Bofors armed Swedish destroyers and exported related 120 mm designs to Polish and Dutch customers. Medium navies without a complete armaments industry could buy from Sweden without aligning closely with a major-power bloc. British spare-parts supplies carried political leverage, while American suppliers could restrict deliveries even in peacetime. Italy's reputation for rapid barrel wear and reservations about French metallurgy made those alternatives less attractive in this assessment. Limited American investment in gun development during the 1920s added another concern. Swedish weapons offered reliable service while reducing the political complications associated with buying from a great power.
Chapter · 32:29-35:48
Swedish 120 mm guns for medium and neutral navies
Bofors gave medium navies a reliable 120 mm gun and a politically useful alternative to buying from a major-power bloc.