World War 2 Anti-Aircraft Guns - Enforcing the No-Fly Zone

Today we look at the most common AA guns used by the five largest navies in World War 2.
Sources:
/www.amazon.co.uk/Naval-Anti-Aircraft-Gunnery-Norman-Friedman/dp/1848321775
www.amazon.co.uk/German-Naval-Guns-Miroslaw-Skwiot/dp/1848320809
www.amazon.co.uk/British-Naval-Weapons-World-War/dp/1526747677
www.amazon.co.uk/NAVAL-WEAPONS-WWII-John-Campbell/dp/0851779247
Some photo's courtesy of Navweaps
Free naval photos and more - www.drachinifel.co.uk
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[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@dagdom1280]

Will a video ever be done on Naval Defenses of the American Coastline? Or even British, French, German, or even Russians. Also I was wondering if a Video could be done on the USS Georgia BB-15

[@andrewboyle5550]

Possibly a question you’ve answered before, but what difference would have been made to the pacific campaign had some or all of the standards been absent at pearl harbour? I mean it was quickly apparent the aircraft carrier was the major means of projecting sea power in WW2 so much as the temporary loss of the battleships was a shock, did their loss really mean a great deal given they were too slow to keep up with the CVs and the US had two classes of fast battleships soon to join the pacific fleet?

[@stavka6923]

What are the pros and cons, in both economic and tactical terms, of the first rate ships of the line compared to third rate ships of the line?

[@vridiantoast7096]

Hey Drach. I know that the 1.1 inch gun mounts ended up having a Bofors mount put in the same place instead of the 20mm. What was the decider to put it in the first category as opposed to the “medium”, where it would probably be the worst?

[@PoLaNd4life96]

What's the history and development of a ship's superstructure?

[@Otokichi786]

A USN below-decks sailor was told this about AA gun activity: 5" guns firing: "Maybe they're not after us." 40mm guns firing: "Here they come." 20mm and machine guns: "Hit the deck plates!" At the Battle of Midway, he heard everything firing and wondered what was going on topside.

[@neddyladdy]

Might be funny if i knew about midway

[@neddyladdy]

@@blackdeath4eternity Might have to do that, when I get 157 hours to spare.

[@blackdeath4eternity]

@@neddyladdy ? 157 hours? , im pretty sure its not that long.

[@neddyladdy]

@@blackdeath4eternity It was a gross exaggeration or comedic purposes, predicting that a vid from Drach will take quite some time to listen to

[@blackdeath4eternity]

@@neddyladdy lol, i had thought so.. but i have had enough people in youtube comments make such comments seriously that i figured better safe than sorry :P , nonetheless i assure you its well worth the few hours or such.

[@stashaszezlenko9601]

AA Mission Statement: shells are cheap; ships are expensive.

[@trog7986]

Ships are expensive in terms of both money and lives

[@Alpostpone]

@@trog7986 Still cheaper than ships or planes

[@_nanking5374]

"This doctrine focuses on throwing shells, not men, at the enemy. Our manpower is precious, bullets are cheap."

[@jakobgeigelclermont]

@@_nanking5374 Superior Firepower!

[@MyHentaiGirlNeko]

@@_nanking5374 like it take times to train up a soldier and unlike China, the US won't have enough man power to trade kill to kill And they ain't drafting anymore

[@davidcartwright3097]

According to the U.S. Marines: "When it comes to firepower, lots is good, more is better, and too much? is just enough".

[@Andy-Gibb]

They used this rule in the old South African Army. I agree completely👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@bernardrednix756]

Dakka dakka dakka

[@ewok40k]

never enough dakka! (old Ork adage)

[@firestorm165]

I heard the same line about firepower only "if someone says it's too much they're an enemy spy"

[@Ammothief41]

Army that disagree will not be army very long.

[@hmshood9212]

"We don't fly and we're not letting anyone else, either!" -Allied Battleship AA gun crews

[@jvtagle]

Nice quote auntie

[@Lone_Wolf_Radio]

You are one of very good taste in More than one way.

[@bkjeong4302]

Except that battleship AA effectiveness (and AA effectiveness in general) is massively overrate din pop culture.

[@Lone_Wolf_Radio]

@@bkjeong4302 The USS Birmingham would like to disagree.

[@bkjeong4302]

@@Lone_Wolf_Radio Doesn't change the fact even in June 1945 CAP far outperformed AA.

[@mikhailradik4508]

"aircraft aren't ships" - Drach, 2020

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

The spruce goose comes close.

[@RCAvhstape]

@@AWMJoeyjoejoe Them US Navy rigid airships also beg to differ.

[@ringowunderlich2241]

Have we not forgotten airships here, have we? Though they are not air "planes", they are definitely air "craft" ...and then there is the Ekranoplan, the soviet ground effect vessel. Since I'm already on the run: Hovercraft. What are those?

[@RCAvhstape]

@@ringowunderlich2241 In the US Navy, I believe the LCAC hovercraft are considered "boats" or auxiliary craft, not "ships". They don't get names, only numbers.

[@johnbuchman4854]

What about the 75mm armed B-25s?

[@matt-hew69]

Italian 90mm guns: "It was really good when it worked, it just didnt work very often" Well how very Italian of it.

[@mikearmstrong8483]

The Lamborghini of AA guns.

[@whatdafarkenhell7110]

hey, Fix It Again Tony.

[@terawatt1]

@@whatdafarkenhell7110 in Germany we say "Fehler In Allen Teilen" - which roughly translates to "errors in all parts"

[@whatdafarkenhell7110]

@@terawatt1 That is so cool, I do not believe everything I read so I got two laughs due to searching it. Truly amazing.

[@ewhartiii]

​@@terawatt1 So that's the reason Daimler Benz sold Chrysler Corporation to Fiat. :)

[@bificommander]

Italy:"At least our navy wasn't such an embarrassment." Drach: "Your AA gun was worse than the Japanese 25 mm." Italy: "Mama Mia!"

[@alanhughes6753]

I honestly cannot believe that there are any AA guns worse than the Japanese 25mm.

[@TheRealColBosch]

The Japanese and Italians have always competed for the "worst machine gun" title. Not all of their machine guns were terrible, mind, but the bad ones were REALLY bad.

[@CoolKid-qk7tl]

It was HALF as good as the Japanese 25mm

[@phoenixjz4782]

Probably would have helped to point out that the role of the Japanese 25mm was filled by the 37mm for the Italians, and for the role of the Italian 20mm guns, the Japanese were stuck with a 13.2mm MG lol

[@Shaun_Jones]

@@alanhughes6753 I would honestly take the 25mm over the German SINGLE-SHOT 37mm AA.

[@mpetersen6]

The amount of shrapnel laying on the seafloor of the Western Pacific expended by the US Navy would probably be equal to the steel required to build a Yamato.

[@trevynlane8094]

The class, or the ship? My money is on class.

[@timengineman2nd714]

@@trevynlane8094 Probably all 3 ships of the class!

