The first Pom-Pom variant entered service in March 1915, with Italian adoption following in 1917 and Russian use also noted. The Royal Navy wanted a large-caliber machine gun, and the early mounting was manually operated. Its theoretical cyclic rate of 200 rounds per minute fell to about 50-75 rounds per minute during sustained practical firing. Approximate barrel life was 5,000 rounds. By 1939, 577 guns from the initial production batch remained serviceable, illustrating the stock of weapons Britain could draw upon. Continued production also supplied spare barrels and manufacturing experience before wartime expansion. An older gun could still provide useful protection for a corvette or merchant ship when modern weapons were unavailable.
Chapter · 22:00-29:39
The Pom-Pom's First World War baseline
The original Pom-Pom combined modest sustained fire with a long service life, leaving Britain usable guns and production experience for wartime expansion.