Difference between revisions of "M42"

Latest revision as of 11:57, 30 March 2024

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles

A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)

This page is about the American SPAA M42. For other versions, see M42 (Family). For other uses, see M42 (Disambiguation).

M42

M19A1

M163

M42

USA

AB	RB	SB
5.0	4.0	4.0

Class:

SPAA

Research:13 000

Purchase:76 000

Show in game

Description

The M42 "Duster" is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun mounted on the M41 Walker Bulldog chassis used by the U.S. Army during World War II. It is an easily transported, lightly armoured vehicle that was constructed for the U.S. Army between 1952 and December 1960 and remained operational until 1988. General Motors Corporation's tank division was in charge of producing the M42 "Duster". The primary armament is comprised of two fully automatic 40 mm M2A1 Bofors autocannons. In the Vietnam War, it proved to be effective against unarmored ground forces despite its original design for anti-aircraft use.

Introduced in Update 1.47 "Big Guns", the M42 "Duster" is a highly mobile and lightly armoured vehicle. Avoid taking on opponents that have enough armour to withstand your shots. Utilize your exceptional mobility to execute flanking manoeuvres early in the fight to strike the flanks of the adversary. The primary armament works just as well against aircraft. Even the largest plane can be brought down with a single direct hit. Please note, nonetheless, that most crews are in complete exposure without any protection. Remain under cover at all times and be aware of plane strafing.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull12 / 12 / 12

Turret12 / 8 / 8

Crew6 people

Visibility109 %

Armour may as well be non-existent on the M42. Built off the chassis of the M41 Walker Bulldog, the SPAA can be penetrated by anything in the game, except for those few tanks armed with only machine guns, of course. In this tank, speed is your armour. A stationary Duster is a scrapped Duster unless you're firing on an aircraft, in which you should stop behind some cover.

Armour type:

Rolled homogeneous armour

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	12.7 mm (33°) Front glacis 25.7 mm (39°) Bottom glacis	12.7 mm	12.7 mm Top 19 mm Bottom	12.7 mm
Turret	12.7 mm	8 mm	8 mm	N/A

Notes:

Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB79 / 21 km/h

RB and SB73 / 19 km/h

Number of gears4 forward

2 back

Weight22.5 t

Engine power

AB954 hp

RB and SB500 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB42.4 hp/t

RB and SB22.2 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Game Mode	Forward	Reverse	Weight (tons)	Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	79	21	22.5	710	954	31.56	42.4
Realistic	73	19	22.5	442	500	19.64	22.22

This tank can go about 72 km/h forwards and -20 km/h backwards. Either way, it's fast. Being built with neutral steering and lighter than the M41A1. It should have no difficulty getting out of a situation in a pinch.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB1 421 → 1 960

RB1 103 → 1 522

SB1 625 → 2 242

Total cost of modifications24 600

44 600

Talisman cost1 100

Crew training22 000

Experts76 000

Aces400

Research Aces320 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

80 / 100 / 150 %

142 / 142 / 142 %

Modifications

Mobility

Protection

Firepower

Tracks Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 105
Suspension Research: 1 100 Cost: 2 000 95	Brake System Research: 1 100 Cost: 2 000 95
Filters Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 800 180
Transmission Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 175	Engine Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 175

Improved Parts

Research:

1 200

Cost:

2 200

105

Improved FPE

Research:

1 100

Cost:

2 000

95

Crew Replenishment

Research:

2 100

Cost:

3 800

180

40mm_usa_M2_HE_ammo_pack Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 105	Horizontal Drive Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 105
40mm_usa_M2_AP_ammo_pack Research: 1 100 Cost: 2 000 95	Adjustment of Fire Research: 1 100 Cost: 2 000 95
Elevation Mechanism Research: 2 100 Cost: 3 800 180
Artillery Support Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 175	NVD Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 175

Armaments

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Main armament

2 x 40 mm Dual Automatic Gun M2

Ammunition480 rounds

Belt capacity8 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

0.6 → 0.5 s

Fire rate120 shots/min

Vertical guidance-3° / 85°

Main article: Dual Automatic Gun M2 (40 mm)

