2-Pounder Pom Pom

The 2-pounder “Pom Pom” was the standard anti-aircraft gun of the Royal Navy during World War Two. It was officially designated the QF 2-pounder (QF denoting “quick firing”) and was universally known as the “pom pom”. Its name comes from the sound that the original models were reported to have made when firing, and 2-pounder is derived from the weight of the projectile it was shooting- weighing 2 pounds. 

Also known as the “multiple Pom Pom” when built with the quadruple or eight-barrel mountings, the 2-pounder had its earliest design origins in the 1920s and was introduced to service in the 1930s. They had a range between 3.5 – 4.5 kilometres, capable of firing 100 rounds per barrel per minute. Although designed to counter low-flying aircraft, the pom pom was dual purpose, also being used against surfaced submarines. 

The gun’s complex mechanism required considerable maintenance to prevent jamming, though the switch from belt-fed ammunition to linked ammunition helped to some degree.

The Pom Poms were manufactured in vast quantities during WWII, with Canadian manufacturers building hundreds of these guns during the war. In Canada, top producers of this gun were Dominion Bridge Company, while Canadian Locomotive Company built the mountings. These guns were installed on everything from motor launches to battleships. For the former, like other small Coastal Forces vessels, they were the main armament, while larger ships used them for anti-aircraft defence. 

HMCS Kamloops and her 2-pounder Pom Pom made an appearance in the 1943 film “Corvette K-225”.

Reference Links:
Haze Gray - Canadian Navy Guns
Canadian War Museum - "Pom-Pom" Anti-Aircraft Gun, HMCS Kamloops