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51-571: The QF 1 pounder , universally known as the pom-pom due to the sound of its discharge, was a 37 mm British autocannon , the first of its type in the world. It was used by several countries initially as an infantry gun and later as a light anti-aircraft gun. Hiram Maxim originally designed the Pom-Pom in the late 1880s as an enlarged version of the Maxim machine gun . Its longer range necessitated exploding projectiles to judge range, which in turn dictated

102-599: A lotus throne is a stylized lotus flower used as the seat or base for a figure. It is the normal pedestal for divine figures in Buddhist art and Hindu art , and often seen in Jain art . Originating in Indian art , it followed Indian religions to East Asia in particular. In imperial China, a stone tortoise called bixi was traditionally used as the pedestal for important stele, especially those associated with emperors. According to

153-520: A podium to the columns employed decoratively in the Roman triumphal arches. The architects of the Italian Renaissance , however, conceived the idea that no order was complete without a pedestal, and as the orders were by them employed to divide up and decorate a building in several stories, the cornice of the pedestal was carried through and formed the sills of their windows, or, in open arcades, round

204-519: A Naval pedestal mounting was the first to open fire in defence of London during the war. However, the shell was too small to damage the German Zeppelin airships sufficiently to bring them down. The Ministry of Munitions noted in 1922: "The pom-poms were of very little value. There was no shrapnel available for them, and the shell provided for them would not burst on aeroplane fabric but fell back to earth as solid projectiles ... were of no use except at

255-598: A consequence, fighters at the time had cannons added back in external "gun pods", and virtually all fighter aircraft retain autocannons in integral internal mounts to this day. After the Second World War, autocannons continued to serve as a versatile weapon in land, sea, and air applications. Examples of modern autocannons include the 25 mm Oerlikon KBA mounted on the IFV Freccia , the M242 Bushmaster mounted on

306-416: A court, the balustrade of the arcade . They also would seem to have considered that the height of the pedestal should correspond in its proportion with that of the column or pilaster it supported; thus in the church of Saint John Lateran, where the applied order is of considerable dimensions, the pedestal is 13 feet (4.0 m) high instead of the ordinary height of 3 to 5 feet (1.5 m). In Asian art

357-480: A much longer range and more firepower than the infantry rifle . In 1913, Reinhold Becker and his Stahlwerke Becker firm designed the 20mm Becker cannon , addressing the German Empire 's perceived need for heavy-calibre aircraft armament. The Imperial Government's Spandau Arsenal assisted them in perfecting the ordnance. Although only about 500+ examples of the original Becker design were made during World War I,

408-710: A much lower elevation than a Zeppelin attacking London was likely to keep". Lieutenant O. F. J. Hogg of No. 2 AA Section in III Corps was the first anti-aircraft gunner to shoot down an aircraft, with 75 rounds on 23 September 1914 in France. The British Army did not employ it as an infantry weapon in World War I, as its shell was considered too small for use against any objects or fortifications and British doctrine relied on shrapnel fired by QF 13 pounder and 18-pounder field guns as its primary medium range anti-personnel weapon. The gun

459-492: A role to which they were suited as tank armour is often lightest on top. The Polish 20 mm 38 Fk auto cannon was expensive to produce, but an exception. Unlike the Oerlikon, it was effective against all the tanks fielded in 1939, largely because it was built as an upgrade to the Oerlikon, Hispano-Suiza, and Madsen. It even proved capable of knocking out early Panzer IIIs and IVs, albeit with great difficulty. Only 55 were produced by

510-662: A shell weight of at least 400 grams (0.88 lb), as that was the lightest exploding shell allowed under the Saint Petersburg Declaration of 1868 and reaffirmed in the Hague Convention of 1899 . Early versions were sold under the Maxim-Nordenfelt label, whereas versions in British service (i.e. from 1900) were labelled Vickers, Sons and Maxim (VSM) as Vickers had bought out Maxim-Nordenfelt in 1897 but they are

