mystery guns

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
never seen this A.A mounted on a Bofors type carrage, would this be the same gun or guns mounted on the early halftracks

This mount looks very similar to any one of the M2/M3 half-track based CGMC's (Combination Gun Motor Carriage) mounts, I wonder if it could have been the basis for the T28E1 CGMC? There's an M.V. collector in North Vancouver who owns an M15/M15A1 Half-track, unfortunately, despairing of ever finding the mount which had been removed, converted his CGMC to an M16. His Half-track is definitely M15 as evidenced by the muzzle blast deflector over the driver's compartment. He found it in the Cariboo region of B.C., not too far north of where Phil Waterman's convoy pics were taken where it was utilized as a skidder for a "Gyppo" logging outfit. I don't know where the original owner bought the Half-track. As an aside, I heard an interesting account of how the M15 was used by an American Veteran of the Italian campaign. Apparently, they would initially only use the shorter range .50's so enemy pilots became comfortable outside a certain range and would be more likely to fly straight and level, then the AA crews would open up with the cannon to greater effect. Not sure if it's true but it makes a good story. I'll include some pics of the mount on a half-track at Ft. Lewis, Wash.