Notice the track and the guide below the front of the jeep’s bumper. This photo came from Mission4Today.com
“Several students at Page Field in Fort Myers (ca 1945) with a jeep, the mechanical mule of the army that carried a target around on a circular cement track. The jeep itself was protected by a large embankment in the background. The students are over the right side of the embankment and shoot at a target.”
I wonder if the target jeep is unmanned in use as there is an auto steering mechanism?
I suspect it was unmanned. I think they just turned it on and let it continue down the track.
My dad was an aerial gunner on a B17 during WW2. He mentioned a setup just like this when he was in gunnery school-a jeep behind a berm carrying a target for them to try to hit with their machine guns. He said that the jeep was visible for just a second, and all the gunners tried to hit it at that moment!
Reminds me of a high school buddy who worked at the (golf) driving range, driving the tractor to pick up all the balls. We would spend $1 for a bucket just to try and ‘bean’ his chicken wire cage on the tractor. We would all laugh when we made him flinch. The old Ford N was dented on every surface. Other adult (good) golfers would join in the fun. (My game has not improved much since.)