The M42 Duster is armed with two 40 mm Dual Automatic Gun M2 anti-aircraft guns. They have a decent rate of fire and you will seldom have to stop and wait for a reload - more likely, you'll have to wait for the gun barrel to cool down. Against aircraft, these guns are deadly. A shot or two will be more than enough to shoot down an enemy. They are also quite deadly against lightly armoured vehicles, such as enemy SPAAs or light tanks such as the Spähpanzer Ru 251 or M41 Walker Bulldog, and you can penetrate the side of Panthers, too. However, they require direct hits. Against the Soviet heavy or British medium tanks you are likely to encounter, however these guns will do nothing for you. You will rarely get an opportunity to use the Bofors on another tank, as they simply lack the penetration to do so - 72 mm doesn't get you very far at Rank IV. If you can get the guns to hit, you should have no trouble knocking aircraft out of the sky.

40 mm Dual Automatic Gun M2 (x2)						Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	480 (8)	120	-3°/+85°	±180°	N/A	35.22	48.75	59.20	65.47	69.65	0.65	0.58	0.53	0.50
Realistic	480 (8)	120	-3°/+85°	±180°	N/A	23.80	28.00	34.00	37.60	40.00	0.65	0.58	0.53	0.50

Ammunition

Default: AP-T · FI-T* - These work fine, a hit on an aircraft means instant disassembly for it and still is able to hurt ground vehicles, especially if it is side into the side of a enemy tank.
Mk.II: FI-T* - These mean bad news for aircraft, what should be used for AA work.
M81A1: AP-T - These are the worst belts against airplanes. However, they are able to hurt ground vehicles especially if shot into the side of an enemy tank. If you plan on penetrating tanks, load this and flank, since side shots are almost a necessity.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
Ammunition	Type of warhead	10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Mk.II	FI-T*	9	8	7	6	5	4
M81A1	AP-T	72	69	58	46	37	29

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	0%	50%	100%
Mk.II	FI-T*	874	0.83	0.1	0.1	63	79°	80°	81°
M81A1	AP-T	875	0.88	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M42

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
60	30 (+30)	4 (+56)	2 (+58)	Yes

Notes:

Ammunition is modeled as 60 clips of 8 rounds.
The visual discrepancy concerns the total number of rounds: 232 rounds are modeled (58 clips of 4 rounds) but you can pack 480 rounds (60 clips of 8 rounds).

Usage in battles

This tank has no armour, but a lot of speed and guns that do nothing against anything with actual armour. Refrain from attacking enemies that can take a hit from you, though you can roam around the battlefield with your insane speed and act as a scout. You can still shoot enemies to mark them on the mini-map for all players to see, although it will also expose you. However, you could stay with your teammates and shoot down planes that will be harassing them. They know the danger of the Bofors guns, but for some pilots, that is a gamble they are willing to take. A good way to lure planes toward you is the act like you don't see them, shoot off at some distant (ground) target, at which the plane will notice you are "distracted" and as they begin to dive to attack you, quickly re-aim the cannons and fire.

Pros and cons

Pros:

40 mm cannons are devastating to planes
AP rounds able to penetrate roughly 60 mm can be used against most medium tank side armour it could face, like the T-34-85, Chi-Ri II, Panther A/D
Unsynchronized firing helps improve overall fire rate
Outside from default belts, the other belt options are made of a single type of shell that can be relied on
Relatively fast vehicle with good mobility due to the M41A1 light tank basis
Fast turret traverse rate helps track aircraft
Improved mobility, protection and ammunition count compared to M19

Cons:

