M42

M42

M19A1

▃Skink

M42

M19A1

▃Skink

USA

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.0	4.0	4.0

Class:

SPAA

Research:13 000

Purchase:76 000

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This page is about the American SPAA M42. For the version in the Japanese tree, see M42 (Japan). For the Italian SPAA with a similar name, see M42 (Italy).

Description

The Twin 40 mm Self-Propelled Gun M42 Duster is a rank III American Self-Propelled Anti-Aicraft (SPAA) gun with a battle rating of 5.0 (AB) and 4.0 (RB/SB). The M42 was released in Update 1.47 "Big Guns". It is currently the third to last tank on the American SPAA line up, preceding the M163 Vulcan and M247 Sergeant York. While armed with the same turret and cannons from its predecessor the M19, it has enhanced mobility by using the chassis of the M41A1 Walker Bulldog light tank.

The U.S. military awarded General Motors Corporation's tank division with a contract to design and build the M42 Duster, as an armoured light air-defence gun platform. Though initially developed to provide defence from air attacks, by the time the Duster was ready to be fielded in mass, the military switched gears determining that the Duster was not a useful tool against the jet aircraft which were beginning to fill the sky.

While Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft (SPAA) vehicles were initially created to counter aircraft, other uses developed in which they saw action against armoured vehicles. Compared to other contemporary SPAA vehicles (ZSU-37, Wirbelwind, Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M13, etc...) though, the M42 is typically regarded as the least effective when used against vehicles with armour protection. The penetration value of the armour-piercing rounds is considered too low to penetrate armour plating, even when not angled. The Duster, however, can be devastating against vehicles with very little to no armour, especially at 120 rounds per minute for each gun.

Being considered a light tank, the M42 does not have the armour capability to stand up directly to many of the other vehicles which it will face on the battlefield, especially against tanks which may fire high-explosive shells. The Duster will fare better against machinegun fire and potentially against some of the lighter autocannon fire which it may encounter, though not for long. Due to the M42's lightweight nature, it is best to stage where there is cover to help shield the Duster. It is also essential to only expose the vehicle when necessary to get a shot. If discovered, it is best to have a contingency location to which to fall back and regroup.

General info

Survivability and armour

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

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

Armaments

40 mm Bofors (x2)
Capacity (Belt capacity each)			Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
480 (8)			120	-3°/+85°	±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	23.8	32.9	40.0	44.2	47.0
Realistic	23.8	28.0	34.0	37.6	40.0
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
0.65	0.58	0.53	0.50

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 90°
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
Mk.II	HEFI-T*	3	3	3	3	3	3
M81A1	AP-T	76	74	62	45	33	24

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Fuse delay in m:	Fuse sensitivity in mm:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):	Normalization At 30° from horizontal:	Ricochet:
								0%	50%	100%
Mk.II	HEFI-T*	874	0.86	0.2	0.1	63	+0°	79°	80°	81°
M81A1	AP-T	874	0.88	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1°	47°	60°	65°

Belt types

Belts	Shell composition	Combat usage
Default	AP-T / HEFI-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. These seem like a good I don't know what i will run into belt.
Mk.II	HEFI-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 it is side into the side of a enemy tank. If you plan on penetrating tanks, load this and flank, since side shots are almost a necessity.

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M42 Duster.

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Recommendations	Visual discrepancy
60	50 (+10)	38 (+22)	14 (+46)	2 (+58)	Keep Full	Yes

Usage in the battles

With the dual 40 mm Bofors the Duster has an excellent tool versus bombers and armoured attackers. Reserve the fire for certain hits. Against fighters, the same tactic should be applied. There is no reason to spam the fire unless sitting on cap-point for rearming.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Mk.II	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	M81A1	Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support	NVD

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
• Unsynchronized firing helps improve overall fire rate to double that list
• 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
• Open turret allows aerial attacks and machine guns to decimate the exposed crew
• Very thin armour hull
• Is hull-breakable
• 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

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.

In-game description

The M42 self-propelled 40mm 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 and camouflages for the M42 Duster from live.warthunder.com.

Read also

[Devblog] La-5FN and M42 Duster

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

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