[@trevynlane8094]

@@timengineman2nd714 indeed. Probably more then that, as every 5 inch/38 caliber gun put out half a ton of shrapnel a minute, there is probably a Yamato worth from just all those firing

[@nickierv13]

65,000 tons displacement, half a ton a minute, 16 guns. An Atlanta class cruiser can spit out a Yamato in shrapnel in 135.4 hours of constant firing, or 5.64 days. If you go with the entire class, your down to just under 17 hours using all 8 ships in the class.

[@trevynlane8094]

@@nickierv13 and that's just from the duel purpose guns. Now add in all the 20mm and 40mm AA... thats a lot of metal :o

[@Welshman2008]

Bofors and Orliekon sales reps “So how many of our anti aircraft weapons do you require?” US NAVY “YES”

[@davidvasquez08]

*Second amendment intensifies*

[@kemarisite]

You can't build enough. We'll take a production license.

[@GaryCameron]

All of them.

[@Ostentatiousnessness]

Bofors: *laughs for 80 years*

[@RedRocket4000]

LOL especially as Navy ships often had way more of them stuck on than they were supposed to receive. Both on land and at sea the American trait of "borrowing" equipment not authorized was very common.

[@randomguy-tg7ok]

I unironically like the aesthetics of the Regia Marina's single 90mm spam.

[@alexvonrom7942]

We italians are famous for making everything pleasing to the eye ;)

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

@@alexvonrom7942 Truly God's chosen people

[@alexvonrom7942]

@@andresmartinezramos7513 I would have never imagined that a foreigner would say that about us...in the name of the italic people, thanks!!

[@federicodelsarto940]

@@andresmartinezramos7513 I didn't expected this, thanks

[@Drachinifel]

It is one of the most attractive AA mounts, and like an underappreciated amount of Italian tech in WW2, actually a pretty good weapon, just with a couple of significant issues that prevented it from reaching it's full potential.

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

AA guns: Exist US Navy: *MORE. WE NEED MORE.*

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Make a falk wall to keep them out lol

[@luisnunes2010]

Never enough dakka!

[@fernandomarques5166]

"Gun and if gun doesn't work, add more gun"

[@salamisalesexpress]

"AA... AA... ON.... BOAT.... ... MORE..... ...... MORE...." -US admiral whos totally not a bug in an admiral skinsuit.

[@stevenflebbe]

Is there a space that DOESN'T have an AA gun? WHY is there a space that doesn't have an AA gun? Let's add MORE AA guns!

[@ZurLuften]

1945 US battleships and cruisers AA armament followed simple rule: "You get an AA gun, and you get an AA gun. Everybody on the ships gets an AA gun!"

[@ryanovski]

Hilarious.

[@diestormlie]

I SEE YOU LEANING ON THAT GUARDRIAL, SAILOR! GET AN AA GUN FROM THE STORES AND CLAMP IT THERE!

[@taccovert4]

USN to Gun Manufacturers: "Give me all the AA Guns you Have" Gun Manufacturers: Ok USN: Wait. I think what you believe you heard was give me a lot of AA Guns. What I actually said was Give me All the AA Guns you Have.

[@kemarisite]

@@taccovert4 "I don't care that isn't intended as an AA gun, I'm going to put it on a pedestal mount and MAKE it an AA gun."

[@taccovert4]

@@kemarisite My Lord....is that....feasible? "I will MAKE it Feasible"

[@SonOfAB_tch2ndClass]

Fun fact: Cooks on naval ships have to prepare meals even in the middle of battle. During World War 2 the cooks on USN warships always kept an ear out for the different AA that their ship was using by its sounds and would respond accordingly 5/38: *BOOM BOOM BOOM* = Kalm 40mm: boombadoombadoombadoombadoom = Kalm 20mm: Ratatatatatattatatatatatatatatatatatatatata = *PANIK!*

[@evanchan4012]

How come they panik’ed when they heard the 20mm cannons

[@inkognito5945]

@@evanchan4012 because it's a very small caliber and therefore a last ditch effort to fight off the plane.

[@evanchan4012]

Oh ok

[@MotoroidARFC]

I hear a dragon. 😄

[@moritamikamikara3879]

"I HEAR SHOTS!" "Calm down ma'am, what kind of shots?" "RATATATATATATATATATATATA!!!"

[@venstoma]

When in doubt, adding more bofors should sort the problem out.

[@mikepette4422]

Postwar: Let's get rid of them pew pews and make them 3 inch

[@grahvis]

When the King of Denmark saw a demonstration of the Bofors gun, he said that in five minutes it would bankrupt his country.

[@its1110]

@@grahvis Well... he __meant__ "if it has to have ammo"...

[@josephdedrick9337]

the american way, add more dakka

[@Metal_Auditor]

@@mikepette4422 How I would have loved an alternate timeline that involved the 3"/50 being introduced a few years earlier and shredding some kamikazes.

[@vonskyme9133]

Reminds me of my favourite quote from the old robo voice about US AA doctrine: 'Us there an empty spot on the ship? Why is there an empty spot on the ship? Put a gun on it you idiot.' Turns out deadpan robots can do snark well.

[@JoseJimenez-sh1yi]

Just use a gun and if it doesn't work just use more guns

[@williamgandarillas2185]

And if there is room for a bigger AA gun amongst the smaller ones, *PUT A BIGGER ONE DANGIT*

[@gokbay3057]

If there is an empty space on deck and it isn't enough place to put an AA emplacement put a guy with a bazooka on it.

[@roryokane5907]

@@JoseJimenez-sh1yi that’s solving a practical problem if ever I heard one.

[@TheShipYard2]

To quote a mighty jingles “throw enough shit at the wall, some of it will stick”

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Ah yes and "if your ain't getting by with brute force you ain't using enough if it "- Issac Arthur

[@Bird_Dog00]

"Use a gun. And if that doesn't work, use more gun."

[@nathandecrom2409]

aye and this shit just happens to explode

[@shoootme]

@@USSAnimeNCC- that's the first rule of warfare... i think or was there is not such thing as an unarmed ship?

[@mpetersen6]

@@Bird_Dog00 It's the naval version of geometric progression. 1gun, need 2, 2 guns, need 4 ect

[@sanitarycockroach9038]

While as an American I am happy that the 5"/38cal won overall, the idea of that UK 5.25"/50cal literally sniping Japanese craft out of the skies pleases me immensely.

[@Liontamer-gj4xw]

I’m imagining the multiplayer announcer from Halo making his Headshot cry whenever that gun fires lol

[@myparceltape1169]

They did not have enough material to expend without getting a result to show the Quartermaster when they wanted another round.

[@lukeallison3713]

The 5 inch/38 gun was far more workable and a marvel of engineering, however in the early to mid 50s, the 5.25 had more development potential. It became a truly lethal weapon with remote power control and power ramming on Anson, Vanguard and Bellona class Didos

[@chullychullster3077]

To paraphrase Ghandi: "Everyone's a gangster, until the Brits show up."

