The case for accepting losses in interwar air attacks rests on the relative cost of aircraft and battleships. An aircraft was cheaper and quicker to replace, and its loss put fewer crew at risk. A Vickers quad machine-gun mount illustrates the defensive effort to concentrate fire against incoming aircraft. Its exact model remains uncertain in the identification, which distinguishes it from a pom-pom. Such weapons required continuing development and could provide useful protection without guaranteeing success.
Notable Point · 42:55-44:19
Cheap attacking aircraft and concentrated machine-gun fire
The relative cost of losing aircraft helped make repeated air attacks attractive, while defenders developed mounts that could put more fire into the sky.