The Panzerfaust (lit. "tank fist") is a German disposable anti-tank recoilless gun. Produced in large numbers for use by the Germans, the Panzerfaust was one of the more effective anti-tank weapons used during World War II and was used to great effect against enemy tanks during the war,[1] due to its use of a shaped charge.[2]
History[]
Based on the older Faustpatrone (later known as the Panzerfaust 30 Klein), the Panzerfaust was produced from 1942 to 1945 at the Schlieben concentration camp, which was where one of Hugo Schneider AG's workshops was located. The weapon was in use from 1943 until the end of the war,[3] and used to great effect against tanks.[4] A larger and much improved version of the Panzerfaust was designed in 1945 known as the Panzerfaust 250; before any could be built however, the war ended.[5] Since then, two other weapons have reused the Panzerfaust name.
Design Details[]
The Panzerfaust was somewhat like a rifle grenade, with a throwaway smoothbore "barrel" made from a low grade 44 steel 1.7 inches (4.3 centimetres) in diameter, factory-loaded with a 3.4 oz (96 g) charge of black powder which acted as a propellant.[5] The hollow-charge warhead was attached to the muzzle of this "barrel", with the rear end open so the device functioned as a recoilless gun.
The tube has prominent red writing on it near the rear, saying "Achtung! Feuerstrahl! →" (lit. "Warning! Fire jet!"), warning its users about the backblast produced when the weapon fired;[6] the backblast has been said to be deadly at up to 3 metres (9.8 feet; 3.3 yards) behind the launch tube. The backblast also made use in indoor conditions a little bit difficult mainly due to the smoke and the potential lethality of the backblast (this problem was made all the more prominent with the Panzerschreck).[5]
Preparing to fire the Panzerfaust 60 was as such; the warhead was detached from its shaft, a Zündladung 34 ignition charge and ignition cap inserted into its base, and the warhead then screwed back on. A grenade-like safety pin was then pulled from the side of the sight assembly to allow the sight to be raised. Raising the ladder-marked rear sight cocks the weapon and readies it to fire. A T-bar arming safety must be pushed forward to allow the firing lever to move, after which the weapon can be fired by depressing the lever. After the weapon is fired, the spent barrel is discarded.[5] When the sight was raised, the top of the warhead acted as the front sight.
The Panzerfaust 30 works similarly although the cocking device was an arming rod located on the top of the tube; this rod had to be pushed forward before the firing lever protruded up. Before the user could fire though, a safety lever still had to be moved to the left; after which, the weapon could fire.[5]
Ammunition[]
The weapon used a shaped charge which could be 149mm or 106mm depending on the variant. The rocket was notably a shaped charge which aided greatly in penetration power.[2] This charge was screwed onto a wooden stem with folding stabilizing fins. Inside the stem was a Zündladung 34 ignition charge and an ignition cap,[5] with the weapon's charge exploding on impact. The shaped charge's explosives composition varied widely.[7] Early projectiles could penetrate about 5.5 inches (14 centimetres) armor, although later projectiles were upgraded to penetrate up to 8 inches (20 centimetres);[1] if the weapon was fired properly with the crook of the arm, it could penetrate any armored vehicle of the period due to the use of the shaped charge.[8]
A number of experimental shaped charges were developed, including:[5]
- Kleinrakete zur Infanteriebekämpfung: literally "small rocket for fighting against infantry", this was a 76 mm (3.0 in) shaped charge with a solid rocket booster. The projectile was constructed of concrete and scrap metal.
- Schrapnellfaust: an early "airburst"-type projectile with a timed fuze. Approximately 100 were produced and were undergoing trials with the Wehrmacht before the war ended.
- Verbesserte Panzerfaust: literally "improved tank fist", this 160 mm (6.3 in) warhead had a customizable variable detonation distance. Production was delayed when there was an argument between two companies over who was to produce the projectiles; it is unclear if the projectiles were ever produced.
- Panzerbrandgranate: essentially the normal Panzerfaust projectile with an additional incendiary round from a tank gun inside the stem; the second incendiary round was supposed to set the tank on fire and ensure that the tank was beyond repair.
- Gasfaust: a gas round that was supposed to contain tear gas or CN.
- Brandfaust: incendiary warhead.
- Flammenfaust: warhead with flammable liquid.
Variants[]
The Panzerfaust had four main variants, the Panzerfaust 30, 60, 100 and 150; in gross terms all variants are identical. The number in the designation denoted the weapon's approximate effective range (i.e. Panzerfaust 30 = 30m effective range).[5] A reloadable version of the Panzerfaust was developed known as the Panzerfaust 250; the weapon was canceled with the end of the war with none having been built.[9][5]
Trivia[]
- The plural for Panzerfaust is "Panzerfäuste".
- The weapon is often incorrectly classified as a rocket launcher; however, it is not one as the weapon's projectile does not contain a solid rocket booster.
See also[]
- Panzerschreck, German rocket launcher used for a similar purpose
- Fliegerfaust, a related development
- PzF 44, a "successor" weapon
- Panzerfaust 3, a "successor" weapon
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/german-anti-tank-ww2-panzerfaust
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.quora.com/What-made-the-Panzerfaust-more-effective-than-other-recoil-less-anti-tank-weapons-in-WWII
- ↑ Stallings, Patrick A., Tank Company Security Operations, 1992
- ↑ https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/nazi-germanys-scary-world-war-ii-tank-terror-weapon-the-18430
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 http://www.oocities.org/pizzatest/panzerfaust2.htm
- ↑ http://panzerfaustnostalgia.blogspot.com/2011/08/achtung-feuerstrahl.html
- ↑ http://www.oocities.org/pizzatest/panzerfaust1.htm#composition
- ↑ Bishop, Chris, The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, 1998
- ↑ https://ww2-weapons.com/panzerfaust/