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Old 02-05-2019, 03:43 PM
dragoon500ly dragoon500ly is offline
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Default Part Forty-four Antiaircraft Artillery

Multiple Machine Gun Carriage, M-51
Standard
This weapon is the M-45 MMGM from the M-16 MMGC mounted on a large twin-axle trailer. Intended to provide antiaircraft protection for truck convoys. It consisted of four M-2HB machineguns mounted on an armored turret. It is a power-driven, mount with a self-contained power unit. It can be traversed through 360 degrees and can be elevated from -10 degrees to +90 degrees. Traverse/elevation speed is 60 degrees per second.
Maximum ceiling is 15,583ft. Maximum ground range is 7,403yds.

Multiple Machine Gun Trailer, M-55
Standard
This is the M-45 MMGM stripped of its armor shield and mounted on a light two-wheeled trailer. It is issued to airborne units. It consisted of four M-2HB machineguns mounted on an armored turret. It is a power-driven, mount with a self-contained power unit. It can be traversed through 360 degrees and can be elevated from -10 degrees to +90 degrees. Traverse/elevation speed is 60 degrees per second. Maximum ceiling is 15,583ft. Maximum ground range is 7,403yds.

37mm Antiaircraft Gun M-1A2 on Carriage M-3A1
Substitute Standard
Developed in 1939, this was the U.S. Army’s light antiaircraft cannon. Some 7,278 were produced in towed and a further 2,332 in SP mounts. This SP mount consisted of a single 37mm gun and two M-2HB machineguns on the M-2/M-3 halftrack, resulting in the T28/T28E1/M15/M15A1 series of multiple gun motor carriages. The towed versions were soon replaced by the 40mm Bofors M-1 gun while the SP mount served in self-propelled antiaircraft battalions.
Weight in firing order: 6,124lbs. Elevation and depression: -5 degrees to +90 degrees. Traverse is 360 degrees. Maximum ceiling is 18,600ft. Maximum horizontal range is 8,875yds. Rate of Fire is 120rpm.

40mm Antiaircraft Gun M-1 on Carriages M-2 or M-2A1
Standard
Originally developed in 1934 by the AB Bofors Company of Sweden, the 40mm was soon in widespread service in European armies. American interest in the weapon began with the U.S. Navy in 1938 and the U.S. Army in 1940. After testing of British supplied Bofors, approval was given for U.S. manufacture with a license agreement with the Bofors Company in 1941.
The 40mm M-1 is essentially the original Bofors design, but with dimensions, clearances and threads modified to U.S. standards. It is a recoil-operated automatic weapon using a vertical sliding wedge breech-block. Ammunition is supplied in four round clips. A clip is placed into the clip guides and the first round is manually loaded into the breech. Upon firing, the empty case is ejected down a chute to the front of the weapon while the next round is automatically loaded. If the foot pedal trigger is held down, the weapon will fire and repeat as long as the clip guide is supplied with ammunition.

The Carriage M-2/M-2A1 is a modified form of the original Bofors carriage. This mount allowed the gun to be fired from the carriage with no setup required, although with limited accuracy. If time was available for setup, the gunners used the tow-bar and muzzle lock as levers, raising the wheels off the ground and thereby lowering the gun onto supporting pads. Two additional legs folded out to the sides, and the platform was then leveled with hand cranks. The entire setup process could be completed in under a minute.

The M-5 (Airborne) Carriage is a modified version of the M-2A1. It is a smaller platform that can be transported by C-46/C-47 aircraft. It can be easily unload from the plane and be moved on its two wheel carriage for short distances by manpower. It can also be hooked to any prime mover, although care should be taken to insure that the two speed is less than five miles per hour, in order not to damage the smaller wheels and suspension. Weight of the Weapon and carriage in firing order is 4,495lbs.
Weight in firing order: 5,549lbs. Elevation and depression: -11 degrees to +90 degrees. Traverse is 360 degrees. Maximum ceiling is 23,490 feet. Maximum horizontal range is 10,850 yards. Rate of fire is 120rpm.

