Panzerfaust

The ''Panzerfaust'' (, "armour fist" or "tank fist", plural: ''Panzerfäuste'') was a development family of single-shot man-portable anti-tank systems developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The weapons were the first single-use light anti-tank weapons based on a pre-loaded disposable launch tube, a weapon configuration which is still used today (two modern examples being the AT4 and NLAW).

The ''Panzerfaust''-design consisted of a light recoilless launcher tube outfitted with a single pre-loaded high-explosive anti-tank warhead protruding from the muzzle, much like a "fist", hence the name. It was an inexpensive, easy-to-use anti-tank weapon for the common infantry man, being issued as a single unit of ammunition meant to be operated by a single soldier. Firing was done from under the arm at an upward angle as the effective firing range was barely beyond that of hand grenades ( max). After use the launcher was disposed of, much like the safety pin in hand grenades.

Development of the ''Panzerfaust'' started in 1942. The initial design was dubbed ''Faustpatrone'' ( "fist-cartridge") and was smaller than the later designs. Later dubbed ''Panzerfaust Klein'' ("tank-fist small"), it entered service in 1943, the larger design being named ''Panzerfaust Gross'' ("tank-fist big") and entering service in mid to late 1944. All types saw service with Germany until the end of the war, with the design continuing to see service outside of Germany for a number of years after the war.

Development

''Faustpatrone (Klein)''

The ''Faustpatrone'' ( "fist cartridge") was the initial development of what eventually became the ''Panzerfaust''-family. The ''Faustpatrone''-design was much smaller than the later ''Panzerfäuste''-designs.

Development of the ''Faustpatrone'' started in the summer of 1942 at the German company Hugo Schneider AG (HASAG) with the development of a smaller prototype called ''Gretchen'' ("little Greta") by a team headed by Dr. Heinrich Langweiler in Leipzig. The basic concept was that of a recoilless gun; in the ''Faustpatrone'' and the ''Panzerfaust'' a propellent charge pushed the warhead out the front of the tube while the blast also exited the rear of the tube balancing forces, and therefore there was no recoil force for the operator.

The following weapon, the ''Faustpatrone Klein'', 30 m ("fist-cartridge small") weighed 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) and a total length of 98.5 cm (38¾ in); its projectile had a length of 36 cm (14¼ in). The diameter of warhead was a shaped charge of of a 50:50 mix of TNT and tri-hexogen. The propellant was of 54 g (1.9 oz, 830 grains) of black powder, the metal launch tube had a length of 80 cm (31½ in) and a diameter of 3.3 cm (1.3 in) (early models reportedly 2.8 cm (1.1 in)). Fitted to the warhead was a wooden shaft with folded stabilizing fins (made of 0.25 mm (0.01 in) thick spring metal). These bent blades straightened into position by themselves as soon as they left the launch tube. The warhead was accelerated to a speed of 28 m/s (92 ft/s), had a range of about 30 m (100 ft) and an armour penetration of up to 140 mm (5½ in) of plain steel.

Soon a crude aiming device similar to the one used by the ''Panzerfaust'' was added to the design; it was fixed at a range of 30 m (100 ft). Several designations of this weapon were in use, amongst which ''Faustpatrone'' 1 or ''Panzerfaust'' 30 ''klein''; however, it was common to refer to this weapon simply as the ''Faustpatrone''. Of the earlier model, 20,000 were ordered and the first 500 ''Faustpatronen'' were delivered by the manufacturer, HASAG, Werk Schlieben, in August 1943.

''Panzerfaust (Gross)''

Development began in 1942 on a larger version of the ''Faustpatrone''. The resulting weapon was the ''Panzerfaust'' 30, also known as ''Panzerfaust Gross'' ( "tank-fist big") and the like, with a total weight of and total length of . The launch tube was made of low-grade steel in diameter, containing a charge of black powder propellant. Along the 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 ( in diameter) was fitted into the front of the tube by an attached wooden tail stem with metal stabilizing fins.

The warhead weighed and contained of a 50:50 mixture of TNT and hexogen explosives, and had armour penetration of . 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. The weapon, when correctly fired from the crook of the arm, could penetrate the armour of any armoured fighting vehicle of the period.

