Hide Article Text (OCR)
Ut Dugway rroving bround“SENTINELS ON THE DESERT, story of The Dugway Proving Ground and Desert Chemical Depot near Tooele, appears in the Utah Historical Quarterly; authors are Dr. Leonard J. Arlington and Thomas Alexander.In a previous column we reviewed parts ol the treatise.' Today, we'U continue:—o—I After preliminary construction had been completed. Dug-ay began the large-scale testing and evaluation of chemical jnunitions.During the second World War. the base's duties consisted primarily of tests with toxic agents, flame throwers, and chemical spray systems, The post also performed biological research, consisting of veterinary experiments and other biological warfare activities.Some of the most important experiments during the war included the development of incendiary and flame-throwing weapons. It was at Dugway that the incendiary bombs, which were used with telling effect by the Air Force against enemy centers of production, were first dropped experimentally on simulated 'German and Japanese-type buildings in the middle of the desert.For this purpose, Dugway constructed a village consisting of 24 Japanese and six German full-scale dwellings and a bomb shelter capable of withstanding 500-pound bombs.THE FLAME THROWERS and fuel thickeners used in the Pacific Theater were also tested at Dugway. as were toxic chemical munitions and protective equipment that could have been effectively used in either theater of operations.To develop flame throwers for shooting around corners, the post constructed Japanese redoubts in the mountains, timilating the caves used on the Pacific atolls.Through similar experiments. Dugway perfected the M-2 and M-4 chemical mortars, which were fired with great success in all theaters of war.Immediately following the war. the Army began to phase out the installation In January 1947 the Secretary of War established the Western Chemical Center, which consolidated the operations of Deseret Chemical Depot and Dugway Proving Ground.Shortly thereafter, the government deactivated Dugway until the outbreak of the Korean War.MEANWHILE, IN JULY 1-42, the Army had commenced construction in Rush Valley, about 20 miles south of Tooele, of a depot so secret that Utah citizens knew nothing of the purpose of the base beyond the fact that it was to serve as a shortage depot.It was not until ita dedication on July 11, 1943. that Utahns learned that the Desert Chemical Depot was designed for the storage and shipment of all types of chemical warfare ma-terlal, especially poisonous gases, chemicals, and chemically-filled ammunition.The construction proved to be one of the most difficult Utah projects off the World War II period. As soon as work crews broke ground, the wind seemed to lift the sand and dust as If gravity had no effect.In November of 1942 less thin 1000 of the 4000 men employed during the preceding four months still remained on the job. Following a particularly severe dust storm. 200 men quit in one day.Cost of the original plant was in excess of $15 million.As with the Dugway Proving Ground, the Desert Chemical Depot lay so far from other villages and towns that the Armyv a« fnri'pH In ~r\n«? nirl • rnirnlal*151-year-old '1 I dent from sei in federal prismTIIE ODD!the high w can just b€ a foot frorThousancNew YorlHall - Rany r«ii*s rr.In ll.n iknlniin,
Newspaper Details
The Herald Journal
Logan, Utah, US
Fri, Mar 13, 1964
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
UT, USA 13 Jan 2017
Other Publications Near Logan, Utah
Logan Nation
Logan Utah Enquirer
The Journal
The Utah Journal
Logan Leader
