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Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 3:15 pm Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

Yeah, I was just wondering how it was done - naturally wondering if something similar could be feasible at APG...

Dontos · Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:37 am Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

Neil

There has been some significant personnel turn over. The people we contacted were mutually interested in Ft Knox History and it got better from there.

As for the 'searches' they are escorted and with appropriate safety briefings and understandings.

We haven't gone into any impact areas, just downrange areas. There are some places on Ft Knox we won't be able to go, too many big or little things go boom,....

Regards
Don

Doug_Kibbey · Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:22 am Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

- Neil_Baumgardner

Don,
I'm curious how you were able to work out this range survey trip with the range control folks. Are these ranges that are in less use since the BRAC move? Or unrelated?

Neil

Yes Don...tell us the nitty-gritty, Inquiring minds want to know! And we want names! Laughing

Just kidding (Neil)....to be fair, I suspect less activity and unused ranges have a lot to do with it (but I also look forward to the "official" version). Times change, too, when I visited some years ago, wandering downrange was out of question, which is funny now, because "back in the day", wandering (and indeed officially sanctioned activities and duties, like test projects) up and down ranges on foot and in vehicles was No Big Deal (ordnance concerns, etc. were ignored). The PSS-2 searchlight project specifically involved troops and vehicles (jeeps, truck and tanks) traipsing up the middle of range grounds at night trying to establish detection limits of the searchlight. I guess OSHA or somebody would be all over that s**t now. It's all fun until somebody gets blowed up*. Wink

*which never happened, in my 2+ years at Planet Knox.

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:11 am Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

Don,
I'm curious how you were able to work out this range survey trip with the range control folks. Are these ranges that are in less use since the BRAC move? Or unrelated?

Neil

Dontos · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 4:41 pm Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

BTW: My years of wreaking tanks ended in 2006, when I retired.

All my restoration work is a pennance for the years of tank wreaking...LOL!!

Regards
Don

panamadan · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 29, 2006 Posts: 174

good points Don. I think that many posts should look as this as a example that they should emulate.
Dan

Dontos · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 4:37 pm Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

Discovering the M3 was an astonishing set of circumstances. It seems that particular area was heavily over grown but a range fire burned back the brush last year and the tank was discovered by the range crew who was fighting the fire.

That range has been in semi-constant use since WWII, but has undergone name changes, over the years.

The M3 is actually fairly safe as it is out of the current line of fire and it is around the 3000m mark from the base line.

Personally I like it to remain 'original condition' but preserved and maybe displayed as an example of training conducted at Ft Knox. Not merely as a range target but the full cycle of being a training vehicle for personnel preparing for WWII.

Will it ever be restored? I seriously doubt it, but I'd like to rescue it as the rarity that it is, everything after that is a bonus...

Regards
Don

panamadan · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 29, 2006 Posts: 174

Don, do you have a history of the ranges? It looked like there were many trees in the photos and I'm assuming that they are quite old.
Dan

Pzkpfw-e · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jul 21, 2010 Posts: 1202

I assume Patrik means you'll renovate the Lee wreck!
Unless he knows something about your engineering that I don't!

Patrik · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 9:02 am Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

Hello.
You will wreck the M3 Lee tank renovate?
Patrik

JWB2 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 25, 2006 Posts: 199

As I have written before....I live on the wrong side of the continent. Sad

Dontos · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 2:18 am Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

The ranges we have checked out were some Tank main gun ranges but also some multi purpose Machine Gun ranges as well as some old bazooka and heavy Machine Gun ranges.

Hope to check out some old WWII era ranges next time..

Regards
Don

Garry_Redmon · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 2:15 am Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

- the_shadock

- Garry_Redmon

The Patton Museum volunteers section of Armor for the Ages has been updated with new items. A recent search of areas at Fort Knox has revealed some interesting finds, a link to an online article about volunteer Kevin Combs II and a link to the first installment of a five-part video presentation of changes at the Patton Museum by director Chris Kolakowski are presented in this update.

armorfortheages.com/GG...PMmain.htm

Garry

here :
http://armorfortheages.com/GGPM/Volunteers/News/VolunteerNewsPage2013.htm

the link to "GHOSTS OF FORT KNOX" is a dead link.

P-O

Both links on the Patton Museum volunteers page work for me. Here is the direct link to Ghosts of Fort Knox page.
armorfortheages.com/GG...ctPage.htm

Garry

panamadan · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 29, 2006 Posts: 174

Original idea guys! What type of range are these old hulks on?
Dan

Dontos · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:22 pm Post subject: Re: News from Ft Knox

PO

That turret is pretty much 'used up'. Its been subject to so many hits on one side, it looks like someone sprayed acid all over it a it is dissolved away... The sad reality of range target 'duty'.

Hope to find other stuff in better condition though....I got a feeling 'it's' out there, we just gotta find it.

The search continues...
Regards
Don

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