The manually aimed 40 mm Pom-Pom used basic sights to direct a high volume of fire around an approaching aircraft. The gun aimer had to point toward the target and attempt to fill the surrounding space with projectiles. A hit could destroy the attacker, while sufficiently dangerous fire could persuade the pilot to break away before bombing. The assessment offered here judges the weapon against the threats and equipment of its own period, with deterrence part of its usefulness.
Notable Point · 2:03:44-2:04:59
Aiming the Pom-Pom with basic sights
A close explanation of the Pom-Pom's sights connects approximate manual aiming with the value of forcing an aircraft to abandon its attack.