[@yankees29]

@@chullychullster3077😂😂

[@knightowl3577]

My Dad was an RN AA gunner, In the first action, he told me was a time of pure terror he got through by doing his job by the numbers. His best friend was killed right before his eyes. He told me after that things became personal and he took great pride in downing enemy planes. Strangely he never thought of killing the men in the planes the plane itself became the object of his fury. Although after the war he said the enemy pilots were just doing their duty like him. My Dad was my hero and I still miss him.

[@markmaki4460]

You were truly blessed, and so were his shipmates. Sounds like he is still your hero. Such men make eternity easier to look forward to. May we all meet there one day.

[@Questknight12]

May he rest well in Vahalla, with my grandfather, an American Paratrooper.

[@goose4454]

And may he rest easy. Its men like your father, that allow us to live like we do today, and for that they have my eternal thanks.

[@saberdogface]

I've never met your father, and he's my hero as well.

[@megalodon7916]

My grandfather was motivated by fury as well, and a desire for vengeance, though not simply because of the loss of a friend. He was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He was there when Japan mercilessly brought the war to us. He, like so many others, was eager to strike back. But killing another human being changes you. It’s almost like a little bit of you dies with them. He was forever haunted by the things he saw and those he killed. It was only a few years before his death that he finally spoke about the war. I like to think that meant that he was finally at peace with what happened in the end. He never considered himself a hero. He just saw himself as a soldier that did his duty, even if it meant walking through the gates of hell onto a God forsaken battlefield. I admired him for that, and I’ll always miss him.

[@foo-foocuddlypoops5694]

WW2 Anti-Aircraft Guns or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bofors

[@undauntedthud692]

How many people have even seen Doctor Strange Love now?

[@highlypolishedturd7947]

Brilliant!

[@AtomicBabel]

..... we'll meet again some sunny day....

[@thesalesman8377]

I will always cherish seeing your comments with the timestamps on Oxys videos. Hope he's doing well.

[@johnathanblackwell9960]

@@undauntedthud692 Gentlemen, you cant fight in here, this is the war room. Mein Fuher, I can walk! ...been a while, but Kubrick was a mad genius.

[@alexs1954]

Pros of octuple Pom-pom: in air disassembly of enemy aircraft

[@mikepette4422]

Yeah they just needed a little more zippiness. I always thought a longer barrel would have helped maybe not enough to prevent replacing though

[@mpetersen6]

RUD* of enemy aircraft *Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly

[@jamesharding3459]

A slightly more powerful propellant charge and a longer barrel would have done wonders.

[@JayMannStuff]

Pilot to copilot: there appears to be something wrong with our aircraft.

[@kieranh2005]

For some reason I read that as 'octopus' Release the kraken!

[@rdfox76]

For those who keep memeing about the 18.1" sanshiki shells for the Yamatos, remember this: the late Eugene Slover's web site (a treasure trove of official publications for the Iowa class) has official AA range tables from New Jersey's Vietnam cruise... for her main battery. Yes, the US Navy did actually work out antiaircraft range tables for the 16"/50 caliber gun, since VT fuzes made it *technically* possible to use it against aircraft...

[@ZaHandle]

“How to Vaporize a MiG” New York Times best seller

[@davidgoodnow269]

Loading time plus slew and such . . . use radar to get where and when, then, "Wait for it . . . wait for it . . . . Fire!" If it had a mine charge/fragmentation shell engineered for purpose, who needs missiles?

[@andrewgraham6006]

Gotta love the scale of warships when cannons that were considered amazing for tanks (75 mil) are thought of as medium aa

[@johnfrancisterne1072]

The largest guns mounted on a tank are like the peashooters on ships

[@Paveway-chan]

Another fun thought is about armour and penetration: modern tanks have frontal armour and firepower that faaar outclass that of WW2 battleships, at least on paper. You know, effective frontal armour approaching 1 meter equivalent of RHA, and guns that can penetrate such armour. The only difference is, a tank gun can't punch through armour that thick at 30km range xP I really wonder what would happen to a Leopard 2A6 or a T-90MS if they were slapped in the face by an AP salvo from 16'' /50cal guns at that range. Would they bounce off or shatter? That'd be quite the thing to see

[@mancubwwa]

@@johnfrancisterne1072 and look how times has changed... Today most deck guns are actually lower caliber than modern tank guns (although typically they are higher velocity weapons, and quite often quick-firing revolver cannons) And modern Tank guns finally reached caliber used on WWII dedtroyers.

[@andrewgraham6006]

@@mancubwwa well as there were some tanks of Russian and German origin that equaled or bettered the us destroyers ( jagtiger kv2 isu 152 and the is series of tanks ) all had guns greater than 120 mmr and some up to 152mm

[@theleva7]

@@Paveway-chan 16" shells would probably leave a crumpled mess of steel, ceramic tiles and bits of NERA in an explosion crater by virtue of them being so massive. 1200 kg AP shell moving at those speeds will not care about 50-60 tonnes of an obstacle.

[@jaddy540]

During my first year aboard DD540 ,a Fletcher,I was in charge of 7 motley apes, in the ammo compartment below #5 AA gun. Being the tallest,it was my job to push clips of 40's, up thru a slot above my head. The gunners would grab them and drop them into slots of the guns,where they would automatically fire,as long as the gun Captain,and the Sight Controller each held their firing switch on Fire mode. We saw nothing from inside. One time our ship was missed by 2 bombs, which exploded in the water, missing us by about 5 feet. The concussion blew out our lighting,and blew a couple of control boxes loose from the bulkheads.that caused them to swing by the cables, in the dark, knocking a couple of guys down. Thinking we were hit,I opened the hatch.There was just blue sky filled with AA puffs, and soon the damage control team came and secured the Control boxes. After a year of that GQ station, I was assigned as sight-setter on #AA1 Sight . This was right on the bridge where I could hear some orders, and see the action. Officers previously were assigned to that position. I was FC2C at the time. We were a lucky ship, with the 3rd. or 5th. Fleet, involved with everything starting with Saipan, and ending with 'The Bombs'. We were one happy bunch, and were shocked when we realized we had survived.The Captain celebrated by giving us a straight shot of Bourbon!

[@thisherehandleIdospout]

Thank you for sharing your story, sir, and thank you so much for your service!

[@pedalingthru2719]

You don't see too many 102 year old people posting things on you tube . Figure the battle of saipan was in July of 1944, and the average second class petty officer in the navy in 1944 was 23 years old that would make you 102 years old when you posted this. Sorry, my friend but I have to call bullshit on this one.

[@isaiahwatrous7706]

57:36 That bottom turret looks so happy to be there

[@wilsonj4705]

It just had a D4Y for breakfast

[@aurictech4378]

@@wilsonj4705 "'Judy' dive bombers: an important part of this balanced breakfast."