3-inch Antiaircraft Gun M-1 and M-3 on Mounts M-1A1, M-1A2, M-2A1 and
M-2A2
Standard
The development of medium caliber mobile antiaircraft artillery for the U.S. Army started when a 75mm Gun, M1916 was placed on a truck during the First World War. Shortly thereafter, the caliber of the antiaircraft gun was fixed at 3-inches.

The first mobile antiaircraft gun and mount of the new caliber to be designed and manufactured was the 3-inch Gun, M1918 and the Mount M1918. This was soon replaced in the postwar period by the Mount M2. Postwar development continued, focussing on increasing the muzzle velocity and rate of fire, improving road performance, the stability of the firing platform as well as producing a more efficient fire control system. By 1928, the new 3-inch Gun M-1 entered service. Further development of a removeable liner for the barrel saw the 3-inch Gun M-3 entering service.

Weight in firing order: 16,800lbs. Elevation and depression: -1 degree to +80 degrees. Traverse is 360 degrees. Maximum ceiling is 31,200 feet. Maximum horizontal range is 14,780 yards. Rate of fire is 25-30rpm.

90mm Antiaircraft Gun M-1 and M-1A1 on Mount M-1A1
Substitute Standard
Aviation progress, especially in the field of high-altitude bombing, demanded reconsideration of requirements for mobile antiaircraft artillery. In order to cop with rapidly maneuvering bombers, flying at modern speeds at extreme heights, it was essential to develop weapons with longer range, greater muzzle velocity and a larger effective shell-burst area than the older 3-inch gun was capable of delivering. Introduced into service in 1938, the 90mm gun was the U.S. Army’s primary heavy anti-aircraft gun, So well did the new 90mm weapon perform that is was also deployed as a coast defense gun and as a anti-tank and later as tank armament.

Weight in firing order: 19,000lbs. Elevation and depression: 0 degrees to 80 degrees. Traverse is 360 degrees. Maximum ceiling is 43,500 feet. Maximum horizontal range 18,960 yards. Rate of fire: 32rpm.

90mm Antiaircraft Gun M-2 on Mount M-2
Standard
By July of 1941, it was decided that all mobile antiaircraft guns should be dual-purpose weapons capable of engaging both aerial and ground targets when the mount was on wheels. This was impossible with the M-1A1 mount, since it was necessary to remove the wheeled bogie and emplace the mount on its pedestal base with outriggers extended before opening fire. The redesigned carriage entered service as the M-2. Modifications to the gun included an armored shield to protect the gun crew. Another feature was the fitting of a combination fuse setter-rammer to increase the rate of fire in the antiaircraft role.

Weight in firing order: 32,300lbs. Elevation and depression: -10 degrees to +80 degrees. Traverse is 360 degrees. Maximum ceiling is 58,860 feet. Maximum horizontal range is 19,500 yards. Rate of fire: 37rpm.

120mm Antiaircraft Gun M-1 on Mount M-1
Standard
The 120 mm Gun M1 was the United States Army's standard super-heavy anti-aircraft gun during World War II., complementing the smaller and more mobile M2 90 mm gun in service.

The Army first worked on a 120 mm gun after the end of World War I, with a prototype being presented in 1924. The system was considered far too heavy and expensive to be useful, and the project slowed down, although it was never canceled outright.

In 1938, the Army reviewed its needs for newer AA systems and decided to order new systems for both the heavy and super-heavy role. The former was filled by the new M1 90 mm gun, which replaced the earlier M3 3-inch gun then in use. For the super-heavy role, the 120 mm gun design was dusted off and mated to a new eight-wheel carriage, designated 4.7-inch M1 when it was accepted in 1940. The 120mm M-1 entered service in 1944.

Weight in firing order: 61,500lbs. Elevation and depression: -5 degrees to +80 degrees. Traverse is 360 degrees. Maximum ceiling is 57,500 feet. Maximum horizontal range is 27,300 yards. Rate of fire: 10rpm.
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