Editing M2 Browning (section)

===United States===
[[File:Browning M2HB Normandy.jpg|thumb |A U.S. soldier in [[Normandy]] stands guard with the M2HB installed on a dual-purpose mounting, 1944.]]

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the United States had versions of the M2 in service as fixed aircraft guns, anti-aircraft defensive guns (on aircraft, ships, or boats), infantry (tripod-mounted) guns, and as dual purpose anti-aircraft and anti-vehicular weapons on vehicles.{{sfn|Dunlap|1948|p=225}}<ref>{{harvnb|George|1981|p=404}}: "By World War II, the M2HB had been designated as a dual-purpose anti-aircraft and anti-vehicular weapon for motorized, armored, and infantry divisions; the designation "''anti-vehicular''" included thin-skinned and lightly armored vehicles, as it was already recognized by 1940 that the .50 M2 AP round would not be useful against modern medium or heavy tanks."</ref>

The .50 AN/M2 light-barrel aircraft Browning used in planes had a rate of fire of approximately 800 rounds per minute and was used singly or in groups of up to eight guns for aircraft ranging from the [[P-47 Thunderbolt]] to the [[B-25 Mitchell]] bomber, which in the last J-version of the Mitchell could have up to fourteen M2s firing forward for ground attack missions – eight in a solid metal-structure nose, four more mounted in a pair of conformal twin-gunned [[gun pod]]s on the lower cockpit sides, and two more if the forward dorsal turret's pair of M2 guns were also aimed straight forward. The later A-26 bested this with up to a maximum of 16/18 machine guns, 8 in the nose, four more per wing in flush-mount pods, plus 2 guns in the dorsal turret.

In the dual-purpose vehicle mount, the M2HB proved extremely effective in U.S. service: the Browning's .50 caliber AP and API rounds could easily penetrate the engine block or fuel tanks of a German [[Messerschmitt Bf 109|Bf 109]] fighter attacking at low altitude,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.45thdivision.org/Veterans/BirdA160.htm |title=Recollections of James R. Bird, A Battery, 160th F.A., 45th Inf. Div. |first=James |last=Bird |website=45thdivision.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223025915/http://www.45thdivision.org/Veterans/BirdA160.htm |archive-date=2008-12-23}}</ref> or perforate the hull plates and fuel tanks of a German [[Sd.Kfz. 251 |half-track]] or [[Leichter Panzerspahwagen |light armored car]]. It could even penetrate the sides and rear of the [[Panzer I]], [[Panzer II]], [[Panzer III]], and [[Panzer IV]] tanks.<ref name="Barnes, Frank C. 1989 p.432"/><ref>{{cite book |first1=Michael |last1=Green |first2=Gladys |last2=Green |name-list-style=amp |date=2000 |title=Weapons of Patton's Armies |publisher=Zenith Imprint Press |page=34 |isbn=978-0-7603-0821-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Bishop |first=Chris |date=2002 |title=The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II |publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc |page=86 |isbn=978-1-58663-762-0}}</ref> While the dual-purpose mounting was undeniably useful, it did normally require the operator to stand when using the M2 in a ground role, exposing him to return fire.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Michael |last1=Green |first2=Gladys |last2=Green |name-list-style=amp |date=2000 |title=Weapons of Patton's Armies |publisher=Zenith Imprint Press |pages=32–34 |isbn=978-0-7603-0821-9}}</ref> Units in the field often modified the mountings on their vehicles, especially tanks and tank destroyers, to provide more operator protection in the anti-vehicular and anti-personnel role.{{sfn|Yeide|2004|p=185}} The weapon was particularly hated by the Germans, whose attacks and ambushes against otherwise helpless stalled motor convoys were frequently broken up by .50 caliber machine gun fire.<ref>{{cite book |last=Burgett |first=Donald |date=1999 |title=Seven Roads To Hell |publisher=Dell Publishing |page=129 |isbn=0-440-23627-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jarymowycz |first=Roman J. |date=2001 |title=Tank Tactics: From Normandy to Lorraine |publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers |page=212 |isbn=978-1-55587-950-1}}</ref> Vehicles would frequently "recon by fire" with the M2 Browning, i.e. they would fire continuously at suspected points of ambush while moving through areas still containing enemy forces. One vehicle would fire exclusively to the right, the following vehicle to the left, the next one to the right, and so on in order to cover both flanks of the advancing convoy.

