Massive CannonsHistorical Ordnance Repository
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Plate 033 · Anti-Aircraft · World War II

Bofors 40 mm L/60

The Allied anti-aircraft gun of WWII — pom-pom of every cruiser and destroyer.

Bofors 40 mm L/60 — U.S. Navy photo, Public Domain
U.S. Navy photo, Public Domain · Public DomainView on Wikimedia Commons →

Historical Record

Provenance & Service

AB Bofors of Sweden patented the 40 mm L/60 in 1932; by 1939 it was in service worldwide. Firing roughly 120 rounds per minute in clips of four, the Bofors armed nearly every Allied warship and many ground formations during WWII. Variants and direct descendants remain in service today as the L/70.