Browning .50-caliber, water-cooled antiaircraft machine gun

After posting the article about Private First Class Riddle I went looking for a good image of the type of machine gun he used on December 7th against the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

You can see the cooling water lines running from the water jacket that surrounds the barrel.

If you are at all interested in military history and early tactics, you need to give this site a visit:

How Were World War II Searchlights Used?

A STORY OF LOCATORS, LIGHTS, & ACK-ACK

You have seen the old movies; air raid sirens piercing the night, searchlights criss-crossing in the darkness followed by the sounds of heavy machine gun fire. The above site gives a detailed description of how those searchlights were used as part of a multi-component weapons system, and the rapid advances in technology driven by the need to secure the night skies.