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Edward Uhl (March 24, 1918 – May 9, 2010) was a United States Army Ordnance Corps officer who developed the M1 portable rocket launcher, known as the bazooka.
He was born in New Jersey and graduated in engineering at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1940. He enlisted in the US Army in 1941 and was commissioned into the Ordnance Corps.
In 1942 while working at the headquarters of the corps in Washington with the rank of lieutenant he was tasked with utilizing the M1 shaped charge as an anti-tank weapon for use by the infantry. It was too heavy for a hand grenade so Uhl used a piece of scrap metal tubing to create a simple recoilless rocket launcher to propel the charge. According to Uhl,
By launching from the shoulder the danger of burns to the face of the operator was avoided. In 1942 the new weapon was deployed to North Africa and it was later used effectively against German tanks in the Normandy Campaign.
Uhl rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and after his military service he worked for the
HistoryNet.com. 1918 births 2010 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II American inventors United States Army colonels {{US-army-World-War-II-bio-stub
By launching from the shoulder the danger of burns to the face of the operator was avoided. In 1942 the new weapon was deployed to North Africa and it was later used effectively against German tanks in the Normandy Campaign.
Uhl rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and after his military service he worked for the Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company—also known as The Martin Company from 1957-1961—was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company founded by aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin, and operated between 1917-1961. The Martin Company produc ...
and Martin Marietta
The Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of Glenn L. Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin.
History
Martin Mari ...
on guided missiles projects and became vice-president of engineering. He was then president of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane company before his retirement in 1985. He died aged 92 of heart failure.
References
External links
* Budiansky, Stephenbr>"Edward Uhl, the Man Behind the Bazooka"HistoryNet.com. 1918 births 2010 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II American inventors United States Army colonels {{US-army-World-War-II-bio-stub