Comparison of models

Combat use

To use the ''Panzerfaust'', the soldier removed the safety, tucked the tube under their arm and aimed by aligning the target, the sight and the top of the warhead. Unlike the Americans' original M1 60 mm bazooka and the Germans' own heavier 88 mm ''Panzerschreck'' tube-type rocket launchers based on the American ordnance piece, the ''Panzerfaust'' did not have the usual trigger. It had a pedal-like lever near the projectile that ignited the propellant when squeezed. Because of the weapon's short range, not only enemy tanks and infantry, but also pieces of the exploding vehicle, posed dangers to its operator. As such, the usage of ''Panzerfäuste'' required relatively great personal courage. The backblast from firing went back around 2 m behind the operator.

When used against tanks, the ''Panzerfaust'' had an impressive beyond-armour effect. Compared to the bazooka and the ''Panzerschreck'', it made a larger hole and produced massive spalling that killed or injured (via burns and shrapnel) the crew and destroyed equipment. One informal test found that the ''Panzerfaust'' made an entry hole in diameter, whereas the ''Panzerschreck'' made an entry hole at least in diameter; contrastingly, the bazooka made an entry hole that was only in diameter). Much of this can be attributed not only to the size of the ''Panzerfaust''s warhead but also its horn-like shape, as opposed to the traditional cone-shaped warheads of rockets used in the bazooka and ''Panzerschreck''. This design was later copied in the modern-day AT-4 anti-tank weapon to produce the same effect against modern main battle tanks.

Germany

In the Battle of Normandy, only 6% of British tank losses were from ''Panzerfaust'' fire despite the close-range combat in the thick ''bocage'' landscape. However, the threat from the ''Panzerfaust'' forced Allied tank forces to wait for infantry support before advancing. The portion of British tanks taken out of action by ''Panzerfäuste'' later rose to 34%, a rise probably explained by the lack of German anti-tank guns late in the war and the increased numbers of ''Panzerfäuste'' that were available to defending German troops.

In urban combat later in the war in eastern Germany, about 70% of tanks destroyed were hit by ''Panzerfäuste'' or ''Panzerschreck''s. Soviet and Western Allied tank crews modified their tanks in the field so as to provide some kind of protection against Panzerfaust attacks. These included logs, sandbags, track links, concrete and wire mesh, along with bed frames with springs (bedsprings), similar to expanded metal-type German tank sideskirts. In practice, about 1 metre of air gap was required to substantially reduce the penetrating capability of the warhead, thus sideskirts and sandbags, along with other improvised armor, were virtually entirely ineffective against both the Panzerschreck and Panzerfaust. Moreover, the added weight from such add-on armor overburdened the vehicle's engine, transmission and suspension systems.

Later on, each Soviet heavy tank ( IS) and assault gun (ISU-152) company were assigned a platoon of infantry in urban battles to protect them from such infantry-wielded anti-tank weapons, often supported by flamethrowers. This order remained intact even during 1950s and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

During the last stages of the war, due to the lack of available weapons, many poorly-trained conscripts (mainly elderly men) and teenage Hitler Youth members were often given a single ''Panzerfaust'', plus any type of obsolete pistols or rifles (some only had a Panzerfaust and nothing else). This caused several German generals and officers to comment sarcastically that the empty launch-tubes could then be used as clubs in hand-to-hand combat.

Other countries

Many ''Panzerfäuste'' were sold to Finland, which urgently needed them, as Finnish forces did not have enough anti-tank weapons that could penetrate heavily-armoured Soviet tanks like the T-34 and IS-2. The Finnish experience with the weapon and its adaptability to Finnish needs was mixed, with only 4,000 of 25,000 ''Panzerfäuste'' delivered expended in combat. The manual that came with the weapon upon delivery to the Finns included depictions of where to aim the weapon on the Soviet T-34 and US Sherman tank (which also saw service with Soviet troops from US Lend-Lease-supplied stocks).