Despite 40 mm cannons and the unsynchronized firing, the overall fire rate is still lower than its contemporaries
40 mm AP rounds are not the best AP rounds to use overall due to relatively low penetration; cannot penetrate all-round protected heavy tanks like the IS-2 or Tiger H1/E
Relatively bad depression angles, a little worse than on the M19, which means the M42 has to expose itself to shoot over hills
Open turret allows aerial attacks and machine guns to decimate the exposed crew
Very thin armour hull, can be penetrated by .50 cal found on the M4
Careless driving can damage the vehicle
Ammo can be used up rather quickly due to the dual-gun firing, prolonged combat can find the ammo stowage run empty
Easily ammo-racked due to racks scattered all around the turret, aerial autocannons could set it off if hit
Bad mobility when stock

History

Development

During late World War II and the Korean War, the US Army were using the Twin Gun Motor Carriage M19 as their main armoured forces anti-aircraft gun. However, during the Korean War, the US Army decides to phase out their M24 Chaffees and its variants, M19 included, in order to implement newer designs made in the time period. One of these newer designs was the development of the M41 Walker Bulldog light tank. The 40 mm armament on the M19 was deemed effective enough to continue usage past the M19, so the turret of the M19 with the twin 40 mm cannons was taken off the chassis and modified to fit the chassis of the M41 light tank, which had a larger turret ring than the M24 Chaffee. This instalment of the anti-aircraft armament onto the M41 light tank was designated as the M42. The production of the vehicle began in early 1952 at the General Motors Cleveland Tank Plant and entered service in 1953, replacing the many other self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles the army was fielding. Production continued from 1952 to December 1959, ending with a total number of 3,700 units. During the production, the M42 was upgraded in 1956 with a new engine and other upgrades common with the M41 light tank, this upgraded variant was the M42A1.

Combat usage

The M42 was kept in US inventory past the Korean War, however, it was sometime between then and the 1960s that the US Army came to the conclusion that ordinary anti-aircraft guns are unable to engage the new aircraft age of jets. Thus, the M42 was to be retired in 1963 and replaced by the HAWK surface-to-air missile. Though, even after their retirement, the units stationed at the Panama Canal Zone kept their M42s until the 1970s.

Then in the 1960s, with the intensity of the Vietnam War brewing up, more American soldiers get stationed in the country. Experiences with the missile showed that the HAWK missile system suppose to engage the new jet planes performed badly in low-altitude defence. In order to ensure a tight grip on the airspace, the Army began to reissue the M42s to the Army in the air defence artillery battalions which contain four M42 batteries and one headquarters battery. These M42s start arriving in the fall of 1966 in three battalions, 1/44th, 5/2nd, and the 4/60th Battalions. Though, despite their role, no dire air threat was presented from the North Vietnamese to the South, so the M42s were relegated to ground support duties in a tradition shared by its past predecessors. The M42s in this role was deployed as on-point security, convoy escorts, or a perimeter defence; it was in these roles that the M42 earned its nickname "Duster" for its lethality and effectiveness in ground support roles against the infantry.

After Vietnam, the M42 Dusters-equipped battalions were deactivated in late December 1971. These Dusters still in Vietnam were given to the ARVN forces. Training dusters at Fort Bliss were given back to the National Guard it was originally issued to, and multiple National Guard units were stationed with the M42 until it was officially retired in 1988, with the last unit retiring it be 2nd Battalion, 263 Air Defense Artillery.

Archive of the in-game description
The M42 self-propelled 40 mm anti-air mount built by General Motors (GM). It was based on the M41 light tank and was intended to replace the M19 self-propelled anti-air mount. The unofficial name "Duster" was also used for this installation. A total of 3,700 M42's were produced between 1951 and 1959.

Media

Skins

Skins and camouflages for the M42 from live.warthunder.com.

