Panzerfaust

Infobox Weapon
name= Panzerfaust


caption= Four "Panzerfaust 30" in original shipping crate, on display at the Helsinki Military Museum
origin= flagicon|Germany|Nazi Nazi Germany
type= Man-portable anti-tank weapon
is_ranged=yes
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=
is_vehicle=
is_missile=
is_UK=
service= 1943 - 1945
used_by= flagicon|Germany|Nazi Nazi Germany
FIN
wars= World War II
designer=
design_date=
manufacturer=
unit_cost=
production_date= 1943 - 1945
number= over 6 million (all variants)
variants= Panzerfaust 30, 60, 100, 150, 250
weight= convert|6.25|kg|lb|1 (Panzerfaust 60)
length= ~ convert|1|m|sp=us
part_length=
width=
height=
diameter=
crew=
cartridge=
caliber= 149 mm (Panzerfaust 60)
action=
rate=
velocity=
range= convert|60|m|abbr=on (Panzerfaust 60)
max_range=
feed=
sights=

The "Panzerfaust" (plural: "Panzerfäuste", "armored fist" or "tank fist") was an inexpensive, recoilless German anti-tank weapon of World War II. It consisted of a small, disposable preloaded launch tube firing a high explosive anti-tank warhead, operated by a single soldier. The Panzerfaust was developed from the earlier Faustpatrone and remained in service in various versions until the end of the war. The Panzerfaust 150 variant was the basis for the development of the Soviet RPG-2 which later evolved into the RPG-7.

Overview

Development began in 1942 on a larger version of the Faustpatrone. The resulting weapon was the "Panzerfaust 30", with a total weight of convert|5.1|kg|lb|1 and total length of convert|1.045|m|ft|1. The launch tube was made of low-grade steel convert|44|mm|in|1 in diameter, containing a convert|95|g|oz|1|adj=on charge of black powder propellant. Along one side of the tube were a simple folding rear sight and a trigger. The edge of the warhead was used as the front sight. The oversize warhead (convert|140|mm|in|1|abbr=on in diameter) was fitted into the front of the tube by an attached wooden tail stem with metal stabilizing fins. The warhead weighed convert|2.9|kg|lb|1 and contained convert|0.8|kg|lb|1 of a 50:50 mixture of TNT and hexogen explosives, with armor penetration of convert|200|mm|in|1. [ [http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust1.htm#theory "Theory of the Shaped-Charge Warhead" - Panzerfaust] ]

The Panzerfaust often had warnings written in large red letters on the upper rear end of the tube, the words usually being "Achtung! Feuerstrahl!" ("Beware! Fire Jet!"). This was to warn soldiers to avoid the backblast. After firing, the tube was discarded, making the Panzerfaust the first disposable anti-tank weapon. During the last stages of the war, many poorly-trained conscripts were given a Panzerfaust and nothing else, causing several German generals to comment sarcastically that the tubes could then be used as clubs [Citation
last = Simons
first = Gerald
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Victory in Europe
place =
publisher = Time Life Books
year = 1982
volume =
edition =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0809434067, p. 42] . The weapon was correctly fired from the crook of the arm and the shaped charge could penetrate up to convert|200|mm|in|1 of steel, enough to defeat any armoured fighting vehicle of the period. [Citation
last = Bishop
first = Chris
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II
place = New York
publisher = Orbis Publiishing Ltd
year = 1998
volume =
edition =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0-7607-1022-8.]

The weapon proved to be particularly deadly to Allied armored vehicles, particularly in urban combat where the short lines of sight allowed the weapon to be used at close range. The weapon was used to knock out large numbers of Soviet armored vehicles during the Battle of Berlin. The construction was so simple that they could be made in the city while it was under siege, allowing wheelbarrow loads of Panzerfausts to be delivered to the defenders.

Many Panzerfausts were sold to Finland, which desperately needed them as the Finnish forces lacked anti-tank weapons that could destroy heavily armed Soviet tanks like the T-34 and IS-2.

Some sources claim that the Soviet army made use of captured stocks of Panzerfausts, reportedly designated RPG-1, prior to the introduction of the RPG-2. [ [http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust4.htm "General Production and Destruction Figures" - Panzerfaust] ]

The Panzerfaust design proved to be so effective that German engineers tried to make a similar weapon the Fliegerfaust ("flying fist") intended to shoot down low flying allied aircraft.

Variants

;"Panzerfaust 30 klein" ("small") or "Faustpatrone":This was the original version, first delivered in August 1943 with a total weight of convert|3.2|kg|lb|1 and overall length of convert|98.5|cm|in|1|abbr=on. The "30" was indicative of the nominal maximum range of convert|30|m|yd|abbr=on. It had a convert|3.3|cm|in|1|abbr=on diameter tube containing convert|54|g|oz|1 of black powder propellant launching a convert|10|cm|in|1|abbr=on warhead carrying convert|400|g|oz|abbr=on of explosive. The projectile traveled at just convert|30|m|abbr=on per second and could penetrate convert|140|mm|in|abbr=on of armor.

;"Panzerfaust 30":An improved version also appearing in August 1943, this version had a larger warhead for improved armor penetration, convert|200|mm|abbr=on, but the same range of 30 meters.

;"Panzerfaust 60":This was the most common version, with production starting in September 1944. It had a much more practical range of convert|60|m|yd|abbr=on, although with a muzzle velocity of only convert|45|m|abbr=on per second it would take 1.3 seconds for the warhead to reach a tank at that range. To achieve the higher velocity, the tube diameter was increased to convert|5|cm|in|1|abbr=on and convert|134|g|abbr=on of propellant used. It also had an improved flip-up rear sight and trigger mechanism. The weapon now weighed convert|6.1|kg|abbr=on. It could defeat convert|200|mm|abbr=on of armor.

;"Panzerfaust 100":This was the final version produced in quantity, from November 1944 onwards. It had a nominal maximum range of convert|100|m|abbr=on. convert|190|g|abbr=on of propellant launched the warhead at convert|60|m|abbr=on per second from a convert|6|cm|abbr=on diameter tube. The sight had holes for 30, 60, convert|80|and|150|m|abbr=on, and had luminous paint in them to make counting up to the correct one easier in the dark. This version weighed convert|6|kg|abbr=on and could penetrate convert|220|mm|abbr=on of armor.

;"Panzerfaust 150":This was a major redesign of the weapon, and was deployed in limited numbers near the end of the war. The firing tube was reinforced and reusable for up to ten shots. A new pointed warhead with increased armor penetration and two-stage propellant ignition gave a higher velocity of convert|85|m|abbr=on per second. Production started in March 1945, two months before the end of the war.

;"Panzerfaust 250": Scheduled to enter production in September 1945, Similar to the 150, but with a longer tube and a handle with an trigger, Similar to the RPG-2, for the user. but the war ended before development had been completed.

References

ee also

* Panzerfaust 3
* Shoulder-launched missile weapon
* List of common World War II infantry weapons
* List of World War II firearms of Germany
* Bazooka
* PIAT

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust2.htm Panzerfaust - WW II German Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons]
* [http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt_faustpatrone/index.html Contemporary U.S. Intelligence Report on German Hollow-Charge Weapons]
* [http://www.armyrecognition.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=459 Finnish Panzerfaust manual]
* [http://world.guns.ru/grenade/gl30-e.htm Panzerfaust]
* [http://world.guns.ru/grenade/gl31-e.htm Panzerfaust 44 mm / leichte Panzerfaust]