M16

**M16** is an AA unit in *Total Tank Simulator*.

## Unit Data

 Cost
 HP
 Amour
 Armour Class
 Weapon
 Fire Damage
 Damage Class
 Fire RPM
 Fire Range
 Turret Turn
 Max. Speed

## History

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16\_Multiple\_Gun\_Motor\_Carriage

The basic model was built in 1932 as a Halftrack T1 by the company Cunningham in Rochester, New York, and offered for sale to the US Army. Only in the course of the new equipment / modernization of the US Army in 1939/40 was the vehicle adopted as the T14 and further developed into the armored transport vehicle M2 (short version, kit carrier) and M3 (armored personnel carrier).

Manufacturers of the M3 were White, Autocar and Diamond T, which built a total of 15,361 vehicles of all types. Since the allies 'needs were also far greater than the three manufacturers' ability to manufacture for export, International Harvester was commissioned to produce a simplified version of the M3 for lend-lease aid deliveries. These vehicles, which were delivered to the Canadian, British and Free French troops as well as the Red Army, were given the designation M5.

Work began on an anti-aircraft tank equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun in April so that the motorized units could have a movable anti-aircraft component. The first model based on the M3 was called the M13 (M14 based on the M5) and was armed with two 12.7 mm machine guns. In November 1942, the M45 gun carriage was developed with four machine guns to increase firepower. The new vehicle was called the M16 (M17 based on the M5).

Manufacturing numbers:

M16 MGMC 1943: 2,323, 1944: 554, total 2,877 vehicles
M17 MGMC 1943: 400, 1944: 600, a total of 1,000 vehicles

At the end of 1944 the construction of the half tracks was stopped, in 1947 all vehicles were declared “outdated” except for the M16 MGMC and almost all of them were sold to other countries. Around 2,000 vehicles were stored. With the outbreak of the Korean War, the need for mobile anti-aircraft units exceeded the existing M16. The anti-aircraft tanks were used less often for air defense, and more often for use against earth targets.

In order to meet the demand, 1,662 vehicles of the basic variant M3 were converted to anti-aircraft halftracks by attaching the M45 mount. With the M16 MGMC, the uppermost side panels of the combat area could be folded down so that the weapon system could be swiveled freely. In order to achieve this also with the M3, a spacer ring was placed under the M45D mount and the mount was increased by about 35 cm. This vehicle was given the designation M16A1 MGMC to distinguish it. The gun carriage was given a protective shield for earth combat.

After the Korean War, the M16 / M16A1 were replaced by the M42 Duster full-chain anti-aircraft tank, half-track vehicles that had become available went to the German Bundeswehr, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Israel, among others.

## In the Game

The M16 was first seen in Demo 4 and is the first mobile anti-aircraft gun for the United States. It is ideal for protecting your own ground units against air attacks, since the M16 can follow them. It can also be used against infantry in an emergency. The M16 costs $ 50 more than the stationary M45. As with all other mobile anti-aircraft guns, it only has 50 life points (Demo 4), which makes it very vulnerable.

The mobile anti-aircraft guns (at least in demo 3/4) show an interesting behavior compared to the other units. While units that have not received an order race towards the enemy, the mobile anti-aircraft guns do not. They either patrol around their own airports / bunkers or other buildings or follow the allied units. So they are not attacking the enemy directly, unless they come within range of their fire. The mobile anti-aircraft guns only drive directly towards the enemy if there are no units to protect.

### Pro

* mobile anti-aircraft gun
* protects own units against air attacks
* can patrol around their own buildings
* can provide fire support (especially against infantry)

### Contra

* endures even less damage than a stationary AA
* should not attack the enemy ground units directly
* can't aim directly at targets in front of them because the Driver's cabin is in the way

## Gallery

A M16 in front of a windmill2 M16 defending allied troops against enemy Yak-1sM16 follow US troops . I would particularly like to point out how one M16 races after the shermans and the other slowly follows the Super Pershing.