External links

[Development] La-5FN and M42 Duster

USA anti-aircraft vehicles
M3 Half-track derivatives	M13 MGMC · M15 CGMC · M16 MGMC
M24 derivative	M19A1
M41 derivative	M42
Radar SPAAG	M163 · M247
Missile SPAA	ADATS · Imp.Chaparral · LAV-AD · XM975

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Specs-Card|code=us_m42_duster}}
+{{About
+| about = American SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
+| other
+| usage-1 = other versions
+| link-1 = M42 (Family)
+| usage-2 = other uses
+| link-2 = M42 (Disambiguation)
+}}
+{{Specs-Card
+|code=us_m42_duster
+|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
+}}
 == Description ==
-''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
+The '''M42 "Duster"''' is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun mounted on the [[M41 Walker Bulldog (Family)|M41 Walker Bulldog]] chassis used by the U.S. Army during World War II. It is an easily transported, lightly armoured vehicle that was constructed for the U.S. Army between 1952 and December 1960 and remained operational until 1988. General Motors Corporation's tank division was in charge of producing the M42 "Duster". The primary armament is comprised of two fully automatic 40 mm M2A1 Bofors autocannons. In the Vietnam War, it proved to be effective against unarmored ground forces despite its original design for anti-aircraft use.
+Introduced in [[Update 1.47 "Big Guns"]], the M42 "Duster" is a highly mobile and lightly armoured vehicle. Avoid taking on opponents that have enough armour to withstand your shots. Utilize your exceptional mobility to execute flanking manoeuvres early in the fight to strike the flanks of the adversary. The primary armament works just as well against aircraft. Even the largest plane can be brought down with a single direct hit. Please note, nonetheless, that most crews are in complete exposure without any protection. Remain under cover at all times and be aware of plane strafing.
 == General info ==
 === Survivability and armour ===
-''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
+{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
+<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
+Armour may as well be non-existent on the M42. Built off the chassis of the [[M41A1|M41 Walker Bulldog]], the SPAA can be penetrated by anything in the game, except for those few tanks armed with only machine guns, of course. In this tank, speed is your armour. A stationary Duster is a scrapped Duster unless you're firing on an aircraft, in which you should stop behind some cover.
+'''Armour type:'''
+* Rolled homogeneous armour
-''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
+|-
+| Hull || 12.7 mm (33°) ''Front glacis'' <br /> 25.7 mm (39°) ''Bottom glacis'' || 12.7 mm || 12.7 mm ''Top'' <br /> 19 mm ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
+|-
+| Turret || 12.7 mm || 8 mm || 8 mm || N/A
+|-
+|}
+'''Notes:'''
+* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
 === Mobility ===
-''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
+<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
+{{tankMobility|abMinHp=710|rbMinHp=442}}
+This tank can go about 72 km/h forwards and -20 km/h backwards. Either way, it's fast. Being built with neutral steering and lighter than the M41A1. It should have no difficulty getting out of a situation in a pinch.
+=== Modifications and economy ===
+{{Specs-Economy}}
 == Armaments ==
+{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 === Main armament ===
-''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
+{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
+<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
+{{main|Dual Automatic Gun M2 (40 mm)}}
-=== Additional armament ===
+The M42 Duster is armed with two [[Dual Automatic Gun M2 (40 mm)|40 mm Dual Automatic Gun M2]] anti-aircraft guns. They have a decent rate of fire and you will seldom have to stop and wait for a reload - more likely, you'll have to wait for the gun barrel to cool down. Against aircraft, these guns are deadly. A shot or two will be more than enough to shoot down an enemy. They are also quite deadly against lightly armoured vehicles, such as enemy SPAAs or light tanks such as the [[Ru 251|Spähpanzer Ru 251]] or [[M41A1|M41 Walker Bulldog]], and you can penetrate the side of [[Panther A|Panthers]], too. However, they require direct hits. Against the Soviet heavy or British medium tanks you are likely to encounter, however these guns will do nothing for you. You will rarely get an opportunity to use the Bofors on another tank, as they simply lack the penetration to do so - 72 mm doesn't get you very far at Rank IV. If you can get the guns to hit, you should have no trouble knocking aircraft out of the sky.
-''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
-=== Machine guns ===
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
