We're checkin' in through the main gate at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), the US Army's long established test facility for ordnance, weapons and equipment, located just a few miles northeast of Baltimore near the town of Aberdeen, Maryland. We're a two man crew tasked this day with conducting field testing for evaluating the condition of heavily reinforced concrete walls and welded connections. The welds are integral to an overhead gantry crane. Both the walls and crane are component to a heavy munitions test fire bunker. The base is immediately concerned about cracks that have developed in the crane welds subsequent to heavy percussion from cannon test firing from within the newly constructed bunker. Considering that the bunker is new construction, they want to spot check the integrity of the concrete walls as well - a bit of confirmation of the engineers design/specifications and contractors overall work.
Driving in along the entrance roadway were treated to a spectacle. The base (at that time) was additionally a military weaponry museum. The drive is lined with vintage hardware, much from WWI/WW2 era. Heavy munitions - tanks, cannons, big guns - American, German, British, Japanese and so forth. We had to stop and check some of this stuff out. Got quite a bit of photography. Unfortunately, we currently can't locate any of it. Pretty sure we left it all, photos/negatives, on file at the old job of the time. Subsequently, we've swiped a few images from on-line (all internet images):
155mm M1918 Gun
16" MKIII Gun
280mm M65 Atomic Cannon
German Krupp K5 "Leopold" Railway Gun
Our favorite - had a Lionel train set as a kid with one of these guns. Also had an image standing alongside this thing in that missing batch of photos
Panzer III or Panzer IV according to the author (3Pos)
"Little David" 914 mm Mortar
Cool vintage footage we found on YouTube positioning and firing the "Little David"
After spending a (substantial) amount of time marveling at the relic artillery (could have spent a few days), we're led along to the bunker site, following along behind our uniformed base engineering contact/escort who eventually tracked us down.
The bunker is one of several positioned in-line and right-angle to an infinitely long and open firing range. It's all laid out similar to a golfball driving range, except this is a driving range for the gods. We spot some incremental distance markers, the nearest of which we estimated a par 6. The bunker is what you'd expect - a slightly rectangular structure formed by three, two to three foot thick concrete walls, maybe twenty feet in height, a fourth open wall facing down range. Roofed. The floor is heavy concrete tracked up by tank treads. The bunker is empty except for a heavy steel plate, maybe 4ft x 6ft dimension, supported upright long dimension by angled steel supports. It's free standing and can be re-positioned as necessary. The plate is at least one inch thick. It's obviously a protective rampart for individuals operating or observing the weaponry. Our assumption was acknowledged as correct by our base rep. Interesting enough, the plate had some serious dents and bends. Looked like a Hephaestus work-in-progress. There was also a large diameter "bullet hole". Reading our minds, our contact commented "We have some occasional misfires and backfires. We had one once that went thru thru a bunker rear wall (2-3ft reinforced concrete), flew across the street and blew up a PX" (his exact words). We just looked at each other, both thinking "F*k that!"
We were supposed to have a base-supplied JLG Lift, a local rental which had yet to show and now a few hours late. Our rep took off for the time being to check on the status of the delivery ("You guys stick around the bunker and don't go wandering off"). In the interim, we had nothing to do except ready out test equipment (some ultra-sonic inspection test gadgets). Spent some time checking transducer calibrations along the lower wall. After that, just hung out, listening to the sounds of near songbirds and distant automatic gun and cannon fire. An occasional GI would pass by ("I need a job like you guys").
It's now around noon and here comes a heavy battle tank and crew. They pull up and back into our bunker. Never said a word to us nor acknowledged our presence. These guys were all business and ready for combat. No idea of their "mission". They're just settin' next to us. Diesel idling. Locked and loaded. All we're thinkin' about are misfires bending inch-thick steel plate like spaghetti and blowing holes thru two-foot thick concrete walls. At minimum risk, welded steel-cracking percussion - that gotta' be hard on the eardrums (the tank crew are each wearing some heavy-duty ear protection). Where's our rep?
Here he comes - "The rental company screwed up the delivery order - I had to reschedule - we're gonna' have to postpone you guys until tomorrow - we scheduled this tank crew currently for the bunker - I can't clear 'em until you guys are gone - see ya' tomorrow morning (beat it!)"
We're packin' the vehicle preparing to head out. A pickup truck pulls up. Six fit looking young guys leap out of the back and begin gearing up - orange shin guards, forearm guards, helmets with face shields - this gotta' be some elite special forces unit. Wonder what they're up to? We're takin' our time in anticipation of catching some action from these guys. Suited up, they go over and open the rear doors of a second trailing box truck and step inside. Moments later they emerge wielding weed wackers, chainsaws, pruners and such and begin assaulting the overgrown underbrush.
We spent the rest of the afternoon checkin' out the museum hardware.