[@romanbabynyuk946]

The turret be like ºvº

[@yoseipilot]

@@wilsonj4705 ‘Fly Speed’ - enters the chat

[@cannonfodder4376]

1:27 Divisions of Firepower 4:14 & 6:55 Comparison Criteria 11:15 *Light Caliber Anti-Aircraft Guns* 11:30 Italian 20mm 65 caliber 12:25 American 1.1" Gun 14:07 Japanese Type 96 25mm 60 caliber 17:18 German 20mm C/38 18:20 20mm Oerlikon 20:41 *Medium Anti-Aircraft* 21:07 German 37mm-69 M42 & 37mm C/30 23:54 Italian 37mm-54 24:30 German 37mm 57 caliber M43 25:40 U.K Pom-Pom with High Velocity rounds 30:03 40mm Bofors Gun 32:02 *Heavy Anti-Aircraft Weapons* 32:45 *Four General Groupings* 33:25 *Guns you really, really don't want* 33:30 Japanese 120mm 45 caliber 34:33 Japanese 127mm 40 caliber 35:22 Italian 100mm 47 caliber 36:09 British 4.7" 50 caliber Mark 12 37:29 *Serviceable Category* 37:36 U.K 4" 45 Mark V & Mark 15 38:29 American 3" 50 caliber 40:15 British 4.7" 40 caliber Mark XIII gun 41:20 Italian 90mm 50 caliber 42:58 Japanese 127mm 50 caliber 44:01 German 105mm 45 caliber C/32 44:59 *Pretty Good Category* 45:12 American 5" 25 caliber 46:40 German 105mm 45 caliber C/33 47:33 U.K 4" 45 caliber Mark 16 & 21 48:49 U.K 5.25" 50 caliber Mark I 50:34 German 88mm 78 caliber C/31 51:44 *Some of the Best* 52:00 German 88mm 76 caliber C/32 53:35 U.K 4.5" 45 caliber 54:57 Japanese 100mm 65 caliber 56:41 American 5" 38 caliber

[@MrNicoJac]

How the fuck is this not the pinned comment, with thousands of likes?? Amazing job!!!

[@the_undead]

@@MrNicoJac because of the way the dry dock questions work drach cannot use his pin on any other comment, I cannot speak on how this does not have at least a thousand likes though

[@AWPtical800]

The other MVP of this video.

[@mandelorean6243]

Great work bud, wish I saw before sitting through the logical arguments talk for so long

[@mandelorean6243]

@@MrNicoJac because you tainted it with your cursing good sir!!

[@CarterBartram]

It should be noted that, in practice, the characteristics of the AA gun directors are just as important as the guns themselves. A 5"38 with radar direction is a very different beast than a 5"38 fired with dead reckoning.

[@robertslugg8361]

And add in a VT fuze as well.

[@francoistombe]

Proximity fusing?

[@evanchan4012]

Yes a VT fuse is a proximity fuse

[@barahng]

@@francoistombe It stands for variable timed.

[@invadegreece9281]

@@barahng but it’s not timed, it’s literally a proxy fuse

[@lindsayheyes925]

Bofors, pom-pom, Oerlikon. They were all in a day's work for my dad as an Ordnance Artificer. Thank you so much for this.

[@greatgiginthesky1268]

WW2 AA, or in other words, 'In quad Bofors we trust!'.

[@Duke_of_Petchington]

the RN, "in 6 barrel Bofors we trust"

[@Zretgul_timerunner]

Bofors the universal language for aerial denialbility

[@reaperking2121]

That and 5inch dual purpose artilery piece.

[@PopeOfTheBullpuptistChurch]

FR BB EXPERIENCE. I see the Yuro reference.

[@benlaskowski357]

In Quad we trust. 😁

[@scottdrone-silvers5179]

USN Antiaircraft strategy: reach out and obliterate someone. Overkill is not a word that we recognize...

[@JohnSmith-kg2rt]

What is this unknown concept of overkill

[@kemarisite]

There is no such thing as "overkill". There is only "open fire" and "pass me more ammo".

[@treyhelms5282]

What does "overkill" mean? 🤷‍♂️

[@scottygdaman]

There's a plane over there .... destroy over there... aye aye

[@bkjeong4302]

Yet even then, it turned out that fighter screens far outperformed AA even in the USN.

[@Deranged_Waffle]

If God had intended us to fly, he would not have invented the anti-aircraft gun.

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

An old joke off Red Dwarf. "If God intended us to fly he wouldn't have invented Spanish Air Traffic Control."

[@timengineman2nd714]

@asdrubale bisanzio Nor do they expect Popeye's Spinach Inquisition!

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

@asdrubale bisanzio Their chief weapon is surprise, surprise and fear, and ruthless efficiency, and nice red uniforms.

[@williamgandarillas2185]

*laughs in quad and sextuple 40mm Bofors mounts*

[@timengineman2nd714]

@@williamgandarillas2185 The Brits had Single, Twin(?), Quad & Oct mounts for their 40mm Pom-Poms (I forget the official designation/name or the weapon), but not Sextuplet (6 barrels) mount. They also have Single, Twin, Quads, & Sextuplet, but no Oct mounts for the 40mm Bofors. (The 6 gun mount feed from trays (?and had belted feed?) that took up an extremely large "footprint" of deck space!

[@JeffBilkins]

I'd like to suggest an episode about battleship's seaplane launch systems, history and operational use. I feel there is a lot of interesting detail there that gets a bit brushed over by carriers and radar. I always found it a bit romantic to carry a dainty little airplane on a big gun floating fortress.

[@clash3583]

yess

[@markmaki4460]

Don't forget cruiser seaplanes too.

[@justforfux]

Yes i totally agree.

[@zachsmith1676]

perhaps a small segment of the video for the system for launching floatplanes from submarines.

[@MrEnvirocat]

Maybe Drach can explain what was actually wrong with the No.4 Tone floatplane.

[@Anacronian]

40 mm Bofors enters the chat: "I heard there was an aircraft problem around here?"

[@Questknight12]

Dive bombers has left Chat

[@fabianzimmermann5495]

Isn't it a little ironic, that the Swiss created one of the most used naval anti-aircraft guns with the 20mm Oerlikon.

[@Nemesismaker]

And swedes the bofors. Funny how neutral country's create some of the best weaponry.

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

Not getting bombed, blockade or invaded does wonders for weapon research.

[@davidbrennan660]

They are known troublemakers.

[@tramlink8544]

@@davidbrennan660 hahahah what?

[@Vonstab]

@@LazyLifeIFreak The Bofors 40mm was a pre-war design. The Swedish navy gave Bofors the job of designing a new AA gun in 1928 and the new gun was ready for production in late 1933 though a lack of funds meant that it became the m/36 rather than the m/33 in Swedish service.

[@Paladin327]

“We’re gonna look at world war 2 aa guns” Yay! “The unrotated projectile will be in a different video” Aww

[@b.griffin317]

I'm guessing it was a German idea.

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

@@b.griffin317 Nope. British. Some hair brained scheme to launch an aerial minefield. Didn't work.

[@Chipmunk_of_Vengeance]

@@AWMJoeyjoejoe it did work, just not very well.

[@aurictech4378]

To be fair, Drach *did* say "AA *guns*."