The Italian Social Republic (RSI) and the Government of National Unity (Hungary) also used the ''Panzerfaust''. Several RSI army units became skilled in anti-tank warfare and the Hungarians themselves used the ''Panzerfaust'' extensively, especially during the Siege of Budapest. During this brutal siege, an arms factory, the Hungarian Manfred Weiss Steel and Metal Works, located on Csepel Island (within the city) kept up production of various light armaments and ammunition, ''Panzerfäuste'' included, all the way until the very last moment, when attacking Soviet troops seized the factory by the first days of 1945.

The US 82nd Airborne Division captured some ''Panzerfäuste'' in the Allied invasion of Sicily and later during the fighting in Normandy. Finding them more effective than their own bazookas, they held onto them and used them during the later stages of the French Campaign, even dropping with them into the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden. They captured an ammunition dump of ''Panzerfäuste'' near Nijmegen and used them through the Ardennes Offensive toward the end of the war.''More Than Courage: Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace ...'', Phil Nordyke, p. 299

The Soviet Red Army only incidentally used captured ''Panzerfäuste'' in 1944, but from the beginning of 1945, many became available and were actively used during the Soviet offensives of 1945, mostly in street fighting against buildings and protective covers. In February 1945, such use of captured ''Panzerfäuste'' was recommended in a directive by Marshal Georgy Zhukov. Similarly, they were used by the Polish People's Army. After the war, some 4,000 ''Panzerfäuste'' were adopted by the Polish Army in 1949, which designated them as PG-49.

Plans and technical materials on the Panzerfaust were supplied to the Empire of Japan to assist with their development of an effective anti-tank weapon. However, the Japanese went with a different design, the Type 4, loosely based upon the American bazooka. Examples of the American weapon were captured by the Japanese at Leyte in 1944.

Variants

;''Panzerfaust'' 30 ''klein'' ("small") or ''Faustpatrone'':This was the original version, first delivered in August 1943 with a total weight of and overall length of . The "30" was indicative of the nominal maximum range of . It had a diameter tube containing of black powder propellant launching a warhead carrying of explosive. The projectile traveled at just per second and could penetrate of armour.

;''Panzerfaust'' 30:An improved version also appearing in August 1943. This version had a larger warhead for improved armour penetration, of steel and of armoured steel, but the same range of 30 meters. It has an explosive charge of of explosive material. Its barrel has a caliber of and a length of . It has a weight of and a muzzle velocity of .

;''Panzerfaust'' 60:This was the most common version, and was completed in early 1944. However, it did not reach full production until September 1944, when 400,000 were to be produced each month. It had a much more practical range of , although with a muzzle velocity of only 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 and of propellant used while being a total length of 104 cm (41 in). It also had an improved flip-up rear sight and trigger mechanism. The weapon now weighed . It could defeat of armour.

;''Panzerfaust'' 100:This was the final version produced in quantity, and was completed in September 1944. However, it did not reach full production until November 1944. It had a nominal maximum range of . of propellant launched the warhead at per second from a diameter tube. The sight had holes for 30, 60, , and had luminous paint in them to make counting up to the correct one easier in the dark. This version weighed and could penetrate of armour.

;''Panzerfaust'' 150:A major redesign of the ''Panzerfaust'', the ''Panzerfaust'' 150 featured a new pointed warhead (with a diameter of 105 mm compared to the 140 mm warhead of the ''Panzerfaust'' 30/60/100 series) with increased armour penetration and two-stage propellant ignition which gave a higher velocity of per second. A fragmentation sleeve was developed for the ''Panzerfaust'' 150 to increase its lethality against infantry. The projectile had a delay pellet to the base detonating primer which meant that the projectile exploded after three seconds if it didn't hit its target or a hard surface. This was meant to eliminate duds and also allowed for air bursts to be achieved when combined with the fragmentation sleeve. Production the ''Panzerfaust'' 150 started in February 1945 and continued until May of that year when the facility in Döbeln, Saxony producing the ''Panzerfaust'' 150 was captured by the Soviets. Although 100,00 were produced, none were issued to field units beyond limited troop trials. No known examples of the ''Panzerfaust'' 150 survived the end of the war. A further development of the ''Panzerfaust'' 150 was meant to make it a reloadable weapon, capable of firing ten shots before the black powder fouling built up to the point that the weapon needed to be inspected and cleaned. This development was to be completed in May 1945, with production of the improved ''Panzerfaust'' 150 scheduled to commence in the summer of that year. "The reloadable Pzf 150 might have received a new designation if it had been produced."

