M13 MGMC

This page is about the American SPAA M13 MGMC. For other vehicles based on the M3 half-track, see M3 Half-Track (Family).

M13 MGMC

M15 CGMC

M13 MGMC

M15 CGMC

USA

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.3	1.7	1.7

Class:

SPAA

Research:2 900

Purchase:700

Show in game

Description

The Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M13 is a rank I American Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft (SPAA) vehicle with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB) and 1.7 (RB/SB). It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals".

The M13 MGMC is an M3 half-track with a dual-mounted .50 calibre M2 Browning machine guns on the rear. The .50 calibre machine guns are mounted in a Maxson M33 Twin Mount. Each machine gun has 200 rounds each, giving it a total of 400 rounds before reloads. Due to this armament, the M13 is foremost an SPAA that relies on its mobility and fire rate to destroy aircraft, or very thinly-armoured tanks. However, when compared to other tanks of its rank, the M13 is a relatively weak vehicle. The MG-only armament gives the M13 exceptional AAA potential, but not much else.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull6 / 6 / 6

Turret12 / 6 / 6

Crew3 people

Visibility75 %

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Structural Steel (Gun breech, Suspension)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	6 mm (31°) Hood front 13 mm (31°) Driver port	6 mm	6 mm	6 mm Engine Compartment
Turret	13 mm	6 mm	N/A	N/A

Notes:

• Tracks are 7 mm thick.
• Chassis are 10 mm thick, while the caterpillar wheels are 15 mm thick.
• Wheels are 2 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB83 / 19 km/h

RB and SB76 / 18 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

2 back

Weight8.3 t

Engine power

AB282 hp

RB and SB148 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB34.0 hp/t

RB and SB17.8 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	83	19	8.3	210	282	25.3	33.98
Realistic	76	18		131	148	15.78	17.83

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB102 → 131

RB91 → 117

SB140 → 180

Total cost of modifications2 975

885

Talisman cost190

Crew training200

Experts1 000

Aces20

Research Aces96 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

10 / 10 / 20 %

100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 150 Cost: 45 45 Suspension Research: 135 Cost: 40 40 Brake System Research: 135 Cost: 40 40 Filters Research: 185 Cost: 55 55 Transmission Research: 320 Cost: 95 100 Engine Research: 320 Cost: 95 100	Improved Parts Research: 150 Cost: 45 45 Improved FPE Research: 135 Cost: 40 40 Crew Replenishment Research: 185 Cost: 55 55	12mm_usa_M2HB_API_ammo_pack Research: 150 Cost: 45 45 Horizontal Drive Research: 150 Cost: 45 45 12mm_usa_M2HB_AP_ammo_pack Research: 135 Cost: 40 40 Adjustment of Fire Research: 135 Cost: 40 40 12mm_usa_M2HB_APIT_ammo_pack Research: 185 Cost: 55 55 Elevation Mechanism Research: 185 Cost: 55 55 Artillery Support Research: 320 Cost: 95 100

Armaments

Main armament

2 x 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition4 800 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 90°

12.7 mm M2HB (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	4,800 (200)	577	-10°/+90°	±180°	N/A	52.84	73.13	88.80	98.20	104.47	10.40	9.20	8.48	8.00
Realistic						35.70	42.00	51.00	56.40	60.00

Ammunition

• Common: API-T · I · AP · API-T - These rounds work well until the others are researched.
• API: API-T · AP-I · API-T - These are absolutely devastating in the AA role with slightly less performance against enemy tanks than AP.
• AP: AP · AP · API-T - These are best against enemy tanks at close range and do good damage to planes.
• APIT: API-T - Better than API in all regards but not as good against tanks as AP, this is the belt of choice in almost all situations. Since every bullet is a tracer, it makes destroying aircraft much easier and detectability is not greatly increased over AP-I, however is increased a bit over AP.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
	10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
AP	31	29	21	14	9	6
I	7	7	6	5	3	3
API-T	29	27	19	12	7	5
AP-I	30	27	19	12	8	5

Shell details
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
						0%	50%	100%
AP	894	0.05	-	-	-	47°	56°	65°
I	944	0.04	0	3	0	47°	56°	65°
API-T	929	0.04	-	-	-	47°	56°	65°
AP-I	929	0.04	-	-	-	47°	56°	65°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M13 MGMC

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
24	20 (+4)	16 (+8)	10 (+14)	6 (+18)	2 (+22)	No

Usage in battles

With the M13, the armour is very thin, and the lack of sloping makes the M13 an extremely easy target. Therefore, rely on the exceptional maneuverability, handling, and speed to either stay in cover or flank weaker tanks. Always relocate when faced with an artillery barrage as the shells will tear the thinly-armoured vehicle apart.

