UXO Site selected: Fort Myers Bombing and Gunnery Range, FL
General Area: Fort Myers, FL

Site Type/Program: FUDS

Location: The Fort Myers Bombing and Gunnery Range was located approximately twenty miles east/ northeast of the city of Fort Myers and 16 miles east/southeast of Punta Gorda in Charlotte County, Florida.

Brief History: Fort Myers Bombing and Gunnery Range, also known as the Bermont Bombing and Gunnery Range, was located in Charlotte County, approximately 20 miles east/northeast of Fort Myers, Florida. The request to acquire the 13,720 acres to establish a practice bombing range was approved in June 1943 by the Assistant Secretary of War for Air. Approximately 5000 acres were leased from private owners and 8,720 acres from the state of Florida. The state-owned land was the Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area. The range was used to train personnel stationed at Fort Myers Army Air Field in precision bombing, area bombing and ground strafing. Additional construction for a skip bombing range and a demolition bombing target, was approved 6 January 1944. In 1946 the bombing range was no longer needed by the War Department and the leases were terminated. The Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Office resumed control and still manages the area as regulated by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission for fishing and hunting. Subsequent to release by the War Department, the Florida Commission has been able to obtain most of the other land parcels used in the range so that it now controls most of the former area. The site is primarily used as a wildlife management area, however, leases are in effect which allow some cattle grazing.
Range / Site Description:

Associated Munitions:

Activities Completed: The Archives Search Report was completed by the St. Louis District in May 1995.

Issues: Very little intrusive work has been done on this site since the use by the Army Air Forces during World War II. The main demolition bombing area, which was a circle approximately 10,000' in diameter, is still covered with many 25' to 30' diameter bomb craters. Aerial photography also identified a few bomb craters outside of the bombing circle to the east of the range. Several hundred bomb craters are evident inside the bombing area. Considering a reasonable dud rate could indicate that high explosive bombs might still be present on this site. No certificate of clearance was found for this site. An EE/CA is recommended for this site.

Other Information: EE/CA
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