561-524: A short period of time. The development of guided missiles was thought to render cannons unnecessary and a full generation of western fighter aircraft was built without them. In contrast, all Eastern Bloc aircraft kept their guns. During the Vietnam War , however, the United States Air Force realized that cannons were useful for firing warning shots and for attacking targets that did not warrant

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612-407: A single cannon shell with a high-explosive payload could instantly sever essential structural elements, penetrate armour or open up a fuel tank beyond the capacity of self-sealing compounds to counter, even from fairly long range. (Instead of explosives, such shells could carry incendiaries, also highly effective at destroying planes, or a combination of explosives and incendiaries.) Thus by the end of

663-654: A statue, and which is raised from the substructure supporting it (typically roofs or corniches), is sometimes called an acropodium . The term is from Greek ἄκρος ákros 'topmost' and πούς poús (root ποδ- pod- ) 'foot'. Although in Syria , Asia Minor and Tunisia the Romans occasionally raised the columns of their temples or propylaea on square pedestals, in Rome itself they were employed only to give greater importance to isolated columns, such as those of Trajan and Antoninus , or as

714-466: A wide variety, include HEIAP , HEDP and more specialised armour-piercing (AP) munitions, mainly composite rigid ( APCR ) and discarding sabot ( APDS ) rounds. Capable of generating extremely rapid firepower , autocannons overheat quickly if used for sustained fire, and are limited by the amount of ammunition that can be carried by the weapons systems mounting them. Both the US 25 mm M242 Bushmaster and

765-420: Is a fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large- caliber (20 mm/0.79 in or more) armour-piercing , explosive or incendiary shells , as opposed to the smaller-caliber kinetic projectiles ( bullets ) fired by a machine gun . Autocannons have a longer effective range and greater terminal performance than machine guns, due to the use of larger/heavier munitions (most often in

816-407: Is regarded as the archetypal modern revolver cannon . With multiple chambers and a single barrel, autocannons using the revolver principle can combine a very high rate of fire and high acceleration to its maximum firing rate with low weight, at cost of a reduced sustained rate of fire compared to rotary cannon. They are therefore used mainly in aircraft for AA purposes, in which a target is visible for

867-519: The GIAT 30 . Rotary systems with multiple barrels can achieve over 10,000 rounds per minute (the Russian GSh-6-23 , for example). Such extremely high rates of fire are effectively employed by aircraft in aerial dogfights and close air support on ground targets via strafing attacks, where the target dwell time is short and weapons are typically operated in brief bursts. The first modern autocannon

918-556: The M2/M3 Bradley , updated versions of the Bofors 40 mm gun , and the Mauser BK-27 . The 20 mm M61A1 is an example of an electrically powered rotary autocannon. Another role that has come into association with autocannons are that of close-in weapon systems on naval vessels, which are used to destroy anti-ship missiles and low flying aircraft. Pedestal In sculpting,

969-823: The Maxim Flak M14 . Four guns were used mounted on field carriages in the German South West Africa campaign in 1915, against South African forces. The British government initially rejected the gun but other countries bought it, including the South African Republic (Transvaal) government. In the Second Boer War , the British found themselves being fired on by the Boers with their 37 mm Maxim-Nordenfelt versions using ammunition made in Germany. The Boers' Maxim

1020-562: The Messerschmitt 410 Hornisse (Hornet) bomber destroyer. 300 examples of the BK 5 cannon were built, more than all other versions. The PaK 40 semi-automatic 7.5 cm calibre anti-tank gun was the basis for the BK 7,5 in the Junkers Ju 88 P-1 heavy fighter and Henschel Hs 129 B-3 twin engined ground attack aircraft. The German Mauser MK 213 was developed at the end of the Second World War and

1071-581: The Oerlikon 20 mm , the Bofors 40 mm and various German Rheinmetall autocannons would see widespread use by both sides during the Second World War; not only in an anti-aircraft role, but as a weapon for use against ground targets as well. Heavier anti-aircraft cannon had difficulty tracking fast-moving aircraft and were unable to accurately judge altitude or distance, while machine guns possessed insufficient range and firepower to bring down aircraft consistently. Continued ineffectiveness against aircraft despite

