Crusader wrecks in Maryland?

[ChaseR83]

Originally Posted by Jakko Westerbeke

FWIW, when this thread began I decided to try looking at the area with Google Maps to see if I could find the wrecks. No luck, else I would have posted about it, but then, I didn’t spend overly much time on it. The main problem with it is too many green trees that obscure the wrecks from at least casual viewing. Maybe if you systematically go through at maximum zoom, you might find them, though?

Yes Google Earth is one of the first places I looked... and like you said it's just acres of trees.

The person I spoke to that saw them in 1973 gave a couple of bits of info... the area was overgrown even in 1973... and they aren't far from a road... he and a friend actually spotted them while out riding. He just doesn't remember the name of the road.

He also said he asked various hunters in the area over the years, and they all say they are still there.

[Jordan Baker]

What’s the thought on this being two of the Crusaders?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

What’s the thought on this being two of the Crusaders?

Nice spotto, could very well be them. I'm sure Terry "I use Google Earth Pro at work" can do better, though

[Ed Storey]

That was some amazing sleuthing! Those Crusader wrecks remind me of the Valentines that had been used as post-war hard targets and could, some 40 years ago, be found on the Petawawa, Ontario training area.

Armour casualties from the desert war in North Africa were shipped to North America as ballast to be then scrapped. Perhaps that is where the Crusaders had originally came from before being used as Fort Meade hard targets?

[ChaseR83]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

What’s the thought on this being two of the Crusaders?

That is certainly interesting....

[Dave Newcomb]

1965/66 The 11 Armored Cavalry Reg was reorganized at Ft Meade, then shipped to Vietnam. There were Armored vehicles as monuments all over the parade grounds. The history of Ft Meade might be worth knowing. I was there as a 'trooper' in the 11th. Our vehicle training was in Virginia though. Never got to that firing range. Dave