[@Bird_Dog00]

@@Chipmunk_of_Vengeance They should have use more aerial mines. The more the merrier. 'How many aerial mines is enough?' You ask? Well, once the gaps between the individual mines are smaller than the plane you try to stop, it will be enough, I guess...

[@Raptor747]

In fairness to the Chicago Piano, it actually performed surprisingly well despite all of its problems. Sure, they were glad to replace them as soon as they could, but the fact that they actually shot down a few planes (in one case, a plane that was in the middle of a dive!) is impressive.

[@ph89787]

Wasn’t there one mounted on Enterprise during the Battle of Santa Cruz that knocked out a Kate just as it was pulling up from its torpedo run?

[@williamcostigan91]

@@ph89787 Yes protecting her stern, it was the only one left by that point, the others had all been replaced.

[@kaletovhangar]

There is no reasonable explanation how can Type 96 be better than 1.1 in gun, considering that it had similar issues and even worse reload and arc.

[@13jhow]

15:35 You missed a perfect opportunity to say the "Japanese 25mm gets so much flak". How could you pass up such a pun? :)

[@miamijules2149]

Lolol you’re a bastard.... but I like it!

[@kenduncan3221]

Because Japanese 25mm and "flak" should never be used in the same sentence.

[@kieranh2005]

@@kenduncan3221 has aiming at it, not with it...

[@jamesayars591]

“There were some very large caliber guns with anti aircraft capabilities” looking at you Yamato

[@joshuahadams]

Didn’t they basically have the cannon equivalent of a shotgun shell?

[@weldonwin]

@@joshuahadams An incendiary shotgun shell. Basically it was an 18inch time fused shell, that would detonate, hurling out a mass of thermite filaments in a conical blast intended to flat out incinerate anything within the blast zone. To my knowledge, they were never fired in combat and wouldn't have been especially effective if they had, being more of a firework show than an actual weapon

[@m0nkEz]

@@weldonwin They were used (google san shiki for more). Though they were sufficiently awful that they were rarely used, as it was difficult or impossible to man the actually useful AA guns while the main battery was being fired.

[@kemarisite]

@@joshuahadams Type 3 incendiary shrapnel, produced all the way down to 8" caliber for cruiser guns. Not terribly effective against all-metal aircraft, even if you do time the fuse correctly.

[@tomkunkle318]

Longest range and largest rate of mass thrown downrange does indeed seem to have been the IJN 46 cm guns firing Sanshiki Model 13 “Common Type 3” antiaircraft incendiary (IS) rounds. The USN Air Action Reports for the Battle of the East China Sea indicate that 11 of the 16 squadrons making attacks on Yamato on 6 April 1945 came under main battery fire. This involved both air-burst shells and shells fired into the water in front of attacking torpedo bombers. Main battery AA fire extended out to ten miles. No indication of any USN aircraft harmed by main battery fire. As the purpose of the Ten Go attack was to beach the battleship and shoot up the invasion fleet, pointlessly expending so much ammo swatting at gnats seems puzzling. During the actions off Guadalcanal the IJN evidently used Type 3 IS projectiles for both shore bombardment and shipping attack; USS Quincy apparently came under fire from IS shells (Hornfischer, 2011, "Neptune's Inferno" p.71). There are stories of unburnt “rubber thermite” filled sub-munitions "littering the decks everywhere" after such attacks. As recounted by Hornfischer (p.327) sailors on the USS San Fransisco found it a bad idea to put one in your hip pocket as a souvenir as they were sometime still active and couldn't be put out with water. Interesting concept, using sub munitions during Naval engagements: Maybe Drach could do a story on this?

[@ihategooglealot3741]

Possibly would have been worth giving more on the huge benefits that the USN and RN (including RCN and RAN) superior electronics and proximity fuses gave - especially as the war progressed. The 4.5" and 5" certainly proved incredibly long lived weapons systems, and yes the accounts of 5.25s picking japanese aircraft out of the air while they formed up for attacks are quite striking.

[@frederickmiles327]

By the start of 1945 the US Mk 37 Mk2(1944) was fitted to control several KG battleships 5.25 turrets, certainly on Anson and Howe and it is essentially the system applied on Vanguard and on the cruiser Royalist 5.25 guns, with RP 20 remote power training and elevation at 20 degrees per second after it's 1953-56 reconstruction, the modernisation was intended as the first of programme of 5.25 Dido/ Bellona cruiser refits but was the only one because as said in the novel HMS Ulysses ( based on Royalist) by the author of the Guns of Navarro- No one slept on a Dido cruiser. Other than officers with a deck room and porthole, the 47 officers had a belfast type officer cabin, raised cot, desk , chair , cabinet and draws. The ratings theoretical hammock space in the 110 degree inferno of the 62,000 shp steam turbines.

[@ihategooglealot3741]

@@frederickmiles327 Yes, a development on the incredible, and incredibly rich streams of knowledge being traded across the Atlantic, US and British fire control leapt ahead, and for WW2 that was the pinnacle. Yes, by all accounts the Didos were crazy cramped.

[@sheep21]

Agreed, a video on AA fire directors and radar laying would be a great idea as excellent direction makes even a mediocre weapon very dangerous. Let alone adding proximity fused ammo to the mix

[@sarjim4381]

The 20mm Oerlikon was produced in absolutely massive numbers during the war. somewhere between 125,000 and 150,000 barrels, and some variation of the original gun are still being produced and in use in 2020.

[@alitlweird]

the forges of the military-industrial complex never cool down...

[@WildBillCox13]

"Two barrels good! Four barrels better!" After the war the Soviets went through a phase where they mounted quad 45mm and 57mm on their ships.

[@sabotabby3372]

That sounds beautiful

[@trevor311264]

"Two barrels good! Four barrels better!" Eight barrels best!

[@WildBillCox13]

@@trevor311264 Spoken like a true Vickers man. Bully!

[@drakeconsumerofsoulsandche4303]

Wasnt there a project for a 2×2 turret that was basically a giant bofors?

[@lukeallison3713]

I'm sure they wanted to develop quad 5.1 inch turrets too. I can't begin to imagine how badly that would train and fire without remote power control and power ramming (only post war viable) given how atrocious the triple 4 inch gun was as a purely anti surface weapon

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

US Navy to admiral King: "We need more AA guns" Amiral Kings responce while looming over the poor guy responceable for getting AA guns: "Get me all the guns, NOW!"

[@TycoonTitian01]

Well the manufacturer won’t have to worry about buisnezs

[@CSSVirginia]

The AA guy had just witnessed what King did to the Mark 13 torpedo designers.

[@Kromaatikse]

@@CSSVirginia Stuffed said torpedo up where the sun don't shine?

[@CSSVirginia]

@@Kromaatikse Quite possibly. Or beat them over the head with it.

[@aurictech4378]

"Wait...wait. I worry what you just heard was 'get me a lot of guns.' What I said was 'get me all the guns you have.' Do you understand?"

