MULTIPLE CAL. .50 MACHINE GUN MOUNT, M45 "QUADMOUNT"

The above image is a view of the multiple machine gun mount, often called a quadmount, installed on an M20 trailer. This gun mount was developed by the W. L. Maxon Company at the request of the U.S. Army for light anti-aircraft weapons. The turret was tested successfully and immediately adopted by the U.S. Army. The turret was originally equipped with two .50 cal. machine guns but quickly redesigned to mount 4 guns because of the availability of the .50 cal. Browning Machine Gun. The gun mount was designed for anti-aircraft applications with a capability of a high rate of concentrated fire. The quadmount was towed behind a half-track or other ammunition carriers. It was also mounted in half-tracks and 2.5 ton trucks. In the half-track installation the mount was lifted from the trailer and placed on mounting rings in the half-track. For the 2.5 ton truck installation the M20 trailer was lifted as one unit and secured to the back of the 2.5 ton truck. The quadmount weighed approximately 2500 lbs. The armored pod covers the legs of the gunner. The two handles in the center of the quadmount articulate to traverse and elevate the gun and house the firing triggers. Rotating the handles forward depresses the guns, while rotating back performs elevation. Pushing the left handle forward rotates the quadmount clockwise looking down while pushing the right handle forward rotates the quadmount counter-clockwise looking downward. The speed of elevation and traverse is proportional to the amount of movement of the handles. The gun sight is located at the top of the mount. Four 200 round ammunition chests are mounted next to each .50 cal. machine gun. The quadmount will elevate, depress or traverse at rates up to 60 degrees per second. Quadmounts were used in both the Pacific and European theaters. As enemy aircraft became less plentiful near the end of the war, the quadmount evolved into an anti-personnel weapon. In Europe when enemy snipers were hidden in trees, it was not unusual to pull up a half-track and quadmount to counter the threat. Instead of firing at the suspected location of the snipers, the quadmount gunner would aim at the base of the trees and fire. The high concentration of projectiles would literally mow down the trees taking out the snipers along with others at the same time. In the Pacific theater, the quadmount was effective against "dug-in" Japanese positions because of its high rate and high concentration of fire. It was affectionately nicknamed the "meat chopper".

           ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL DATA CAL. .50 MULTIPLE MACHINE GUN MOUNT, M45

                       Length.............6 ft. 4.5 in.
                       Width..............6 ft. 9 in.
                       Height.............4 ft. 7.0 in.
                       Weight.............2396 lbs.  
                       Firing Rate........500-1000 rounds per minute







Copyright 1995 Charles C. Roberts, Jr





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