New weapons required manufacturing time, so improving old pom-poms with better mounts and protection could turn stored equipment into viable convoy defense. The capability scale runs from better than nothing to perfect, with different theaters demanding different points on it. North Atlantic escorts urgently needed excellent anti-submarine capability, while modest AA might be enough to discourage or engage an occasional Fw 200 Condor. CAM ships applied the same threat-specific logic by catapulting a disposable Hurricane to drive off a shadowing Condor, after which the pilot ditched for recovery. Global force allocation rewards weapons that are available, supportable, and sufficient for the local threat.
Notable Point · 46:51-51:08
A global navy needs viable weapons, not perfection everywhere
Refitting older pom-poms for secondary theaters could deliver useful capability sooner than waiting for ideal new weapons in quantity.
2-Pounder GunsAnti-Submarine WarfareArmed Merchant ShipsBattle of the AtlanticCam ShipsConvoy Air DefenceConvoy EscortEconomy Of ForceFocke-Wulf Fw 200 CondorGlobal WarHawker HurricaneMerchant Ship ArmamentNaval LogisticsNaval ProcurementNaval RearmamentPom Pom GunsSecondary TheatresWartime Procurement