One hell of a rack!

Deputywood · 12-28-2022, 07:49 PM

My Dad did something similar while stationed in Panama during WWII. As an Army Air Forces machinist, he was tasked to design and construct a twelve gun mount for the M-2 .50 cal. At the time, December 1941), the Canal Zone did not have much of any AA defenses. Mainly Coastal Artillery. Dad said they mounted it on a barge in Gatow Lake. Fired at night was spectacular! He also said it wasn't a good idea as the recoil caused numerous stoppages. The M-2's were recovered from "hard landings" of the aircraft in the Zone. He didn't take any photos and I have searched, but found none.

Woody

gunbugs · 12-28-2022, 08:57 PM

The biggest problem with that MG-34 arrangement is the guns are going to run out of ammo pretty quickly. I'm presuming those are the double 100 round capacity drums, so not much ammo per gun, and pretty time consuming to re-attach already filled drums to 12 guns. Quite a noise maker, though.
The U.S. quad mount 50cals typically used a 250 round "tombstone" drum, plus a 50cal cycles about half as fast as an MG-34.

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12-28-2022, 07:49 PM	#1
Deputywood User Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 78 Thanks: 79 Thanked 92 Times in 39 Posts	My Dad did something similar while stationed in Panama during WWII. As an Army Air Forces machinist, he was tasked to design and construct a twelve gun mount for the M-2 .50 cal. At the time, December 1941), the Canal Zone did not have much of any AA defenses. Mainly Coastal Artillery. Dad said they mounted it on a barge in Gatow Lake. Fired at night was spectacular! He also said it wasn't a good idea as the recoil caused numerous stoppages. The M-2's were recovered from "hard landings" of the aircraft in the Zone. He didn't take any photos and I have searched, but found none. Woody

12-28-2022, 08:57 PM	#2
gunbugs Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Fairbanks, Alaska. Home of the best moose. Posts: 683 Thanks: 375 Thanked 1,228 Times in 415 Posts	The biggest problem with that MG-34 arrangement is the guns are going to run out of ammo pretty quickly. I'm presuming those are the double 100 round capacity drums, so not much ammo per gun, and pretty time consuming to re-attach already filled drums to 12 guns. Quite a noise maker, though. The U.S. quad mount 50cals typically used a 250 round "tombstone" drum, plus a 50cal cycles about half as fast as an MG-34.