The Fulmar carried rifle-calibre guns comparable to those of lighter fighters but lacked their agility, which made the same armament less effective. Its fleet-defence job was to break up an attacking formation before the surviving aircraft reached the ships' anti-aircraft guns. At least two 20 mm cannon, possibly paired with four machine guns, offered a practical compromise. Concerns about Hispano cannon freezing mattered less in the low-altitude Mediterranean engagements discussed here. The armament therefore belonged to a layered fleet defence rather than a design optimized for individual dogfights.
Notable Point · 19:44-20:57
Fulmar armament and layered fleet air defense
A heavy naval fighter needed cannon fire to break up incoming formations before they reached the fleet's anti-aircraft screen.