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1122-633: The Philippine–American War . Previously, with the advent of the steel-hulled "New Navy" in 1884, some ships were equipped with the 1-pounder Hotchkiss revolving cannon . In the aftermath of the Battle of Blair Mountain , the United States Army deployed artillery, including pompoms: "Their armament was strengthened with a howitzer and two pompoms." Rapid-firing (single shot, similar to non-automatic QF guns) 1-pounders were also used, including

1173-552: The Boer War, in addition to the standard common shell. The common pointed shell proved unsatisfactory, with the base fuse frequently working loose and falling out during flight. In 1914, the cast-iron common shell and tracer were the only available rounds. The U.S. Navy adopted the Maxim-Nordenfelt 37 mm 1-pounder as the 1-pounder Mark 6 before the 1898 Spanish–American War . The Mark 7, 9, 14, and 15 weapons were similar. It

1224-466: The British 30 mm RARDEN have relatively slow rates of fire so as not to deplete ammunition too quickly. The Oerlikon KBA 25 mm has a relatively mid-high rate of fire 650 rounds per minute but can be electronically programmed to 175-200 rounds per minute. The rate of fire of a modern autocannon ranges from 90 rounds per minute , in the case of the British RARDEN, to 2,500 rounds per minute with

1275-694: The Sponsell gun and eight other marks; the Mark 10 to be mounted on aircraft. Designs included Hotchkiss and Driggs-Schroeder . A semi-automatic weapon and a line-throwing version were also adopted. Semi-automatic in this case meant a weapon in which the breech was opened and cartridge ejected automatically after firing, ready for manual loading of the next round. It is often difficult to determine from references whether "1-pounder RF" refers to single-shot, revolving cannon, or Maxim-Nordenfelt weapons. Autocannon An autocannon , automatic cannon or machine cannon

1326-544: The ballistics needed for proper antiaircraft-use. The reliability of old fuses used in their high-explosive shells also proved questionable. During World War 2 some of these guns were used in coastal artillery forts, where their unsuitability for anti-aircraft use became painfully obvious. However, the guns proved somewhat reliable when fired with only low elevation. This was likely because shooting with low elevation did not stress their fabric ammunition belts as much as shooting with higher elevation. Their theoretical rate of fire

1377-481: The captured guns to working order and they were used in warships and coastal artillery fortifications. Two of these guns also saw service in armoured trains from 1918 to late 1930s. The weapon was never popular in Finnish use as it was unreliable and had quite a short range. Main reason for the short range was in 37 mm x 94R ammunition (with moderate muzzle velocity of only about 440 m/sec), which did not really have

1428-699: The design's patent was acquired by the Swiss Oerlikon Contraves firm in 1924, with the Third Reich's Ikaria-Werke firm of Berlin using Oerlikon design patents in creating the MG FF wingmount cannon ordnance. The Imperial Japanese Navy 's Type 99 cannon , adopted and produced in 1939, was also based on the Becker/Oerlikon design's principles. During the First World War , autocannons were mostly used in

1479-553: The earlier phases of the war, the Japanese aircraft they dealt with were not only unusually lightly built but went without either armour plate or self-sealing tanks in order to reduce their weight. Nevertheless, the U.S. also adopted planes fitted with autocannon, such as the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, despite experiencing technical difficulties with developing and manufacturing these large-calibre automatic guns. Weapons such as

1530-412: The end of 1915 , almost entirely replaced wood and fabric biplanes . At the same time as they began to be made from stronger materials, the machines also increased in speed, streamlining, power and size, and it began to be apparent that correspondingly more powerful weapons would be needed to counter them. Conversely, they were becoming much better able to carry exactly such larger and more powerful guns;

1581-464: The expenditure of a (much more expensive) missile, and, more importantly, as an additional weapon if the aircraft had expended all its missiles or enemy aircraft were inside of the missiles' minimum target acquisition range in a high-G close range engagement. This was particularly important with the lower reliability of early air-to-air missile technology, such as that employed during the Vietnam War. As

