The Meat Chopper
The progress of the air force and the improved mobility made with the mechanization of the ground troops greatly changed the way battles were fought during World War II. With this in mind, many kinds of anti-aircraft weapons were developed to fight against enemy aircraft attacks, which led to fierce battles seen at every front. One such anti-aircraft machine seen during WWII was the M16 self propelled gun which was manufactured from 1942 to 1943. Fitted on the M3 half-track chassis was the quad mounted 50-caliber (12.7mm) Browning automatic heavy machine gun, which had a 893m/s muzzle velocity, 6,767m range, and a discharging rate of 450-555 rounds per minute, which earned it the nickname of "the meat chopper." The Type M45 gun mount could rotate 360 degrees and elevate between -10 and +90 degrees and was electrically driven which allowed it to move 60 degrees of rotation/elevation per second. Not only was it greatly effective against enemy aircraft, it was also very influential on the ground attack. Even after WWII, the M16 was also deployed with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces during the Korean War.
This kit was first released in 1976. Included in the set are figures which feature expressions and poses that highlight the tense situation of an incoming German fighter.