Against planes, basic aiming rules apply. Fighters may target you due to the sole designation of SPAA. Hence, always remain on the lookout for enemy aircraft. Strafing aircraft can be extremely deadly; stay in cover and lead your target. The M2s have exceptional AAA ability, take use of their tendency to set opponents alight.

Against tanks, flanking and hit and run are a must. The high rate of fire, good handling/mobility, and turret traverse make the M13 a wonderful hit-and-run tank. Aim for crew hatches and weak points in armour. Many times the high fire rate and penetration can easily knock out a crew of sublime armour. However, against better-armoured tanks such as the T-26 or M3 Lee, always stay out of the line of fire and try to avoid tanks such as these altogether.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great rate of fire
• Exceptional mobility and speed
• M2 MGs are effective against thinly-armoured vehicles (BT-5, Pz.II C, etc.)
• Maximum reverse speed is 16 km/h (10 MPH)
• Can turn in place, as compared to the GAZ-AAA (4M)
• Can penetrate the sides and rear of most contemporary vehicles
• Respectable reload rate for a trained crew
• Traverse rate is acceptable for its peers
• Reload time is acceptable
• AP-T rounds are the same as on the P-51 D models and are extremely effective against planes and thinly armoured vehicles alike

Cons:

• Armour is extremely thin- coaxial guns attached to other tanks can easily knock out the crew
• Crew exposed - easily taken out by tanks
• Gun does very little damage to heavily armoured vehicles/tanks
• Bullets are small and individually may do little or no damage even if they hit a module
• Vulnerable to all cannon shells
• Artillery strikes can easily destroy this vehicle

History

Development

The changing concept of warfare ever since aircraft were introduced into combat led to the role of the anti-aircraft. As such, the US Army submitted a request for the development of a mobile anti-aircraft vehicle to defend themselves against enemy aircraft. Development didn't start until October 1940 to build such a vehicle, with the purpose to protect mechanized troops from airstrikes. The first build up was a 4x4 truck with an anti-aircraft armament of two .50 cal M2 Browning machine guns, this was called the T1. The development went on with T1E1 with a Bendix mount on an M2 half-track car and the T1E2 with the Maxson mount. T1E3 had an electro-dynamic aircraft turret made for bombers from the Glenn L. Martin Company. Of these three, the T1E2 was selected for further development. The turret design on the T1E2 was placed onto the longer M3 half-track for more ammunition storage. This design, known as the T1E4, was accepted into service as the M13 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage on July 27, 1942. A total of 1,103 units were produced from that day until May 15, 1943, though about 583 units were converted to the M16 MGMC before being delivered. First deliveries came in late 1943.

Combat usage

The M13 saw service during the Italian Campaign in the landing at Anzio in January 1944. It served as an anti-aircraft weapon for the initial landings and then later as a ground support role by firing at ground troops and vehicles. The M13 GMC only saw service here, as they were replaced three months later by the newer and better M16 MGMC vehicle, which had four .50 cal machine guns rather than two. Only 139 units of the M13 GMC were deployed overseas by the army.

Archive of the in-game description

Work on a mobile anti-aircraft emplacement began in October 1940, as the US Army needed vehicles capable of covering mechanized columns against enemy air units. In 1941 the Diamond T(WMC) M2 half-track, mass produced by the White Motor Company, was selected as the base for the new model. During trials with a number of different weapon types the decision was made to use the double-barreled W.L. Maxson Corporation M33 machine gun turret equipped with two 12.7 mm Browning M2HB machine guns as the main armament. The Maxson turret offered 360° rotation to go along with 90°+ to -11.5° elevation, and was capable of power rotation at 74° per second. Following trials, the recommendation was made to accept the weapon and launch full-scale production based on the M3 half-track personnel carrier. That decision was based on the fact that the M3 was 250 mm longer, making it an easier fit for the armament and crew. The first mass-produced vehicles were launched by the White Motor Company in December 1942 as the M13 MGMC (Multiple Gun Motor Carriage). Production of that modification continued through May 1943, with 1,103 units eventually built. The M13 MGMCs joined the US army's AA battalions. By the time the allies landed in France, 568 of them had been refitted with the later M45 turrets. Some M13 MGMCs fought in Sicily, though none were delivered to other countries.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M13 MGMC from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

• M16 MGMC
• Sd.Kfz.251/21
• BTR-152A
• Staghound AA

External links

• [Devblog] Steel Generals: M13 MGMC
• [Devblog] Developers about M13 MGC
• [Wikipedia] M13 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] Half Track Car M3

White Motor Company
SPAAs	M13 MGMC · M15 CGMC · M16 MGMC
Export	▅M16 MGMC

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