[@adirondacker007]

Before the U.S. entered World War Two, my grandfather worked as an iron miner in Lyon Mountain NY for a while. Later on, he hauled breach blocks for 90mm AA guns from a manufacturer that used Lyon Mountain iron to Chelmsford MA. When he was drafted into the army, he served as an anti-aircraft gunner... using 90mm guns. So, there's a chance that he actually dug up some of the material for his gun.

[@yankees29]

That’s extremely sad interesting

[@tommeakin1732]

The pom poms in an octuple mount (well in any mount tbh) are one of the coolest looking weapons of ww2 imo. I love those huge magazines and the staggered firing of the barrels

[@korbell1089]

Drach: "Anti aircraft machine guns were largely useless." One thing you fail to realize is us Americans and our love affair with the M2 Browning. It is the only modern weapon that is still in use after a 100 years with very little tweaks, and we will put it on an MRE if we thought it would help!

[@williamgandarillas2185]

But they were relatively useless against aircraft

[@Kromaatikse]

@@williamgandarillas2185 Unless mounted on another aircraft. Then they were quite effective against the Japanese.

[@aurictech4378]

@@williamgandarillas2185 "Relatively useless" =/= "completely useless."

[@joshuahadams]

There’s the Colt 1911, the US Marines still use it, and it was, like the M2, designed by John Browning.

[@kemarisite]

@@Kromaatikse pretty effective against the Germans and Italians too. Indeed, the transition to cannon wouldn't come for another decade or so, helped by the unreliability of early US 20 mm cannon designs and the lack of heavy bombers to shoot at.

[@MrEvanfriend]

You can't have a reasonable comparison of antiaircraft guns without mentioning ammunition. Specifically the proximity fuse, which was a game changer.

[@MoeZiilla]

While true, I believe he deliberately did not take technology such as proximity fuses and radar targeting into account. This made the comparison between guns of different nations fair, because otherwise the nation with a worse gun, yet better technology in other respects would win every category.

[@MrEvanfriend]

@@MoeZiilla A gun, any gun, is a system. Ammunition is part of that system. You can't make a comparison by saying "oh, the firing mechanism on this one was marginally better than on that one" while ignoring that one had exponentially more effective ammunition is a fool's errand.

[@pallen2980]

The 5"/38 also had the ability to fire radar proximity fused shells. A huge advantage in WWII.

[@bill8791]

My grandfather, pom pom gunner on ships including HMS Manchester, would approve.

[@victoriacyunczyk]

Japanese: *fires Sanshiki shell* Americans: Nice fireworks, now where can I drop this torpedo?

[@Fulcrum205]

It's odd the Japanese held on to the 25mm. Their aircraft had several good cannon designs around that size that were essentially scaled up Browning designs. They also almost certainly had captured examples of the Russian 23mm, another excellent light AAA autocannon design.

[@R.U.1.2.]

I wish the actual statistics were provided, i.e., "399 rounds per minute, rather than pretty good or average, etc. The range is "2300 meters instead of somewhat pretty fair, but not as good as the Swiss 67 mm, which is slightly less but O.K.ish, etc., etc." More objective, less subjective, or opinion-only. Love the channel, though.

[@cyrilthompson1846]

My Dad was fire watching in H&W during the shipyard blitz on Belfast.He decided the safest place was beside a navy vessel which was putting up a barrage. He found that quite dangerous from flying cartridge cases which he nabbed to store his nails they were roughly1 1/2 wide and 4" long.I played with them as a child. Unfortunately I no longer have them .

[@Kromaatikse]

1.5" wide would make them 37mm or 40mm calibre, which sounds about right.

[@kurumi394]

Teacher: Did everyone do their AA installation homework? US: the top student who grinded their soul into their homework UK: not that much but did it pretty well Germany and Italy: just your joe average classmates with joe average homework Japan: "Wait bruh there was homework?"

[@calebdoty9090]

Not sure the US was so much the top student, as it was the student who was surprised to find his favorite hobby was actually a graded activity. He just loved guns, he didn't know it was going to be graded.

[@miamijules2149]

Lol nice comment

[@TheShrike616]

As I'm watching this from my father's basically death bed I find it strangely soothing. This vid gave me a lot of answers I never knew I needed. Thnx, please just keep up the stellar work. These kind of knowledgeable and strangely entertaining vids have made this terrible time bearable for me. Just thank you.

[@rathernotsay8185]

Praying for your happiness brother

[@stephenzaborski8656]

Good luck, brother.

[@derchecker4217]

"Small explosive charge" Laughs in Minengeschoss Great Video!

[@spazmonkey2131]

Triple the explosive mass baby

[@andrewhawkins6754]

4:00 basically: Let's just not talk about the Yamato's main cannons being used as anti-aircraft weapons. It was a bad idea.

[@MrWeezy312]

"The octuplet would simply erode a kamikaze" never heard it described that way.

[@MichaelJDargan]

An hour long discussion of AAA fire control advances in WW2 would be interesting. Radar and proximity fuses. Also, how effective were fuse setting devices!

[@creativehorse7907]

Not for drach maybe but an anti tank weapon version of this video would be stellar. Super Light: Hand held Light: up to 40mm Mid:up to 75mm Heavy:76mm plus

[@josephdedrick9337]

true but you gotta remember this is a naval channel, not a tank/AT one.

[@creativehorse7907]

@@josephdedrick9337 yea I didn't think it was for drach, just saying it would be cool

[@guamsoncruz5107]

76mm aka see this finger? Whatever it points to it's "ANTI THAT SHIT! AND EVERYTHING AROUND IT!"

[@patryk6242]

Pom-pom is absolutely a badass looking weapon. I would love to see next Mad Max movie with a pom-pom mounted on a technical or a truck.

[@RichardKiwi]

Arh the good feeling you get when you see a new Drachinifel video.

[@ZillyWhale]

It's the same feeling as when the captain calls for a double ration of rum.

[@Tepid24]

Highlights of my week

[@esgeran1654]

Two entries I kind of expected to see: 1. The German 12.8 cm FlaK 40. Did they really never bolt one of those to a ship? Quite possible, I would have expected them to, though. 2. The Japanese 460 mm. Mostly for honorable mention & comical relief. In any case thanks a lot for the very interesting content as always.

[@thepsychicspoon5984]

Has anybody seen the new oerlikon AA defense system? They're still blowing out the competition(no pun intended) even after 80+ years later.

[@miamijules2149]

Saw it.... pretty badass huh?

[@supersarge2477]

Do you mean the skyguard 3 orrrrr? I haven't heard of it but now I wanna know

[@thepsychicspoon5984]

@@supersarge2477 Watch "Rheinmetall Air Defence: Ahead - Highly effective, programmable ammunition" on KZbin kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJXam5aXrrWol8k Watch "IDEX 2017: Oerlikon High Energy Laser Gun" on KZbin kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKGudGepqqmksKs

[@DerpyTurtle0762]

35mm go *BRRRRTT*

[@acole5975]

Drachinifel: The most common anti aircraft guns. Me: Do you mean the bofors guns? Drachinifel: No the other guns too.