QF 1-pounder pom-pom - Misplaced Pages Continue

1632-576: The fuselage or wings. The 37 mm BK 3,7 cannon, based on the German Army's 3.7 cm FlaK 43 anti-aircraft autocannon was mounted in pairs in underwing gun pods on a small number of specialized Stuka Panzerknacker (tank buster) aircraft. The BK 5 cm cannon , based on the 5 cm KwK 39 cannon of the Panzer III , was installed in Ju 88P bomber destroyers , which also used other Bordkanone models, and in

1683-491: The heavy weight and recoil , they are typically installed on fixed mounts , wheeled carriages , ground combat vehicles , aircraft , or watercraft , and are almost always crew-served , or even remote-operated with automatic target recognition / acquisition (e.g. sentry guns and naval CIWS ). As such, ammunition is typically fed from a belt system to reduce reloading pauses or for a faster rate of fire , but magazines remain an option. Common types of ammunition, among

1734-427: The introduction of self sealing fuel tanks provided reliable protection against these small projectiles. These new defenses, synergistically with the general robustness of new aircraft designs and of course their sheer speed, which made simply shooting them accurately in the first place far more difficult, entailed that it took a lot of such bullets and a fair amount of luck to cause them critical damage; but potentially

1785-466: The large numbers installed during the second World War led, in the West, to the removal of almost all shipboard anti-aircraft weapons in the early post-war period. This was only reversed with the introduction of computer-controlled systems. The German Luftwaffe deployed small numbers of the experimental Bordkanone series of heavy aircraft cannon in 37, 50 and 75 mm calibres, mounted in gun pods under

1836-520: The most numerous in German service during the invasion of Poland and the campaign in France , used a 20 mm autocannon as its main armament. Although ineffective against tank armour even during the early years of the war, the cannon was effective against light-skinned vehicles as well as infantry and was also used by armoured cars . Larger examples, such as the 40 mm Vickers S , were mounted in ground attack aircraft to serve as an anti-tank weapon,

1887-534: The range of 20–60 mm (0.79–2.36 in), but bigger calibers also exist), but are usually smaller than tank guns , howitzers , field guns , or other artillery . When used on its own, the word "autocannon" typically indicates a non-rotary weapon with a single barrel . When multiple rotating barrels are involved, such a weapon is referred to as a "rotary autocannon" or occasionally " rotary cannon ", for short (particularly on aircraft). Autocannons are heavy weapons that are unsuitable for use by infantry . Due to

1938-747: The same gun. The Belgian Army used the gun on a high-angle field carriage mounting. About 60 were built by Finnish company Ab H. Ahlberg & Co O during World War 1 for the Russian army, and when the Finnish civil war ended about half of these were still unfinished and thus remained in Finland. The White Army captured a total of 50–60 guns in the Civil War of 1918. The guns used a column mount designed for naval use. It offered 360-degree traverse and about 70-degree elevation, allowing them to theoretically be used as antiaircraft-guns. The Finns managed to get over 30 of

1989-451: The technology of which was in the meantime also developing, providing significantly improved rates of fire and reliability. When the Second World War did break out, it was swiftly realised that the power of contemporary aircraft allowed armour plate to be fitted to protect the pilot and other vulnerable areas. This innovation proved highly effective against rifle-calibre machine gun rounds, which tended to ricochet off harmlessly. Similarly

2040-428: The terms base, plinth, and pedestal are defined according to their subtle differences. A base is defined as a large mass that supports the sculpture from below. A plinth is defined as a flat and planar support which separates the sculpture from the environment. A pedestal, on the other hand, is defined as a shaft-like form that raises the sculpture and separates it from the base. An elevated pedestal or plinth that bears

2091-616: The time of the Polish Defensive War. However it was in the air war that these weapons played their most important part in the conflict. During the First World War, rifle-calibre machine guns became the standard weapons of military aircraft. In the Second, several factors brought about their replacement by autocannon. During the inter-war years, aircraft underwent extensive evolution and the all-metal monoplane , pioneered as far back as

