M19 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage
M19 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage | |
---|---|
Type | Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1945–1953 (USA) 1951–1978 (Netherlands) |
Used by | United States |
Wars | Bofors 40 mm guns with 352 rounds |
Engine | Twin Cadillac Model 42, V-8, gasoline 220 hp (160 kW) |
Suspension | torsion bar |
Operational range | 150 mi (241 km) |
Maximum speed | 35.0 mph (56.3 km/h) |
The M19 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC) was a World War II United States Army self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon on the M24 light tank chassis. It was equipped with two Bofors 40 mm guns. It was produced by Cadillac and Massey Ferguson of Canada near the end of 1944.
The M19 was developed from the T65 which was based on the
Although all M19s were produced during World War II, they did not reach operational capability until after the cessation of hostilities. The M19’s first combat was in Korea in 1950 against North Korean forces.
Specifications
The M19 MGMC had similar specifications to the M24 Chaffee. It was 17.9 ft (5.46 m) long, 9.33 ft (2.845 m) wide, and 9.83 ft (2.997 m) high. It had a weight of 38,499 lb (17,463 kg), and was powered with a 220 hp (160 kW) Twin Cadillac Model 42, twinned-V-8 engine installation (two Model 42 Cadillac automobile V-8s driving a common gearbox). It could achieve a speed of 35 mph (56.3 km/h), and had a range of 150 mi (241 km). The vehicle was operated with a crew of six.[1]
Development
The M19 evolved from the 40 mm Gun Motor Carriage T65 project, which was based on an
Since the T65 project was fading away, the Armored Force still needed a light anti-aircraft vehicle, so they made a new project (called T65E1) based on the new T24 chassis[3] (a prototype of the M24 Chaffee). The T65E1 had the same overall layout as the T65 GMC – gun turret at rear with the engines in the middle of the chassis – with a few minor tweaks (including an angular gun shield instead of a straight one).[1][4]
M19 and M19A1
The T65E1 was accepted into service as the M19 Gun Motor Carriage in May 1944 with an order for 904 production models,[1][5] which was sent to Cadillac.[6] Some 300 were built by Massey Ferguson (then Massey-Harris) in Canada. Production did not start until August of that year, and only 285 were produced by the end of the war.[7] The M19A1 had an auxiliary engine and generator to operate the 40 mm guns when the main engine was shut down,[1] and fixtures for carrying two spare gun barrels.[1]
Service history
The full order was not completed as the requirements for anti-aircraft weapons had changed and chassis were diverted to produce more of the Chaffee light tank.[1]
The M19 MGMC arrived too late to serve in Europe in World War II with the U.S. Army.
Comparable vehicles
See also
- M42 Duster - similar system based on M41 light tank
- List of U.S. military vehicles by model number
- List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog designation
References
Notes
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gander 2013, pp. 229–230
- ^ Chamberlain & Ellis 1969, p. 104.
- ^ Green 2014, p. 157
- ^ Chamberlain & Ellis 1969, p. 101.
- ^ Zaloga 2003, p. 41.
- ^ Green 2014, p. 171
- ^ Kinard 2007, p. 298
- ^ Zaloga 2003, p. 37.
- ^ Hunnicutt 1992, p. 353.
Bibliography
- Chamberlain, Peter; Ellis, Chris (1969). British and American Tanks of World War II. New York, NY: Arco. ISBN 0-668-01867-4.
- Gander, Terry (2013). The Bofors Gun. Barnsley, UK: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-78346-202-5.
- Green, Mike (2014). American Tanks & AFVs of World War II. Oxford, UK: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-78200-931-3.
- ISBN 0-89141-462-2.
- Kinard, Jeff (2007). Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-85109-556-8.
- ISBN 1-84176-540-6.