[@eshafto]

So glad you're covering this in some detail. Almost every one of the hundreds of ship and class descriptions you've done refers to oar-lickers, bifurs, bofurs, bombers, pomades, and I know not what else. This will be a big help.

[@nathanokun8801]

The major consideration for the longer-ranged weapons particularly is the capability of the fire-control systems to which these weapons are attached. Many of the small weapons listed are "one-man/one-vote" where, with minimal supervision, each gun is fired by its one or two-man crew at whatever they personally think is the best target within their arc of fire and range. The advent of small "angle-rate" calculators built into their guns later in WWII in many US 20mm mounts, at least, gave some better chance of hitting by using a fixed average expected range and the rate that the gun was being moved in elevation and bearing to provide the other bits of data for calculating a lead angle (in both bearing and elevation) to increase accuracy. Most larger weapons had eventually separate directors added that could control its dedicated gun mount or, depending on the system design, several nearby mounts, and these greatly added to their effectiveness, particularly systems designed for director control from the start (US Navy 5"/38 gun on its several mount variants). When radar came into the picture, weapons that could use it got much better, since range, in particular was now extremely accurate, though the narrow radar beam-width to get good angular position and rate tracking took longer to perfect. When "2nd order" rate tracking became the norm for aiming calculations, where, once a target was being tracked properly, its internal "virtual" target inside the calculator's mathematical "motion space" was set to allow the target to coast at its last good rates, things got much better for AA tracking systems. Now, only if the target began to diverge from its expected track due to it changing speed and/or maneuvering, did the calculator need to adjust this "coasting" internal virtual target. This made updates to keep up with a target MUCH faster and made it more difficult for a target to "break lock" even with chaff and jamming unless it did violent maneuvers while hidden, since if it came back into the radar's view anywhere near its old expected position, the radar, which was moving its dish as if it was still tracking the target anyway, would just lock back on as if nothing had happened. Older radar systems with simpler calculations could not do that very well. Note that not only had the calculators have to be accurate, but fast enough to keep up with fast-moving, maneuvering aircraft to get enough lead to hit the target (aiming where it is now is obviously not viable), but the speed of transmitting the information from the tracking systems (optical and/or radar) to the calculators and their fast transmission of their orders to the weapon mounts had to be acceptable. "Follow-the-pointer" systems where the information, usually the orders from the calculator to the weapon mounts due to their weight, had to go through a person who looked at a dial reading from the calculator and did his best to keep up with it using his hand and foot controls, was fast enough for firing against slow surface targets (though accurate "eyeball" matching of the orders dials was not always the best) but it got more and more ineffective at longer ranges against high-speed aircraft, since even a small error would mean that the shell being fired would diverge from the aim point too far to be reliable, even when the VT (proximity) fuzes were adopted, though they greatly helped, of course. Complete Remote Power Control, where the calculator could in Remote/Director Control take over the gun mount aiming, with the human there only for backup or special things like shore bombardment, was the rule in the US Navy at the end of WWII, with Germany and, to a lesser extent, Britain also having this RPC capability at least in some gun systems, which eventually completely replaced humans in gun mounts, even small mounts, after WWII. Rating complete fire-control systems (weapon, sensor, calculator, location on the ship) is not a simple thing, though, even if you precisely know the targets it was made to destroy.

[@marcusborderlands6177]

Quick suggestion, editing the comment and chopping it into paragraphs very much helps people read through it without loosing their place

[@nathanokun8801]

@@marcusborderlands6177 I do that in some cases. Depends on how much effort I take to do a comment. You are correct that I should do it more often. Thanks.

[@jonrolfson1686]

Often wondered how the US 1.1 inch ‘Chicago Piano’ (replaced as soon as possible when its shortcomings became apparent) compared with the Japanese 25mm (a gun which continued to provide unsatisfactory results into 1945). Thank you for providing your detailed analysis and ranking.

[@trshaffer]

Fascinating, how about a sequel comparing the various fire control systems too?

[@heirofrohan7865]

Great! Another excellent video topic by the Drach-master! Always wanted an in-depth discussion about the rapid advancement of fire-control and anti-aircraft weapons and tactics!

[@miamijules2149]

One hour of pure, unadulterated, detailed and (ostensibly) explosive content! Drach, this might sound silly but.... you couldn’t imagine how much I needed this. Just something to listen to and enjoy whilst disregarding the cares of the world. Thank you sir.

[@mcmoose64]

I was hoping you might mention the 18.1 inch sankhiki anti-aircraft shells fired by the Yamato / Musashi battleships . Possibly the heaviest AA rounds , and "dual purpose" guns ever to see service . Both spectacular to witness , and spectacularly ineffective . Almost worth an episode in themselves , although I don't know if much reliable data still exists for them .

[@thomaszinser8714]

To be honest, I'd love to see whatever spreadsheet you used to analyze all of this.

[@stevendunn6255]

You have the best documented videos, thank you for all the effort you put into making them.

[@PronatorTendon]

I really like the in depth, detail oriented style of your videos

[@reisbauer9044]

Great video as usual. The amount of work you put in is stunning, really. Id really love to see a video about the peculiar and weird AA weapons, such as the AA shells of the yamato etc etc.

[@TexasSpectre]

The sad look on the face of the guy holding the Italian 20mm ammo clip really tells you all you need to know about the gun those rounds belong to.

[@dariomasi9]

A gun wich menaged to shoot down 7 planes on a Spica class? (and many other planes on many other ships)

[@TexasSpectre]

@@dariomasi9 Exception that proves the rule. Just because it shot down some planes doesn't mean it was a good gun - the 1.1" Chicago Piano managed to shoot down some planes too, but it was awful.

[@dariomasi9]

@@TexasSpectre Thats not what i was saying... Just that it wasnt such an awful weapon as both Drach and many commenters say it is. It was better than the japanese 25mm despite what Drach said (he tried to sugarcoat how awful it was by not dweling into just how awful the mounting requirment was) It was "bad" when compared to the oerlikon and late war german 20mm, it was still not the worst gun of its caliber nor other light guns, dont even get why it was compared to medium caliber guns since the requirments are very different. The breda 20mm dindt just "shoot down some planes" it was a clear threat to any plane it its range unlike the 25mm and the Piano gun, i can count around 30 ish confimed planes shot down by it alone, without the help of medium caliber weapons, wich is quite a lot for a gun of its size.

[@br-v388]

@@dariomasi9 I don't know why people take Drach as any sort of authority, he just repeats old bullshit from other sources and packages it up for videogame-obsessed idiots (see: the idea of 'scoring' AA guns by a bunch of arbitrary numbers instead of actual historical data)

[@empath69]

Pleasing exhaustive categorization of the AA guns one would see at sea! Thanks for this. (also this is the first video I've managed to watch 'fresh' after spending almost a year cramming through your magnificent backlog! Looking forward to participating in a live-stream for once! :D )

[@fadadioX]

Been waiting for this video for a long time thanks for making this Drach!