QF 1-pounder pom-pom - Misplaced Pages Continue

2142-455: The trenches as anti-aircraft guns . The British used pom-pom guns as part of their air defences to counter the German Zeppelin airships that made regular bombing raids on London . However, they were of little value, as their shells neither ignited the hydrogen of the Zeppelins nor caused sufficient loss of gas (and hence lift) to bring them down. Attempts to use the guns in aircraft failed, as

2193-655: The war, the fighter aircraft of almost all the belligerents mounted cannon of some sort, the only exception being the United States which in most cases favoured the Browning AN/M2 "light-barrel" .50 calibre heavy machine gun . A fighter equipped with these intermediate weapons in sufficient numbers was adequately armed to fulfill most of the Americans' combat needs aloft, as they tended to confront enemy fighters and other small planes far more often than large bombers; and as, in

2244-462: The weight severely limited both speed and altitude, thus making successful interception impossible. The more effective QF 2 pounder naval gun would be developed during the war to serve as an anti-aircraft and close range defensive weapon for naval vessels. Autocannons would serve to a much greater extent and effect during the Second World War . The German Panzer II light tank, which was one of

2295-516: Was also a large caliber, belt-fed, water-cooled machine gun that fired explosive rounds (smokeless ammunition) at 450 rounds per minute. Vickers-Maxim shipped either 57 or 50 guns out to the British Army in South Africa, with the first three arriving in time for the Battle of Paardeberg of February 1900. These Mk I versions were mounted on typical field gun type carriages. In World War I, it

2346-430: Was around 200–250 rounds per minute and maximum range around 4,400 meters. Finnish coastal defence decided to use them mainly as close-range defence weapons of its coastal forts against surface targets, and these old guns proved somewhat successful in this role. Still, since the coastal forts had rather limited number of anti-aircraft weapons, when needed these guns were also used against enemy aircraft. At least one plane

2397-690: Was downed by such weapons; the Humaljoki Coastal Artillery Battery in Karelian Isthmus shot down a Soviet bomber with a 37   mm Maxim automatic cannon on 25 of December 1939. By that time they were terribly outdated, so the last remaining 16 guns were scrapped soon after the Continuation War ended in 1944. A version was produced in Germany for both Navy and Army. In World War I , it was used in Europe as an anti-aircraft gun as

2448-410: Was experimentally mounted on aircraft as the lighter 1-pounder Mk III, the cancelled Vickers E.F.B.7 having been designed to carry it in its nose. As a light anti-aircraft gun, it was quickly replaced by the larger QF 1 1 ⁄ 2 pounder and QF 2 pounder naval guns. The British are reported to have initially used some common pointed shells (semi-armour piercing, with fuse in the shell base) in

2499-487: Was the British QF 1-pounder , also known as the "pom-pom". This was essentially an enlarged version of the Maxim gun , which was the first successful fully automatic machine gun, requiring no outside stimulus in its firing cycle other than holding the trigger. The pom-pom fired 1 pound (0.45 kg) gunpowder-filled explosive shells at a rate of over 200 rounds a minute: much faster than conventional artillery while possessing

2550-610: Was the first dedicated anti-aircraft (AA) gun adopted by the US Navy, specified as such on the Sampson -class destroyers launched in 1916–17. It was deployed on various types of ships during the US participation in World War I , although it was replaced as the standard AA gun on new destroyers by the 3-inch (76 mm)/23-caliber gun . The United States Army procured a small number of Maxim-Nordenfelt pieces for usage as mountain artillery during

2601-723: Was used as an early anti-aircraft gun in the home defence of Britain. It was adapted as the Mk I*** and Mk II on high-angle pedestal mountings and deployed along London docks and on rooftops on key buildings in London, others mobile, on motor lorries at key towns in the East and Southeast of England. 25 were employed in August 1914, and 50 in February 1916. A Mk II gun (now in the Imperial War Museum, London) on

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