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 deployment, Quad .50s mounted
on half-tracks are devastating, going over the
hills like a vacuum cleaner.