[@mancubwwa]

It's quite funny that of all the navies in the world, Polish was one of the first to see the light and adopt the Bofors

[@riverraven7359]

Makes sense to me. Polish history is like a bad porno, every opportunity the neighbours fuck them. Maximum firepower in a transportable platform? They'd love it.

[@cmikles1]

Is that why they charged the Bismarck? Trying to get the 40mm in range. Ha

[@mancubwwa]

@@cmikles1 funny as it may sound, that was actually leased british N-class destroyer carrying pom-poms.

[@joshuasutherland6692]

I'd love to hear more about the less-common AA guns like the Japanese merchant marine short AA/ASW guns and those of the minor navies!

[@dyynf]

Thank you for the treat drach!

[@BigRedPower59]

I very glad I found your channel. I’ve been devouring your content for the past few days. I would really like to see some focus on the flying boats and the ships that tended them. My father (adoptive) served aboard AV-10 USS Chandeleur. Keep up the good work!

[@middleway5271]

Another winner!! Thank you Drach!

[@middleway5271]

I wanted to say that everyone who loves these videos PLEASE become a Drachinifel Patreon! This guy does such a great job and deserves your contribution!

[@VRichardsn]

This was a very informative video. However, if I can state a recommendation, it would be this in assessments that are rather heavy on the technical side could use a little bit of numbers on the screen to keep track of things. On many occassions I found myself rewinding to a previous gun in order to pick up a number to compare it to the next gun in line. A few numbers and names on screen would help _immensely_

[@chriswarren1618]

Great job Drach. Ive been waiting all my life for this type review and comparisons, of AA Weapons. Yes yes, please review those other Weapon Systems that you mentioned at the conclusion of this episode. I look forward, in anticipation, thanks.

[@billsteen1092]

Thanks for the good presentation! Lots of information here. I will need to watch or listen a few more times to sort things out better, but the reasons the different AA guns had their reputations is enlightening.

[@davidhunt1947]

Norman Friedman’s book on this subject is really useful and packed with photos. Mark Stille has also covered this topic.

[@miamijules2149]

Dude, I don’t have space for the books I have now.... why would you add to the problem?! lol damn it.... now I need it

[@marshallman1au]

@@miamijules2149 One word ..... Kindle. :)

[@marshallman1au]

www.amazon.com.au/s?k=norman+friedman&rh=n%3A2496751051&ref=nb_sb_noss

[@johnnash5118]

One point of note that may be a neutralizing effect is barrel life. The Italian 20mm may have been elevated from its low ranking to a respectable ranking, simply because it maintains its accuracy longer. The high rate of fire guns and cannons with shot out throats and rifling would be lowered in ranking if they couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn.

[@pxrays547]

Thank you for posting. Very good work on the analysis.

[@nicholasvandervelden450]

That photo at 2:51 is strikingly, unexpectedly beautiful

[@Teiichi42]

This video cant help but remind me of a Kancole story I read which had the following line "Bofers is the new black" because let's face it damn near everyone who could dressed their ships in Bofors is some cases the ships' crews did it, never mind where they found it, it's here now.

[@JaneCobbsHat]

Masterful work as always. Two thoughts, there was a 3 inch gun mounted on Royal Navy A-I destroyers in lieu of the aft torpedo tubes and on V/W long range escort conversions. I guess it belongs in the bottom category. I think the Italian 100mm deserves its own category, I've read it was "deemed unsuitable for aimed fire" meaning used to fire a barrage and hope you maybe hit something. They were replacing them with 37mm guns because 37s actually could hit something....

[@epsilon727]

Wanted to drop by and say happy new year drach! From a humble bloke from Japan using one of the small perks about living here ;)

[@mottthehoople693]

I'm constantly amazed at the fact you can find all these old pics? and the fact these old pics were taken ...and survived!!!

[@wyom2838]

Verdict: the USN does not mess around in the terms of AA

[@dogsnads5634]

True, but one thing Drach didn't mention is when the guns arrived in service and how quickly they arrived in numbers. The 40mm Bofors is a case in point. A very small number were on USN warships in 42 and 43, but they didn't arrive in real numbers until 44 onwards. And thats a similar story for the RN. All that archive footage of USN gunners slinging 40mm clips into multiple Bofors is primarily from Leyte and Okinawa (late 44 and mid 45). You won't see much if any footage of them doing that in Midway or Eastern Solomons...for the good reason that it was practically all .50, 20mm and 1.1 inch then..and even then the 20mm had only just arrived. On the other hand the 40mm Pom Pom was in service from 39 to 45, the entire duration of the war. I'd be inclined to say that the the 40mm Pom Pom was the best overall mid calibre naval AA gun for WW2 simply for the fact that the Bofors just wasn't in anything more than exceptionally limited service for the first 4 years. On land however the Bofors is number 1 from 1939 through to the end as both the Poles and UK used it in decent numbers from day 1, with huge numbers from 40 onwards.

[@mancubwwa]

@@dogsnads5634 no. This is a comparison of guns, not of soundness of military purchasing decisons. After all, Bofors was right there, from the very 1st day of the war and this includes naval version. Both choice of guns to use, and logistics of wartime production, are not in the scope of this video.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

@@dogsnads5634 - Force Z had problems with pom-poms in the Pacific - they did not have tracer ammunition and the pom-pom ammunition had deteriorated badly in its ready use lockers, while the Type 282 radar units also failed in the equatorial heat.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

@@dogsnads5634 - the RN’s own analysis concluded that the Pom-Pom had about half the range of the Bofors

[@panzerschliffehohenzollern4863]

Countering the sky cancer USA: 40mm Bofors UK: 40mm Pom Pom Japan:.......... 25mm Peashooter Goddammit Japan

[@JohnSmith-kg2rt]

Very true although to be to the 25 it was not a bad light AA

[@atdfbttl15]

Calling planes "sky cancer" is an immediate sign of a WoWS player.

[@Nemesismaker]

@@atdfbttl15 To bad AA in WoWS is pretty much useless.

[@cottoncatt1186]

Japanese also had 18 inches anti-aircraft shells to try to counter the sky cancer. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Shiki_(anti-aircraft_shell)

[@Kromaatikse]

@@cottoncatt1186 Which were arguably even more useless than the 25mm. Spectacular, but ineffective.

[@GrumpyGrobbyGamer]

Excellent video. Very well presented

[@folkblues4u]

Been waiting for this! Thanks!

[@MaxVerhaag]

was missing all the stats you were running through for the guns, would have loved it if you put those on screen as well! Other than that an excellent video as usual!

[@Drachinifel]

I can publish a PDF of them if people want :)

[@TycoonTitian01]

Yes please!

[@TycoonTitian01]

A cool chart would be amazing!

[@JohnSmith-kg2rt]

@@Drachinifel I would love the PDF

[@TwigstarA]

@@Drachinifel same answer as to the age old question to the USN: “how many guns do you want?” Yes

[@chillshock2144]

I really like these "documentaries" of yours. Thanks a lot!

[@kieranpalmer9045]

Thanks for your vids man always stoked to see a new one!!!