Antiaircraft Artillery - M19 Twin 40mm Gun Motor Carriage

Standardized in June 1944, the M19 Twin 40mm Gun Motor Carriage was an obvious upgrade over the combat proven M15 halftrack series. The M19 full-track carriage featured two turret-mounted 40mm Bofors guns on an M24 Chaffee light tank chassis. The first M19 units were not accepted by the Army until the war in Europe was all but over, so the carriage did not see significant employment until the postwar years and the conflict in Korea. Although developed and standardized during World War II, the M19 is best considered a postwar weapon. The M19 carriage should not be confused with the later twin 40mm M42 Duster that was produced in the 1950s.

The M19 chassis was powered by a pair of 110 horsepower, 346 cubic inch V8 engines. The armored gun turret could be operated by a hand crank system or power control. The gun mount incorporated a computing sight derived from the M7 Weissight that was used on many towed-mount single Bofors pieces. The turret could traverse a full 360º circle, but the guns were limited to elevations between +5º and 87º.

The M19 was manned by a crew of five, consisting of a squad leader, driver, gun pointer and two cannoneers. The squad leader, usually a corporal, was in command of the crew and operated the weapon's computing sight. The gun pointer was responsible for tracking the targeted aircraft and firing the guns. The two cannoneers kept their respective 40mm pieces supplied with ammunition and assisted with the operation of the turret when manually controlled. Additionally, a section leader, in command of the M19 and its partner machine gun carriage (the M16 halftrack), would ride in the assistant driver compartment.

A curious early-war experimental 40mm gun motor carriage.

This Mack three-quarter track mounted the Bofors gun, M5 director and power plant.

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