T28E1/M15 (US161)

T28E1/M15 (US161) contains options for the T28E1 and M15. Both these vehicles were combined anti-aircraft guns mounting both 37mm cannon and dual .50 cal machine-guns on the one vehicle. Initially the T28 design was mothballed in the spring of 1942 only to be revived in June 1942 to provide mobile AA protection for the upcoming invasion of North Africa in November.

The design was modified to be mounted on the M3 Halftrack chassis (initially it had been mounted on the slightly shorter M2 Halftrack chassis). The combination gun was mounted on a turntable on the flat deck of the halftrack. T28E1 CGMC It could rotate 360 degrees, and fire through an elevation of –5 to 85 degrees. The T28E1 had no armoured protection for its gun, so the crew were totally exposed when firing the weapon.

Originally the water-cooled .50 cal machine-guns were intended to be used to fire tracer while tracking the aircraft through the air before opening up with the 37mm cannon, but field use soon found that crews were firing all three weapons together. The resulting wall of lead proved very successful in knocking down and chasing off enemy planes in North Africa.

The success of the T28E1 in Africa led to further evaluation of the design back in the US. It was decided to add armoured shields to the gun mount making it an almost turret like arrangement protecting the crew from the front and sides. The T28E1s water-cooled .50cal machine-guns were also replaced with air-cooled versions. The new version was designated the M15. A further version was later put into production incorporating a new gun mount (M15A1).

The T28E1/M15 in Flames of War The Combination anti-aircraft mount gives you a massive ROF 5, that’s a lot of lead in the air. This makes it an effective AA weapon if positioned well to cover your other troops. It has a range of 24”/60cm giving it enough reach to protect a good proportion of your force. Its high ROF also makes it a great ground weapon, deadly against infantry and also handy against lighter armour and transport with its AT 5 and FP 5+.

The M15 also has the advantage of a little armoured protection, the added shield increasing its front armour to 1. It’s obviously not the most heavily armoured weapon available, so don’t expose it unnecessarily, even the odd bit of determined sniping from some riflemen can cause you trouble if you’re in the habit of rolling 1s (or even 2s for the T28E1) for armour saves.

	M15 CGMC The addition of the armoured shields to the M15 also hinder its movement, while the T28E1 is a Halftrack for movement the M15 is only rated Wheeled. This slows down the M15’s movement off road. But if you’re cunning the T28/E1 and M15 can both prove effective weapons against air and ground targets. Designed & Painted by Evan Allen
Below: The M15 CGMC with additional armoured shields.

Below: The T28E1 CGMC which lacked any protection for its crew.