M2HB .50 Caliber Air Cooled Machine Gun
Operation Selective Fire; Semiautomatic or Fully Automatic, recoil operated, air cooled
Caliber .50 (12.7 mm)
Ammunition bullet 710 gr, charge 235 gr
Muzzle velocity 853.4 mps (2930 fps)
Capacity 110-round metallic link belt
Weight 57.8 kg (128 lbs); barrel 81 lbs, tripod 44 lbs
Overall length 165.4 cm (65.1 in), (barrel 45 in)
Rate of fire 400 to 550 rounds per minute
Effective range 2287m (2500 yds)
Note: The M2 .50 caliber machine gun is still standard issue today. Mr. Browning's magnificent weapon may see its 100th birthday, still on active duty.
The .50 caliber machine gun is primarily an anti-vehicular weapon. Its weight, and the weight of its ammunition, make it unsuitable for mobile infantry use. However, in semi-fixed positions such as the MLR in Korea, or mounted on vehicles in file, as in the withdrawal from Chosin, the weapon is magnificent. Its great range and striking power make it deadly in enfilade against troops staging for assault. Again, these capabilities make it ideal for quick reaction against machine gun and mortar positions on heights overlooking road communications.
Against massed infantry attack over ground with relatively constant slope, as against the Chinese human wave assaults on our MLR such as at Vegas, the M2 is a truly terrible force. For mobile patrol deployment, mounted on light vehicles, it is equally effective.
Quad .50-caliber M2 Heavy Barrel Air-Cooled Heavy Machine Guns Mounted on half-track, WWII AAA vintage
Col. L. Fletcher Prouty USAF (Dec.), former liason with Special Forces for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reports that for the Bay of Pigs operation, "the CIA's very able and potent Air Division already had. . .the versatile B-26 bombers that had been modified by the Air Force for the CIA to carry eight 50-cal aircraft-type machine guns in the nose." Prouty recounts the refusal of the Kennedy administration to grant permission for the final raid by these B-26's to destroy Castro's three .50 cal. equipped T-33 jet trainers on the ground.
Prouty: "We had provided the rebels with 16 B-26's that I had put through a transition project in Arizona. They had 8 50 Cal. machine guns in each nose. (With this in mind), Castro had only 10 capable combat aircraft Kennedy ordered them all to be destroyed before the landing. On Sat., a.m., May 15th they were attacked and all of 7 were destroyed. We scoured Cuba with U-2 reconnaissance and found that three jets that Castro had left were all that he had; but these armed jets could easily shoot down the B-26's. Therefore Kennedy made it very clear on May 16th that the landing could not take place until the Rebel's B-26's had totally destroyed the last three Castro jets...ON THE GROUND. (If this had been done, as ordered by the President then the 16 bombers could have supported the invasion and the Cuban rebels would have had a more than even chance to beat Castro's ground troops and their equipment by bombardment."
Hence the brigade was cut to pieces and a special bullet was designed for JFK designated the Mannlicher-Banana Miracle Specter Bullet which could turn corners and leap tall buildings. It is not true, however, that "to zap", meaning to kill is derived from the Zapruder film.
The Counter Invader was a highly modified version of the Douglas A-26 Invader, a WW II attack bomber. Redesignated B-26 in 1948, the Invader served again during the Korean War (1950-53), mainly as a night intruder against North Korean supply lines. It was removed from service in 1958, but in 1961 the USAF recalled many Invaders for use as tactical bombers in Southeast Asia (SEA). Combat duty and two decades of wear took their toll and, in 1964, the B-26s again were removed from service.
In 1966, the old bomber was resurrected once more when the improved B-26K Counter Invader returned to SEA for ground-attack missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Modified by the On Mark Engineering Co., the B-26K had a rebuilt fuselage and tail, strengthened wings, improved engines, reversible propellers, wing-tip fuel tanks, and other refinements. Redesignated A-26As in 1966, Counter Invaders remained in SEA until 1969, then were removed for disposal.
Originally an A-26C converted to B-26K, the Counter Invader on display was one of the first six to arrive at Nakon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base in 1966. In November 1980 it was flown to the Museum.