M45 Quadmount (Maxson)

History of the M45 Quadmount (Maxson)

As the Allies continued their march towards Berlin in Western Europe during World War II (1939-1945), the need for air defense of low-flying enemy aircraft grew. Allied columns emerging from well-stocked bridgeheads in France and Italy were vulnerable to long roads, making them very tempting targets for German fighter patrols. In addition, front-line units need to defend their positions in the same way as they calculate responses to enemy actions and actions. For the US Army, the M33 Maxson is in stock to meet the requirements. The system originated from the W.L.

Maxson Corporation and used a pair of modest heavy machine guns. However, a better solution than the M45 "Quadmount" - as the name suggests - is fitted with no less than four .50 caliber Browning M2HB heavy machine guns.

Although the M2 has a relatively low rate of fire, coupling four units will minimize this limitation and provide the large amount of firepower needed.

Due to its ferocity in combat - especially against infantry units - the M45 Maxson earned the nicknames "Krautmower" and "Meat Chopper".

In practice, the M45 Quadmount performed exceptionally well for its given short-range anti-aircraft role. As Allied air superiority grew and forces expanded in France and beyond, the need for protection from marauding enemy attack aircraft became clear. While the M45's effective range is somewhat limited by the use of machine guns, its clunky approach allows it to fill the immediate sky with fiery lead in the blink of an eye.

In addition to its obvious value as an anti-aircraft measure, the M45 proved to be a highly lethal anti-infantry weapon when its guns were aimed at vulnerable targets or even soft-skinned vehicles - making the M45 somewhat of a a versatile solution.

In a famous M45 operation in March 1945, nearly 250 German aircraft attempted to attack Oppenheim near the Rhine to destroy a strategic border crossing. More than a quarter of the attackers were shot down, mainly due to the presence of the M45 in the U.S. military.

The bridge was spared destruction and was later crossed by Patton's 3rd Army.

In the years following World War II, the M45 was expanded. A special development has been handled by the new Israeli Army, which is equipped with a pair of 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS. 404 series automatic cannon to M45 Maxson turret assembly. This gave birth to the TCM-20, which served for decades before being replaced by more modern components from the American M163 Vulcan (ADS) air defense system.

The vehicle uses the Vulcan Gatling-style minigun weapon with the tracked undercarriage of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

800 x .50 ammo, 4 x 200 rounds

Changes