-''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+|-
+! colspan="6" | [[Dual Automatic Gun M2 (40 mm)|40 mm Dual Automatic Gun M2]] (x2) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
+|-
+! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
+! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
+! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
+|-
+! ''Arcade''
+| rowspan="2" | 480 (8) || rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+85° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A ||35.22||48.75||59.20||65.47||69.65|| rowspan="2" | 0.65 || rowspan="2" | 0.58 || rowspan="2" | 0.53 || rowspan="2" | 0.50
+|-
+! ''Realistic''
+| 23.80 || 28.00 || 34.00 || 37.60 || 40.00
+|-
+|}
-== Usage in the battles ==
+==== Ammunition ====
-''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|FI-T*|Fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These work fine, a hit on an aircraft means instant disassembly for it and still is able to hurt ground vehicles, especially if it is side into the side of a enemy tank.
+* '''Mk.II:''' {{Annotation|FI-T*|Fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These mean bad news for aircraft, what should be used for AA work.
+* '''M81A1:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}} - These are the worst belts against airplanes. However, they are able to hurt ground vehicles especially if shot into the side of an enemy tank. If you plan on penetrating tanks, load this and flank, since side shots are almost a necessity.
+{{:Dual Automatic Gun M2 (40 mm)/Ammunition|Mk.II, M81A1}}
+==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
+[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
+<!-- '''Last updated: 2.25.1.70''' -->
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+|-
+! Full<br>ammo
+! 1st<br>rack empty
+! 2nd<br>rack empty
+! 3rd<br>rack empty
+! Visual<br>discrepancy
+|-
+| '''60''' || 30&nbsp;''(+30)'' || 4&nbsp;''(+56)'' || 2&nbsp;''(+58)'' || Yes
+|-
+|}
+'''Notes''':
+* Ammunition is modeled as 60 clips of 8 rounds.
+* The visual discrepancy concerns the total number of rounds: 232 rounds are modeled (58 clips of 4 rounds) but you can pack 480 rounds (60 clips of 8 rounds).
+{{Clear}}
+== Usage in battles ==
+<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
+This tank has no armour, but a lot of speed and guns that do nothing against anything with actual armour. Refrain from attacking enemies that can take a hit from you, though you can roam around the battlefield with your insane speed and act as a scout. You can still shoot enemies to mark them on the mini-map for all players to see, although it will also expose you. However, you could stay with your teammates and shoot down planes that will be harassing them. They know the danger of the Bofors guns, but for some pilots, that is a gamble they are willing to take. A good way to lure planes toward you is the act like you don't see them, shoot off at some distant (ground) target, at which the plane will notice you are "distracted" and as they begin to dive to attack you, quickly re-aim the cannons and fire.
 === Pros and cons ===
-''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 '''Pros:'''
-*
+* 40 mm cannons are devastating to planes
+* AP rounds able to penetrate roughly 60 mm can be used against most medium tank side armour it could face, like the [[T-34-85]], [[Chi-Ri II]], [[Panther A]]/[[Panther D|D]]
+* Unsynchronized firing helps improve overall fire rate
+* Outside from default belts, the other belt options are made of a single type of shell that can be relied on
+* Relatively fast vehicle with good mobility due to the [[M41A1]] light tank basis
+* Fast turret traverse rate helps track aircraft
+* Improved mobility, protection and ammunition count compared to [[M19]]
 '''Cons:'''
-*
+* Despite 40 mm cannons and the unsynchronized firing, the overall fire rate is still lower than its contemporaries
+* 40 mm AP rounds are not the best AP rounds to use overall due to relatively low penetration; cannot penetrate all-round protected heavy tanks like the [[IS-2]] or [[Tiger H1]]/[[Tiger E|E]]
+* Relatively bad depression angles, a little worse than on the [[M19]], which means the {{PAGENAME}} has to expose itself to shoot over hills
+* Open turret allows aerial attacks and machine guns to decimate the exposed crew
+* Very thin armour hull, can be penetrated by .50 cal found on the [[M4]]
+* Careless driving can damage the vehicle
+* Ammo can be used up rather quickly due to the dual-gun firing, prolonged combat can find the ammo stowage run empty
+* Easily ammo-racked due to racks scattered all around the turret, aerial autocannons could set it off if hit
+* Bad mobility when stock
 == History ==
-''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
+===Development===
