M42 Duster

M42 Duster
M42 in the Yad la-Shiryon Museum in Israel
General properties
crew	4 to 6 (commander, driver, gunner, 1 to 3 loaders)
length	5.82 m
width	3.23 m
height	2.85 m
Dimensions	22.5 tons
Armor and armament
Armor	front 25 mm, rear 12.7 mm
Main armament	2 x 40 mm automatic cannon Bofors M2A1
Secondary armament	1 × 7.62mm Browning M1919 machine gun
agility
drive	Continental 6-cylinder gasoline engine (air-cooled) 440 PS (323 kW)
suspension	Torsion bar
Top speed	67 km / h
Power / weight	22.2 hp / t
Range	160 km

The M42 Duster is an anti-aircraft tank made in the USA . It was developed in 1952 on the basis of the M41 light tank to replace the outdated M16 system. The M42 was produced by General Motors from 1952 to 1959 and served in the US Forces during the Cold War through 1963 and later in the National Guard . The last vehicles operated in the United States were retired in 1988.

In addition to the armed forces of other countries, the Bundeswehr also used the M42 under the name Flak 40mm L60 ZwSF, where it was part of the "initial equipment" from 1956. From 1956 to 1979 496 vehicles were in service with the anti-aircraft troops of the divisions and brigades . From December 1976 it was replaced in the Bundeswehr by the Gepard anti-aircraft gun .

Other user states of the M42 were Austria, Greece, Japan, Taiwan, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Thailand, Tunisia and Venezuela.

Armament, equipment

• Engine: air-cooled 6-cylinder gasoline engine Continental AOS 895-3
  • Displacement: 14.6 l, 323 kW (440 hp); an improved engine with injection system was used in the M42 A1
• Additional motor with auxiliary generator in the engine compartment
• a 40 mm twin machine gun Bofors L / 60 M2A1 in mount M4E1
• Fire control is done optically with the T154 rake sight
• Firing range: up to 2000 m, disruptive fire with explosive incendiary cartridges up to 4800 m
• Rate of fire: 2 × 120 rounds / minute
• Elevation range: from −5 to 85 °
• a 7.62 mm on-board machine gun
• Ammunition:
  • 480 rounds 40 mm (HE-T: 880 m / s, AP-T: 872 m / s)
  • 1750 rounds 7.62 mm

literature

• Peter Blume: The Air Defense Force of the Army 1956-2002. Vehicle Profiles - Volume 19, Unitec Media Sales, 2002.

Web links

Commons : M42 Duster  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Pictures and description Flakpanzer M42 (Bw)