;''Panzerfaust'' 250:The last development of the ''Panzerfaust'' series was the ''Panzerfaust'' 250. Intended to replace the heavier ''Panzerschreck'' in German service, this design never left the drawing board. It was to use a reloadable tube and featured a pistol grip. The projectile was to be based on the one used by the ''Panzerfaust'' 150, but the internal propellant charge was to be larger. Projected muzzle velocity was 120-150 m/s. Serial production was scheduled to begin in September 1945. The Soviet RPG-2 anti-tank weapon took some inspiration from the ''Panzerfaust'' 250 design (it was also a reloadable, recoilless anti-tank weapon with a trigger grip and electrical firing system). Plans for the ''Panzerfaust'' 250 had fallen into both American and Soviet hands.

Related development

;''PAPI'': Argentine-made antitank weapon, similar to the ''Panzerfaust''. The acronym stands for ''proyectil antitanque para infanteria'' (Spanish for "infantry anti-tank projectile").

;''Pansarskott'' m/45 and ''pansarskott'' m/46: Swedish-made copies of the ''Panzerfaust''. The Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration ordered a copy of the ''Panzerfaust'' design from Bofors, examples of which were acquired from Finland and the Danish resistance movement. The resulting weapon, a copy of an early model ''Panzerfaust'', was designated ''pansarskott'' m/45 and 10,000 were ordered by the Swedish Armed Forces in late 1945. Albeit judged effective against tanks of the day, the muzzle velocity was low and the effective range was only about 70 meters. ''Pansarskott'' m/45 was quickly upgraded by replacing the black powder propellant charge with smokeless powder. The resulting weapon, ''pansarskott'' m/46, had an effective range of about 90 meters.Jansson, Henrik in ''Slagfjädern'' nr 2-2018 Årgång 100, p.11

;''Pc-100 (PC-100, pancerzownica 100m)'': Polish-made copy of the Panzerfaust 100, manufactured in 1951–1952. Despite large-scale orders, a production encountered technological difficulties and only 5000 combat and 940 training Pc-100 were made in 1952, before the Polish Army switched to more modern Soviet RPG-2.Perzyk, Bogusław: ''Panzerfaust w Wojsku Polskim 1944-1955 cz.II. Projekt PC-100'' in: Poligon 4/2011, pp. 68–80 (in Polish) It is erroneously known as ''PT-100'' in foreign publications.

Users

;Panzerfaust
* : Known to be first used in 1943
*
*
*
*
* : Used captured Panzerfäuste during the war, limited use post-war under a designation PG-49).Perzyk, Bogusław: ''Niemieckie granatniki przeciwpancerne Panzerfaust w Wojsku Polskim 1944-1955 cz.I'' in: Poligon 2/2011, pp. 56–62 (in Polish)
* : The Czech resistance used captured ''Panzerfäuste'' during the Prague uprising.
*
* : Mass usage of captured ''Panzerfäuste'' in 1945.
* : U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division used captured examples, from Operation Husky to VE Day
* Democratic Army of Greece: Used captured ''Panzerfäuste'' during the Greek Civil War.

; Derivatives
* : Argentine-made PAPI and possibly Swedish made ''Pansarskott'' m/46
* : Polish-made copy Pc-100
* : Manufactured and used copies of the ''Panzerfaust'' in two different variants; ''Pansarskott'' m/45 and ''Pansarskott'' m/46

See also

* List of common World War II infantry weapons
* List of World War II firearms of Germany
* PIAT
* Rocket-propelled grenade
* RPG-2
* RPG-7
* RPG-76 Komar
* Type 4 70 mm AT rocket launcher
* ''Panzerfaust'' 3
* ''Panzerschreck''
* PzF 44
* ''Schiessbecher'' German anti-tank rifle grenade

References

Notes

Bibliography

*

External links

Contemporary U.S. Intelligence Report on German Hollow-Charge Weapons

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Anti-tank weapons
World War II infantry weapons of Germany
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1942