Besides vehicle-mounted weapons, the heavy weapons companies in a World War II U.S. Army infantry battalion or regiment were each issued one M2 Browning with tripod (ground) mount.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rush |first=Robert S. |date=2003 |title=GI: The US Infantryman in World War II |publisher=Osprey Publishing Ltd |page=33 |isbn=1-84176-739-5}}</ref> Mounted on a heavily sandbagged tripod, the M2HB proved very useful in either a defensive role or to interdict or block road intersections from use by German infantry and motorized forces.{{sfn|Dunlap|1948|pp=225, 311–312}} Hearing the sound of an M2 could often cause enemy infantry to take cover.<ref name="Henry, Mark R. 2000 p. 20">{{cite book |last=Henry |first=Mark R. |date=2000 |title=The US Army in World War II (2): The Mediterranean |publisher=Osprey Publishing |page=20 |isbn=978-1-84176-085-8}}</ref> There are numerous instances of the M2 Browning being used against enemy personnel, particularly infantry assaults<ref>Abramski, Anthony V. (Pfc.), ''Eyewitness Account of Pfc. Anthony V. Abramski'', Citation In Support Of Congressional Medal of Honor Award to 2nd Lt. [[Audie Murphy]] at [[Holtzwihr]], France, 26 January 1945.</ref> or for interdiction or elimination of enemy artillery observers or snipers at distances too great for ordinary infantry weapons.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wolfe |first=Clarence B. |date=2006 |title=I Kept My Word |publisher=AuthorHouse Press |page=68 |isbn=978-1-4259-6951-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/11-4/chapter21.htm |last=Lee |first=Ulysses |date=1966 |title=The United States Army in World War II: Special Studies, The Employment of Negro Troops |chapter=Ch. XXI: Artillery & Armored Units in the ETO |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Historical Division, U.S. Army |page=646}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jarymowycz |first=Roman J. |date=2001 |title=Tank Tactics: From Normandy to Lorraine |publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers |page=212 |isbn=978-1-55587-950-1}} The M2HB fitted to tanks and M3 half-tracks was frequently employed against German rearguard forces including snipers and anti-tank teams, often firing into locations merely suspected of hiding such forces (so-called ''speculative fire'').</ref>

[[File:Firebase Phoenix overlooking the Korengal Valley.jpg|thumb |An M2 overlooking the [[Korengal Valley]] at [[Firebase Phoenix]], Afghanistan, in 2007]]
The M2HB was not widely used in the Pacific campaign for several reasons, including the weight of the gun, the nature of infantry jungle combat, and because road intersections were usually easily outflanked.{{sfn|George|1981|p=404}}{{Primary source inline|date=March 2022}} However, it was used by fast-moving motorized forces in the Philippines to destroy Japanese blocking units on the advance to Manila.{{sfn|Dunlap|1948|pp=225, 311–312}} The [[M45 Quadmount |quad mount .50]] was also used to destroy Japanese emplacements.<ref name="Article"/>

The M2HB was used in Korea and Vietnam, and later in both [[Gulf War |Operation Desert Storm]], the Afghan theater of [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present) |Operation Enduring Freedom]] and in [[Iraq War |Iraq]]. In 2003, U.S. Army SFC [[Paul Ray Smith]] used his M2HB mounted on an [[M113 armored personnel carrier]] to kill 20 to 50 enemies who were attacking a U.S. outpost, preventing an aid station from being overrun and allowing wounded soldiers to be evacuated,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E7D7123FF933A05750C0A9639C8B63 |title=Medal of Honor to Be Awarded to Soldier Killed in Iraq, a First |first=Eric |last=Schmitt |date=30 March 2005 |newspaper=The New York Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701043709/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E7D7123FF933A05750C0A9639C8B63 |archive-date=2017-07-01}}</ref> SFC Smith was killed during the firefight and was posthumously awarded the [[Medal of Honor]].

====M45 Quadmount====
{{Main|M45 Quadmount}}
[[File:Multiple Gun Motor Carriage.jpg|thumb|An M45 Quadmount installed on an [[M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage]]]]

The M45 Quadmount was a mounting of four .50 M2HB guns with a single gunner situated behind an armored housing. This was used by U.S. anti-air battalions, fitted either on a towed trailer or mounted on a half-track carrier. With 200 rounds per gun in a powered tracking mount, the guns proved very effective against low-flying aircraft. The use of four guns adequately compensated for the fact that the individual M2HB's rate of fire (450–550 rounds per minute) was low for an effective anti-aircraft weapon.<ref name="RottmanBrowning">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TaixfxwdCwEC&pg=PA20 |last=Rottman |first=Gordon L. |date=2010 |title=Browning .50-Caliber Machine Guns |publisher=Osprey Publishing |pages=19–20 |isbn=978-1-84908-331-7}}</ref>

Towards the end of the war, as [[Luftwaffe]] attacks became less frequent, the quad .50 (nicknamed the ''Meat Chopper'' or ''Krautmower''<ref name="RottmanBrowning" />) was increasingly used in an anti-personnel role, similarly to the earlier-introduced (1940) and more powerful—but much more difficult to keep well-fed with ammunition when in action—German 20&nbsp;mm [[FlaK 30#2 cm Flakvierling 38 |Flakvierling]]. Snipers firing from trees were engaged by the quad gunner at trunk level; the weapon would cut down and destroy the entire tree, and the sniper with it.<ref name="Henry, Mark R. 2000 p. 20"/><ref name="Article">{{cite web |url=http://www.skylighters.org/quad50/index.html |title=AAA Weapons of the U.S. Army, Part I: The "Quad 50" Machine Gun Mount |website=225th AAA Searchlight Battalion (Skylighters) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222001357/http://www.skylighters.org/quad50/index.html |archive-date=2008-12-22}}</ref>

The M45 Quadmount was still in use during the Vietnam War.