M42 Duster: Anti-Air Revived from the Dead

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Sources:

1950s Employment:
• FM 44-2 "Light Antiaircraft Artillery" (July 1956)
• "Reference Data: Infantry Regiment" (July 1954)
• "Reference Data for Armored Units" (March 1956)
• FM 7-100 "Infantry Division" (October 1958)

Vietnam Employment:
• Rottman, G. "The US Army in the Vietnam War 1965-73" pages 41-42
• Hawkins, Vince. "DUSTER: M42 SELF-PROPELLED ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN" The Army Historical Foundation
• Killblane, R. "Convoy Ambush Case Studies: Volume I - Korea and Vietnam" (2013)

Technical Aspects of M42 Duster:

Technical Aspects of M16A1r:
• FM 44-2 "Light Antiaircraft Artillery" (July 1956)
• TM 9-2000 "Multiple Cal. .50 Machine G Mounts M45, M45C, M45D, and M45F; Multiple Cal. .50 Machine G Trailer Mount M55 and Mount Trailer M20" (December 1953)

Non-Duster
• McCrory, D. Antiaircraft Journal. May-June 1950 edition. page 3-8 (Korean War context only)
• ST 17-1-1 "US Army Armored Reference Data: Volume I The Army Division" (FY 1977) (Vulcan/Chaparral context only)

[BattleOrder]

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[ingloriuspumpkinpie]

There is just something about self propelled anti air guns that makes them aesthetically unmatched. Thanks for including metric by the way.

[KarlH-sjvz]

Outstanding video. I went to Officer ADA basic school in FEB 1987 and was shocked to find out one of the other Lieutenants in my class was in the Ohio National Guard and they were still using the M42 Dusters. I had no idea the Dusters were still being used at that time. However then again I never expected I would be carrying an M3 Grease Gun as a Vulcan Platoon Leader in Desert Storm.

[archiegeorge]

64 armored AA vehicles in the 1954 infantry division is a huge investment in logistics and personnel. That represented a big slice of firepower and I can only imagine that the dusters would have been put to use supporting the infantry with direct fire in any European war too.

[josephluscavage]

Later in the Cold War the M42 was very vulnerable as a SHORAD asset. It was lightly armored, no armor protection for the gun crew and as Soviet Air got faster and more accurate. But we had nothing to replace it in the short-range mission. The M48 Chaparral system suffered from the same problem as the Airforce was having with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles (They are called "missiles" for a reason, they miss) and reloading was not fast. For the short-range defense, we needed accurate, quick reload, high mobility, survivability and light. When I got to my first ADA unit they were giving up their M-167, towed 20MM Vulcan. That system was okay systems but no armor protection at all. Another battery in division had M163s (they were M113 with a Vulcan mounted on top, this gave some survivability and a little more mobility to keep up with armor and infantry. They soldiered on a while longer than the towed system. We became a FIM92 (Stinger) MANPADS battery. They completely through survivability out the window as we were issued cargo HUMVEE's but of course they were highly mobile and could keep up with the front-line assets. I spent 2 years in that unit (great group of soldier's top to bottom) and transferred out when I was promoted. We learned firsthand one time how vulnerable we were. Our Battery Commander met these 2 F/A18 pilots the night before (at the O club of course) a training and convinced them to spend an hour with us. We would track them as the flew different attack patterns. We were on the middle crest of a hill about halfway up. One of the Hornets was flying just outside our 3-mile range, and we got "targe fixated" on him, while his wingman snuck up the valley behind us, popped out right on top of us, stood it on its tail and lit the cans. It was defining, rocked the fillings in my teeth. He made his point, never said anything over the coms, we all knew we were dead! Sorry for the length of this but you brought back a lot of memories.

