Aberdeen Proving Ground
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Aberdeen Proving Ground (1917-Present) - A U.S. Army Ordnance Department proving ground first established in 1917 near Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland. Named Aberdeen Proving Ground in G.O. 6, 9 Jan 1919. Active military installation. Also known as APG.
History of Aberdeen Proving Ground  Established in 1917 as a replacement for the Sandy Hook Proving Ground at Fort Hancock (2) New Jersey. Transfer of personnel and equipment from Sandy Hook Proving Ground to Aberdeen Proving Ground began in December 1917 and continued through 1918, everything of use was moved. The first gun fired (a 3" 1905 model) was fired on 2 Jan 1918 to mark the first tests conducted at the new proving ground. The proving ground came to be known as APG. APG greatly expanded during World War II and at the peak, some 27,000 soldiers were stationed there. Weapons development and testing during the war included high technology items such as ENIAC, the first large-scale computer system use initially to compute artillery firing tables. Following the war APG consolidated with the adjacent Edgewood Arsenal in 1971. The noted U.S. Army Ordnance Museum which had a rich collection of U.S. and captured enemy fixed and mobile weapons systems on public display were established on APG in 1924. Notable items at the museum are a U.S. Cold War Atomic Cannon, a mounted 16" Coast Artillery gun, and a World War II German Railway Seige Gun. In 1967 museum operation was transferred to a tax-free Ordnance Museum foundation which still operates the museum. The museum is in the process of moving to Fort Lee in Virginia. Active military installation.
Current StatusAn active military installation at Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland. The Ordnance Museum is in the process of moving to Fort Lee in Virginia and the Indoor part of the museum is closed until this is complete. The outdoor portion of the museum is still open to the public but shrinks as outdoor exhibits are relocated.
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Visited: 2 Apr 2009
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