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AAA is Back
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=31800		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Old SAR pilot [ Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:55 pm ]
Post subject:  AAA is Back
With kind permission of the owner of the following pics, the M-42 "Duster" is shown in service with the Bundeswehr in the mid-late 1970's. According to the owner, who was a crewman on one, many of these were veterans of Korea, some with battle damage when initially recevied.

The last pic is that of the 120mm M1 AA gun, an example of which rests in front of the CAF headquarters in Midland, TX. My father had a battery of these guns at Ft Richardson, AK 1957-1958.

M42 in convoy, 1977
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Hohenfels, 1977
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West Germany 1976
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Field maneuvers, West Germany 1976
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Baumholder 1977
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Sardinia 1977
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Todendorf 1976
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Todendorf 1976
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West Germany live fire 1976
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Todendorf 1976
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Sardinia 1977
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Sardinia 1977
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Sardinia 1977
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770th AAA in range fire with the 120mm M1
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Author:  Holedigger [ Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
I did not realize that the W Germans still had those deployed in the mid 70's, I just cannot imagine them surviving long enough to be much more than a tripwire against the massive Warsaw Pact WAVE of massive firepower! perhaps they would work against helo's but against jets without radar assist???? Not something I would volunteer to do.
Author:  Old SAR pilot [ Sun Sep 13, 2009 12:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
According to the owner of the pics, the M-42s started to be replaced in Bundeswehr service by the Flakpanzer Gepard in 1977, at least in his unit. When I was stationed in Germany the first time, in 1980, this replacement had been accomplished. But you gotta hand it to those guys with the Dusters...gotta go with what you've got...

And by the way, he stated that most of the M42s in his unit were just that - M42s, not the M42A1, with the coupled electro-hydraulic controls...
Author:  Holedigger [ Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
Though I hear they were VERY effective against ground targets in NAM! Would not want to be on the receiving end of that!!! :shock:
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