Post by whitehorse on Dec 8, 2019 18:34:16 GMT
American military lose a T28 Super Heavy Tank for 27 years in an open field
the Army sure did and nobody knew how it got there since the four that were made were to be cut-up for scrap. One met an early end on a test range when it burned up after the engine caught fire. The Army continued to test the remaining three in case they would be needed after invading Japan then stopped that after V-J Day.
I think the four were undergoing tests at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds and stayed there until the order came to have them destroyed. There’s no record if that was to be done there or after being hauled away to a salvage yard. I have a book that shows a photo of one during tests and another of just the open engine deck of the lone survivor after it was found. The Army always removed the guns from tanks slated to become scrap so the survivor might of retained the main gun due to being found at Ft. Belvoir, which was an engineering school that trained recruits in the actual field construction of fortifications, bridge erection, etc. The school’s commander probably asked the Army to sent it by barge from Aberdeen to Belvoir for use with their bridge building school since it could be made lighter by removing the two sets of outside tracks. That was part of their design so the monster could cross narrow bridges while towing the connected sets behind it.
I think the four were undergoing tests at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds and stayed there until the order came to have them destroyed. There’s no record if that was to be done there or after being hauled away to a salvage yard. I have a book that shows a photo of one during tests and another of just the open engine deck of the lone survivor after it was found. The Army always removed the guns from tanks slated to become scrap so the survivor might of retained the main gun due to being found at Ft. Belvoir, which was an engineering school that trained recruits in the actual field construction of fortifications, bridge erection, etc. The school’s commander probably asked the Army to sent it by barge from Aberdeen to Belvoir for use with their bridge building school since it could be made lighter by removing the two sets of outside tracks. That was part of their design so the monster could cross narrow bridges while towing the connected sets behind it.
That feat could be done in one hour’s time! Looks like one side was unfastened then left standing as the tank pulled away then backed up so the two sides’ outer armor plates could be bolted together for towing.
The engineering school was closed down at the end of the war so the documents of it’s transfer were probably destroyed with the tank being abandoned where it was parked in a remote location. The photo of it towing the tracks was probably taken at Ft. Belvoir since it was a former plantation that fell into disuse and went back to Nature.
The tank was found fairly intact. I believe the book said some engine parts were missing (used the Ford GAA V-8 that was coupled to a GM automatic transmission). The Army had it placed on a barge that was pushed along the Intercoastal Waterway to the Mississippi River then up to the Ohio River for restoration at Ft. Knox. It sat there on display at the Patton Museum until being relocated to the museum at Ft. Benning, Georgia. It was trailered down to the fort where it managed to slide off into a ditch while the rig took a turn at speed. They only found two road wheels were damaged after winching it out, so loaded it back up and went back on their way.
The tank was found fairly intact. I believe the book said some engine parts were missing (used the Ford GAA V-8 that was coupled to a GM automatic transmission). The Army had it placed on a barge that was pushed along the Intercoastal Waterway to the Mississippi River then up to the Ohio River for restoration at Ft. Knox. It sat there on display at the Patton Museum until being relocated to the museum at Ft. Benning, Georgia. It was trailered down to the fort where it managed to slide off into a ditch while the rig took a turn at speed. They only found two road wheels were damaged after winching it out, so loaded it back up and went back on their way.
