40mm pompom and other navy aa guns.

[4th wilts]

was the 40mm pompom an effective aa weapon.do we have any info on the gun or mounts.do we also have any info on any other naval aa guns,mounts,etcyours very sicerely,lee.

[von Poop]

I like pom-poms, they always just look like oversized Browning/Maxim guns to me.
I can't offer any comment on their effectiveness but here's a good page of basic stats and pictures on the AA guns carried by Hood:
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood - Ship Specifications and Armament: Anti-Aircraft Armament/Weapons

Don't they come under the same category as Light AA on the ground? Perhaps unlikely to bring a plane down but very handy to make it keep it's distance or miss.

Cheers,
Adam.

[T. A. Gardner]

The actual "pom-pom" or Vickers 40mm AA gun was initially less than fully effective for several reasons.
Firstly, there was a problem with its velocity. It was relatively low velocity (I think it was 25 calibers in length...done without looking it up) giving it a long shell flight time reducing its accuracy against targets.
Next, the system whether a 4 or 8 barrel version was somewhat complex and had reliablility problems particularly with the ammunition feed.
It was also a large and heavy weapon with a substancial weight and deck area foot print. This made it hard to position particularly on smaller vessels. Note for instance how most British DD mounts are amidships between the funnels. This gives the gun poor sky arcs.
The technical problems were cured as the war progressed. The barrels were lengthened and the mechanical problems sorted out. By mid-war the Vickers pom-pom was a reasonably effective weapon. As a stop gap a single barrel version was also developed for use on destroyers and escort vessels.

[Jan7]

Originally Posted by 4th wilts

was the 40mm pompom an effective aa weapon.do we have any info on the gun or mounts.do we also have any info on any other naval aa guns,mounts,etcyours very sicerely,lee.

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Jan.

[T. A. Gardner]

Of course for the RN, they couldn't let Vickers have all the fun. So, they followed up the Pom pom with two of the more ill thoughtout overly complex naval AA guns of the war: The Hazemeyer and its even more complex successor the STAAG (Stabilized, Tachymetric, Anti-Aircraft Gun). The later had 2 40mm Bofors on the mount at an all up weight of 16 tons!
Both were maintenance nightmares with their three axis stabilization, on mount radar and fire control and the need for both hydraulic and electric power provisions.
With the Hazemeyer, more usually refered to as the "Hasslemeer" one could see the scene of some sailor standing next to the boffin trying to fix it as it leaned cocked over to one side with the guns skewed at an odd angle saying "Auch, I see ta' tha' hasslemeer es bein' a bit eel agan!" The STAAG was often refered to as "the antlered beast."
Both were ahead of their time and likely not worth the weight or cost of their installation in terms of effectiveness.