+During late World War II and the Korean War, the US Army were using the [[M19|Twin Gun Motor Carriage M19]] as their main armoured forces anti-aircraft gun. However, during the Korean War, the US Army decides to phase out their M24 Chaffees and its variants, M19 included, in order to implement newer designs made in the time period. One of these newer designs was the development of the [[M41A1|M41 Walker Bulldog]] light tank. The 40 mm armament on the M19 was deemed effective enough to continue usage past the M19, so the turret of the M19 with the twin 40 mm cannons was taken off the chassis and modified to fit the chassis of the M41 light tank, which had a larger turret ring than the M24 Chaffee. This instalment of the anti-aircraft armament onto the M41 light tank was designated as the '''M42'''. The production of the vehicle began in early 1952 at the General Motors Cleveland Tank Plant and entered service in 1953, replacing the many other self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles the army was fielding. Production continued from 1952 to December 1959, ending with a total number of 3,700 units. During the production, the M42 was upgraded in 1956 with a new engine and other upgrades common with the M41 light tank, this upgraded variant was the ''M42A1''.
+===Combat usage===
+The M42 was kept in US inventory past the Korean War, however, it was sometime between then and the 1960s that the US Army came to the conclusion that ordinary anti-aircraft guns are unable to engage the new aircraft age of jets. Thus, the M42 was to be retired in 1963 and replaced by the HAWK surface-to-air missile. Though, even after their retirement, the units stationed at the Panama Canal Zone kept their M42s until the 1970s.
+Then in the 1960s, with the intensity of the Vietnam War brewing up, more American soldiers get stationed in the country. Experiences with the missile showed that the HAWK missile system suppose to engage the new jet planes performed badly in low-altitude defence. In order to ensure a tight grip on the airspace, the Army began to reissue the M42s to the Army in the air defence artillery battalions which contain four M42 batteries and one headquarters battery. These M42s start arriving in the fall of 1966 in three battalions, 1/44th, 5/2nd, and the 4/60th Battalions. Though, despite their role, no dire air threat was presented from the North Vietnamese to the South, so the M42s were relegated to ground support duties in a tradition shared by its past predecessors. The M42s in this role was deployed as on-point security, convoy escorts, or a perimeter defence; it was in these roles that the M42 earned its nickname '''"Duster"''' for its lethality and effectiveness in ground support roles against the infantry.
+After Vietnam, the M42 Dusters-equipped battalions were deactivated in late December 1971. These Dusters still in Vietnam were given to the ARVN forces. Training dusters at Fort Bliss were given back to the National Guard it was originally issued to, and multiple National Guard units were stationed with the M42 until it was officially retired in 1988, with the last unit retiring it be 2nd Battalion, 263 Air Defense Artillery.
+{{break}}
+{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
+{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
+The M42 self-propelled 40 mm anti-air mount built by General Motors (GM). It was based on the M41 light tank and was intended to replace the M19 self-propelled anti-air mount. The unofficial name "Duster" was also used for this installation. A total of 3,700 M42's were produced between 1951 and 1959.
+{{Navigation-End}}
 == Media ==
-''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
+;Skins
-== Read also ==
+* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m42_duster Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
-''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+== See also ==
+<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 * ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
-* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
-''ETC.''
+;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
+* [[M19]]
+* [[Ostwind II]]
+* [[Phòng không T-34]] / [[Phòng không T-34 (USSR)]]
-== Sources ==
+== External links ==
-''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 * ''topic on the official game forum;''
-* ''other literature.''
+* ''other literature.'' -->
+* [[wt:en/devblog/current/752|[Development] La-5FN and M42 Duster]]
+{{USA anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Navigation menu

Personal tools

Namespaces

Variants

Search

Views

More

Vehicles

Resources

Navigation

Tools

Difference between revisions of "M42"

Latest revision as of 11:57, 30 March 2024

Contents

Description

General info

Survivability and armour

Mobility

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition

Ammo racks

Usage in battles

Pros and cons

History

Development

Combat usage

Media

See also

External links