M45 Quadmount (Maxson)

Anti-Aircraft / Anti-Personnel System [ 1943 ]

The M45 Quadmount of World War 2 fame was known under its rather lethal-sounding nicknames - Krautmower and The Meat Chopper.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/21/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image courtesy of the United States Army.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

As Allied forces continued their march against Berlin in the West of Europe during World War 2 (1939-1945), the need grew for air defense against low-flying enemy aircraft. The Allied columns emerging from the stocked beach heads of France and Italy lay vulnerable for long stretches of road making them very tempting targets to patrolling German strike aircraft. Additionally, frontline forces required point defense in the same way while they calculated their responses to enemy movements and actions. For the American Army, the M33 Maxson was in inventory to help shore up the requirement. This system came from the W. L. Maxson Corporation and fielded a modest pair of heavy machine guns. However, a better solution followed as the M45 "Quadmount" which - as its name would suggest - fielded no fewer than four 0.50 caliber Browning M2HB heavy machine guns. Despite the M2's rather low rate-of-fire, the coupling of four units would minimize this limitation and provide the voluminous fire required.

Due to its ferocity in combat - particularly against infantry elements - the M45 Maxson was nicknamed the "Krautmower" and the "Meat Chopper".

As designed, the M45 was a complete anti-aircraft defense system combining guns, turret and mounting. The operator (gun-layer) sat in a tub-type assembly straddled along either side by a pair of 0.50 caliber Browning heavy machine guns. The machine guns were each fed by way of a 200-round, 90-pound magazine cassette affixed at each receiver feed. Typically, two ammunition handlers (loaders) were assigned to a M45 unit for streamlined function. The turret portion was designed with electrically-powered assist which allowed for traversal (a full 360-degrees) and elevation (spanning from -10 to +90 degrees). As the M2 Brownings were air-cooled weapons by their inherent design, the operator would need to take special care to combat barrel overheating. As such, typical operation in-the-field involved the operator firing the upper or lower gun pairs in turns, allowing one pair to cool while the other engaged.

The M45's special mounting component allowed the entire system to be mounted onto a two- or four-wheeled carriage (M20 or M17 trailer respectively) for transporting behind a designated mover vehicle. Additionally, the M45 could be affixed to the flatbed section of a military transport truck of mechanized halftrack vehicle. When mounted on an M3 Halftrack, the complete vehicle was designated as the "M16 Gun Motor Carriage" (GMC). Its attachment to the M17 trailer produced the "M51 Multiple Machine Gun Carriage" (MMGC) designation and, when mounted atop the M20 trailer, the system became the "M55 Machine Gun Trailer Mount" (MGTM).

In practice, the M45 Quadmount gave exceptional service for its given short-ranged, air defense role. As Allied air supremacy grew and forces expanded throughout France and beyond, there proved a greater need for protection against marauding enemy strike aircraft. While the M45 was limited in effective range to an extent by its use of machine guns, its voluminous approach allowed it to fill the immediate skies with hot lead at a moment's notice. Beyond its obvious value as an anti-aircraft measure, the M45 was found to be a highly lethal anti-infantry weapon when bringing its guns to bear on unprotected targets and even soft-skinned vehicles - making the M45 something of a multirole solution.

In one notable action regarding M45s during March 1945, nearly 250 German aircraft attempted an assault at Oppenheim near the Rhine River in attempt to destroy a strategic crossing. Over a quarter of the attackers were felled, primarily due to the presence of the M45 in the American force. The bridge was saved from destruction and later crossed by Patton's 3rd Army.

In the post-World War 2 years, the M45 saw extended service. One particular evolution was handled by the new Israeli Army which mated a pair of 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 series autocannons to the turret component of the M45 Maxson. This produced the TCM-20 which gave good service for several decades before replaced by a more modern component in the American M163 "Vulcan" Air Defense System (ADS). This vehicle coupled the Vulcan Gatling-style minigun weapon with the tracked chassis of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1943

Origin

United States

Crew

3
CREWMEN

Production

10,000
UNITS

W. L. Maxson Corporation - USA

(View other Vehicle-Related Manufacturers)

Israel; Turkey; United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Anti-Aircraft / Airspace Denial
Base model or variant can be used to search, track, and neutralize airborne elements at range.

✓ Fire Support / Assault / Breaching
Support allied forces through direct / in-direct fire, assault forward positions, and / or breach fortified areas of the battlefield.

✓ Special Purpose
Special purpose design developed to accomplish an equally-special battlefield role or roles.

Powerplant: 1 x Electrical motor for traversal and elevation, otherwise a towed artillery piece.

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base M45 Quadmount (Maxson) production variant. Compare this entry against any other in our database)

4 x 0.50 caliber M2HB Browning heavy machine guns

Supported Types

Graphical image of a tank medium machine gun

Graphical image of a tank heavy machine gun

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

800 x 0.50 ammunition in 4 x 200-round cassettes

M45 Quadmount - Base Series Designation

M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (GMC) - M3 halftrack vehicle with M45 Quadmount mounted.

TCM-20 - Post-World War 2 Israeli Army development of the M45 mount with 2 x 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 series cannons.

Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Image courtesy of the United States Army.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)