[davidboffa]

Now this makes me want a video on the troubled history of short ranged air defences in the US army (Mauler, SGT York, VADS/ Chapparel, ADATS)

[RuleGarza]

My dad kicked ass, driving this bad boy in Nam 1966. His stories growing up was crazy 😂 1st/44th

[TheArklyte]

The weird part about M42 Duster and similar vehicles like it's steroid sibling ZSU-57-2 is that VT fuzes were available for both 40mm and 57mm gun. At least from Bofors. So these SPAAGs could be modernized with those and radars similar the one included onto M163(and in case of Duster, there was even separate radar vehicle intended per battery, but none built) and would still be effective even today against drones or helicopters and definitely against infantry on top floors of apartment buildings😅
But nobody modernized them.

[johngritz]

No GI in Vietnam EVER complained about a Duster on their FOB or in their Convoy.

[obsidianjane]

@7:50 The M42 was replaced by the M-163 Vulcan and M-48 Chaparral NOT the Hawk. The Hawk was a medium to long range SAM that replaced the Nike/Nike-Hercules.
There were still ADA battalions in the '60s and '70s, but they were deployed in Europe. Just like with M-60 armor units drawing M-48s instead, units that deployed to Vietnam drew M-42s and did the base defense and convoy security job.

[prestongarvey]

I was literally talking IRL about the M42 yesterday! There’s a couple that are gate guards to a military base not far from here.

[melangellatc]

In the early 80's I was in a Duster Nat'l Guard unit in Anderson SC. We spent some fun times at Ft Blizz TX/Donna Anna Range Camp!!!

[VFRSTREETFIGHTER]

I read about Dusters with the US Army, specifically Task Force Faith, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Let's just say they didn't use them for anti air... The Duster's and M16's helped helped to repeatedly repel Chinese wave attacks until they ran out of ammunition, just let that sink in. The book is called East Of Chosin by Roy Appleman if you're interested.

[bartisreallykewl]

It’s not exactly a hot take but 50’s era equipment goes so hard.
It’s just the angriest willie coyote type stuff and I love it.

[MikeH-fwrw]

My father was in Vietnam 65-66 assigned to the B-Bty 29th Artillery searchlights mentioned at 9:45. Really cool seeing it here. Makes sense that they were at least logically linked to the Dusters.

[johngolden]

Back when my dad was in the Texas National Guard, the 1st Bn./200th Air Defense Artillery, New Mexico National Guard was part of the 49th Armored Division's artillery train. During annual training he witnessed those M42 Duster crews outshoot the M163 Vulcan crews, putting more shots on target every time. The crews had been together so long they instinctively knew what each other were going to do.
Also, I recognized the Virginia National Guard JFHQ patch on the sleeves of some of those crewmen.

[jeffyoung]

The U.S. Army still cannot quite decide to make up its collective mind about the utility and usefulness of cannon for close-in anti-aircraft use. The Army is sold on guided missiles like the Stinger and Hellfire yet continuing studies seem to point out such guided anti-aircraft missile systems would be well-served with cannon back-up for closer-range anti-aircraft support.
The Army was a hair's breadth away from deploying the new Sergeant York, twin 40mm cannon anti-aircraft system mounted in a large closed turret atop a M60 tank chassis, before cancelling it for last minute technological problems. During the early 2000s, the Army fielded a few M2/3 Bradleys converted into the M6 anti-aircraft platform that mounted the 25mm Bushmaster cannon and Hellfire missiles. The Army soon withdrew all from service. There is a new proposed multi-wheeled armored vehicle system mounting a 30mm cannon, two Hellfire missiles in a side box attached to the small, largely automated turret, and a built-in 7.62 machine gun in the middle of the turret for anti-personnel self-protection.

[petesheppard]

Nice video!
One bit of context (NOT a complaint): During the Vietnam War, I Corps was pronounced 'Eye' Corps (like the letter) and the others were simply called TWO, THREE or FOUR Corps.

[nzxt]

Bofors 40 mm is still used in sweden CV 90 LvKv 90C Anti-Air Vehicle and also in the IFV CV9040 the anti air version bofors uses the L70 The CV 9040 TriAD self-propelled Luftvärnskanonvagn 90 based on the CV 9040 mechanized infantry combat vehicle, and 40mm Bofors L/70 autocannon uses programmable ammunition.

[cm]

I’m digging these new videos that combine equipment breakdowns with TO&Es. 👍