Figure 1.-- Here sailors sleep at their quad 40mm Bofors gun mount on the battleship 'USS New Jersey' (BB-62). December 1944. A battleship had a ferasome AA potential. The Bofors guns gave even small ships a sifnificnt AA potential. |
|
The Bofors Gun is one of the most storied anti-aircraft gun of World War. It gained almost mythical status during the Second World War. It is the onkly major weapon system developed by a noin-conatant country. The Sweses sold it to both the Allies and the Axis, but it was the Allies that put it to greatest use, esoecially the U.S, navy in the oacifuc War. It was used with some success by the British durung the Blitz. The Bofors gun revolutionized anti-aircraft design. Along with the German 88 they were the two most important AA guns of the War.
The airplane was first significantly introduced in combat durung World War I. The capabilities were at first very limited, but rapidly iuncrrased. It quicklky became obvious that anti-aircvraft guns were needed. For the most part available guns were improvided for AA duty. Sweden managed to remain neutral during World War I, but closely followeed developments. By the end of the war the beligerant powers, especiually the Allies, built up huge air forces and had tens of thousands of planes. The use of aircraft, esoecially the developmnt of bombers, led in turn to the need for effective air defences. It was the Germany who did most of the bombing, including Allied cities, but the Allies began building bombers as well as preoation for a massive bombing campaiign in 1919. The Germans requested an armistice before the Alied bombing camapign was launched.
Thriougout the inter-War era, however, the spector if bombing citiues dominated air thinking wuth the addage--the bomber will always get through. And it should be noyed that until the lkate0-1930s, bombrrs were mnoire caoabke, often faster, than fighters.
Bofors has been associted associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing simcr the 17th cenntury.
The company began from the hammer mill 'Boofors' founded as a royal state-owned company (1646). The modern corporation (Aktiebolaget AB Bofors-Gullspång) was founded (1873). It is not clear why Bofors gave so much attention to creating an AA gun. This may have reflected a desire of the Swedish Hivernment for a defensive air weapon. Actually Bofors began supplying AA guns to the Swedish Navy in the final YEARS f World War I. these guns were not very effective, but the engineers at Bofors worked on AA guns during the inter-war period (1920s-30s). Bofors was a very capable corporation. They had advanced technological acapabilities. The corporation ptoduced high-quality steel and first-rate powder, they understood that these capabilities alone were not adequate to keep up with rapid developments. The company launced design and development work to significantly expamd their range of products.
Particularly imprtant was the chief engineer, Victor Hammar, head of the design engineering department and his asustant, engineer Emanuel Jansson. Real prof=gress began when the Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration commisioned Bofors to develop a special new anti-aircraft weapon (1929). They deciuded on a 40 mm gun. The prototype was a British gun which had been tested in Sweden for some time. Most of the design work took place in 1929, a year that marked the end of the 'Roaring 20s' with the Wall Street Crash being the most talked-about event.
The Americans. Brtitish, and French gave realtively little attention to AA guns. Curiously only the Germans entered the War with an effective AA gun.
The Bofors Gun was not a secret. Bofors wanted to sell it. Unveiled a semi-automatic gun which could fire an impressive 250 rounds in five minutes. Bofors led by Hammar were still tring to imprive it. They had the first fully-automatic gun (1934). Developmnt had consumed 30,000 hours of work. The gun came out as Europe was awakeniubg to the German air threat. The Boofoirs gun as described as one of the most acclaimed products in the history of weapons. Foreign military delegations began visitinbg Bifors. 'Mr Bofors' (Bertil Boström), a naval officer employed at the company, was given the job of mareketing Bofors products. Bofors competed with a British company in Nelgiusn firing tests against a British competitor (1935). The Boforos gun was more mobil and much mire scciurte. The Belgian officers were astonihed at the dffernce in performnce. There were also French observers. .
The Bofors gun was a highly specialised and and effective AA gun, wih a revolutionary designs. The Bofors gun was by the mid-1030s demonsrrated that it surpassed all other available autimatic AA weponry. It was fast, accurate and stable during firing. It esy to move and not just in roads. It could b set up more quickly than other guns. Not only was the gun superior, but the amunition was more effective and reliability.
The first orders cane froim the French which was impressuive as trge Frenbch raeeky ordered foireign equioment.
Other orders soon followed. There were orders for Swedish mnufctured guns as well as licensing agreements. Elven countries plced orders, including Argentina, Belgium, Britain). Some 1,500 guns were ordered before the War (1934-39). But the major achievement was coreacts wuth the United States. Omce the War befan, deliveries to tghe United sxtates were virtually impossible, but the United States had the capability of priducing tghese guns in huge quanttities. The Bofirs gun was suoerior toi any thing the United Srates was producing. The United States was develooinga a 37 mm gun, but American procurement odducers learned of the Bofors 40 mm gun from the British and French who had purchased some. Th first contact eith Bifors ov=ccurred (1938). The outbreak of war complicated negotiations and deliverues 1939> Shiortly after the German seizure of Dennamrk and Norwat, isolating Sweden, a contract was signed at the U.S. in Stockholm (July 1940). Getting actital gins to the United states was a challenge. Sample guns and test amunition was secretkly delvered ato a U.S, Army transport ship waiting at Petsamo, Finland's Arctic port. Th a ship that was evacuating mericam citizens from Scandinavia. Also evacuated was Princess Martha of Norway and her children The NAZIs were trying to seize them. President Roosevelt persinlly ordered that she be brought to safety.
From an early point in the Wirld War II it became clear that naval vessels were vulnerable to air attack. This was the primary reason that the The United States began the mass production of the Bofors guns under licensing contracts. (Bofors would complain about the oayments.) The sample guns and detailed olans made this possible. The Chrysler Corporation in Detroit did most of the mamufacturing. Chrysler manufactured some 60,000 guns and more than 120,000 gun barrels. The guns would olay a major role in the Pacific War. The Bofors gun became an integral part of the U.S. Navy's air defence systems. U.S. Navy vessels began to be fitted in U.S, Navy vesseks after Midway (Junr=e 1942). They would olay an important role in the carrier battles in the Solomons over Guadalcanal. Abnd by 1943 vurtually ll cobst bellsels had Boforms. They created increased AA fire an orfdr of magnitudrse above earlier AA guns. When the Kanakazee attasch=ks began (1944), many dships woukd be saved by these guns. The bifors helped even small shipos like USS Laffey attcked by some 50 Kamzkazees survive. (Laffey was also aided by Navy and Marine CAP fighters.) The Japanese had nothing like the American Bofors.
Navigate the CIH World War II Section:
[Return to Main anti-aircraft gun page]
[Return to Main World War II air weaponry page]
[Return to Main World War II artillery page]
[Return to Main World War II air weapons page]
[Return to Main World War II air technology/tactics page]
[Return to Main World War II technology/tactics page]
[About Us]
[Biographies]
[Campaigns]
[Children]
[Countries]
[Deciding factors]
[Diplomacy]
[Geo-political crisis]
[Economics]
[Home front]
[Intelligence]
[POWs]
[Resistance]
[Race]
[Refugees]
[Technology]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Return to Main war essay page]