Another bomb?!

Remember a couple months ago when we had a bomb here at the Museum and there was a huge deal made about it? At the time I remember thinking how I hoped it wouldn’t happen again. Well, recently my director came to stand in my doorway with a smile on his face that told me something was up. Sure enough when asked what was going on he responded: “I’m going to pick up another bomb.” Really? Really?! Well, this time it turns out that it’s the bomb that he’s been wanting: a concrete practice bomb from the World War II era. In 1942 Hobbs Army Airfield was established 7 miles north of Hobbs where pilots were trained to fly B17 Flying Fortresses and ground crews were trained to fix and maintain these same Flying Fortresses. Although the air base was deactivated in 1946 many remnants of its time here survive. The buildings were taken down but foundations, targets, and items such as these concrete practice bombs remain as a reminder that the base was here and that Hobbs played a part in the training of men and women who would defend our country.

In their training, obviously pilots would learn how to fly the B17, but how would they practice their aim? They would use practice bombs, usually made of concrete or filled with sand and sometimes covered with a metal shell that would be painted blue signifying it was a practice bomb (sometimes practice bombs did contain a some kind of explosive so as a warning **if you ever encounter what you think may be a bomb, do not touch it, contact the local authorities and report your find**). According to ordnance.org practice bombs simulated the same ballistic properties as service bombs. Just as service bombs were different weights, so too, were the practice bombs made to match the different weights. The concrete and sand-filled bombs did not contain explosive fillers but would sometimes have a smoke signal cartridge that served as a visual marker of where the bomb landed. Ordnance.org lists the advantages of practice bombs as their low cost, wide availability of materials, and safety in training (although mishaps do happen). Practice bombing ranges covered much of New Mexico with many of them remaining active today, for example there is a large one near White Sands National Park. With such a large area of potential practice and service bombs I want to warn you once again to be careful and if you find what you think is a bomb please, REPORT IT TO THE AUTHORITIES.

To learn more about the Hobbs Army Airfield please visit the Museum and stop by the South Gallery! Our very own practice bomb is not yet on display but I’m sure it will be in the near future.