contributions by architectural historian Elizabeth Calvit and
historic archaeologist Matt Bischoff. The developed context for
the DTC/CAMA (Bischoff, 2000) played an integral role in directing
the research, as did the participation of Mr. Bischoff in assessing
existing conditions, evaluating archaeological deposits, refining
the historic context, and reviewing NRHP eligibility statements.
Draft Historic
Properties Treatment Plan Rice Solar Energy Project (November
2011)
Rice Army Air Field began as a municipal airport for Rice, a
small town in the Mojave Desert in southeast California. Its
original date of construction is unknown, but a review of 1932
Los Angeles Airways Chart determined that Rice Army Air Field
was not constructed until after 1932 (Abandoned & Little-Known
Airfields). Though no exact date of activation for Rice Army
Air Field is known, Rice Municipal Airport was acquired by the
IV Air Support Command on September 29, 1942, and was reportedly
operational by October 26, 1942 (U.S. Air Force Historical Division,
n.d.a).
Rice Army Air Field was constructed in
a triangular plan, consisting of two 5,000 foot runways and numerous
dispersal pads extending off the runways to the south (Bischoff,
2000). It is not certain if the airfield was originally constructed
in a triangular plan or if this was a subsequent modification.
The Desert Center AAF was also constructed in a triangular plan,
while Shavers Summit AAF was a single air strip.
Rice Army Air Field, like Desert Center,
was a sub-base of Thermal AAF. The facility was in the heart
of DTC/CAMA operations, close to camps Iron Mountain, Coxcomb,
and Granite. Exact numbers of personnel stationed at Rice Army
Air Field are not known. As mentioned above, however, by late
1943 there were approximately 4,000 from the Army Air Forces
in the DTC/CAMA, many of which were likely stationed at Rice
Army Air Field. By August of that year, the nearby Blythe AAF
housed 6,025 personnel. Rice Army Air Field was built using largely
standard plan, theater of operations-type buildings. These were
similar to those found at other airfields of the time, including
Desert Center. Barracks, recreation and mess halls, power houses,
along with various other support facilities were constructed,
reportedly designed to house 3,000 men. The base also contained
an electrical generating facility, water system, communications
systems including control tower, base weather office, post exchange,
and base headquarters. The airfield was located adjacent to the
small railroad town of Rice, which consisted of a small cafe
and store (Eberling, 1997; U.S. Air Force Historical Division,
n.d.a).
The isolated location of Rice Army Air
Field made life difficult for the men assigned there. Supplies
were difficult to come by, no recreational facilities were available,
there was little chance of advancement for those stationed there,
the weather was difficult, and rations were unsatisfactory. According
to the unit’s history, the 2nd Airdrome detachment experienced
untold hardships in operating the base:
During the 7 months the 2nd Airdrome Detachment
has been in existence, it has experienced great and continuous
difficulty in obtaining supplies of all types, particular difficulty
in obtaining engineering supplies absolutely essential in order
to maintain mechanical and other fixed installations. Whether
the Service Groups, the sections of the III Tactical Air Division,
nor the sections at Headquarters at Thermal Army Airfield after
Rice Army Air Field became a sub-base of Thermal Army Airfield
have at any time provided what in the opinion of the undersigned
would constitute adequate sources of supply (Costigan, 1944:3).
The morale of the 2nd Airdrome Detachment was not helped by the
fact that there were no recreational facilities provided at the
base. The detachment, however, purchased a motion picture projection
machine, constructed an outdoor open top theater, and rented
films from Los Angeles. The material for the theater was taken
from “odds and ends” of other buildings. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) provided benches taken from a Japanese-American
Internment/Relocation Center 40 miles away on the Colorado River
(Costigan, 1944).
In addition to the airdrome detachment,
Rice Army Air Field was the home to several air units during
the war. Most of the time, one tactical air unit was assigned
to the base, although occasionally there were two. The 85th Bomb
Group was transferred to Rice Army Air Field from Blythe Army
Airfield in December 1942. From Rice, the group used several
bombing and gunnery ranges nearby. The 85th Bomb Group remained
at Rice until April 1943 (Hazenbush, 1944). Following the 85th,
the 312th Bomb Group was assigned to Rice Army Air Field in the
spring and summer of 1943. The 312th apparently trained in Douglas
A-20 Havocs while at Rice. The A-20s had conducted some of the
first strikes against Nazi targets in July of 1942, so their
value was recognized early.
Later, the 339th Fighter Group was assigned
to the field in September 1943. The 339th had actually been designated
a Fighter Bomber Group in August of that year (following the
end of the use of dive bombing, which the unit had been designated
formerly), made up of three squadrons: the 503rd, 504th, and
505th Fighter Squadrons. While at Rice Army Air Field, pilots
in the 339th trained in the Bell P-39 Airacobra. Like other units
trained there, the 339th experienced largely unencumbered training
due to good weather and absence of civilian populations. Also,
similar to other air units at the DTC/CAMA, the 339th trained
in providing close air support for ground units. The 339th participated
in the large-scale maneuvers that were such an integral part
of the training offered by the DTC/CAMA. The unit apparently
spent 8 months at Rice Army Air Field before being sent to the
port of embarkation for shipment overseas. In one of many ironic
twists in the war, the unit eventually flew P-51 Mustangs, a
much different aircraft with a completely different role than
those they had trained in while at Rice Army Air Field (Stephenson,
1998). The 339th may have been the last air unit stationed at
Rice.
On April 30, 1944, after approximately
2 years of operation, the U.S. Army closed CAMA and abandoned
the 14 camps and airfields. By the following month, Rice Army
Air Field was assigned to March Field as a sub-base, and the
2nd Airdrome Detachment was disbanded. The airfield was closed
on August 2, 1944, and declared surplus in October. It was maintained
for a while after this by a detachment of Squadron H from Thermal
AAF (U.S. Air Force Historical Division, n.d.a). It operated
as a civilian airport beginning in 1949. A 1954 USGS topographic
map depicted Rice Army Air Field as having two paved runways,
taxiways, and a ramp. Between 1952 and 1955 Rice Army Air Field
became a private airfield; however, by 1958, it was abandoned
(Freeman, 2009). Aerial photography and site visits by private
citizens documented the airfield’s condition between 1996
and 2009. The runways, ramp, and pads were discernable from the
surrounding desert landscape. There were no structures or buildings
on the site.
