World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
10 Jan 2015 05:06:07 PM

PANZERSCRECK (TANK TERROR)

Known as the Raketenpanzerrbuchse R.PzB 43 or Rocket Anti-Tank Rifle Model 43 and issued to the troops it was developed from captured American M1 Bazooka

The weapon fired the R.PzB.GR4322 standard solid fueled rocket in 8.8cm. (3.5in) that would go through the armor to destroy any known Allied tank
by wars end over 2,200,000 R.PzB.GR rounds were manufactured.

GET IN CLOSE:

How close let's say about 149 meters/492ft that's close it was also used in ambush positions against tanks. Panzerschreck teams also supported the panzers protecting the flanks against Allied armor, and used in infantry companies against strong hold positions.

GUNNER AND LOADER:

The weapon was operated by two men, gunner and loader rate of fire: four or five rounds per minute, it all depends on the situation as it was a shoot and scoot weapon and had a visible back blast. Ammo was packed in pairs in a wooden box
how many of those boxes could soldiers drag around.

Its been estimated that about 100,000 of these Panzerschrecks were produced along with over
2,200,000 R.PzBGR rounds. Before wars end, an improved model was made, the R.PzB 54/1 and even a four barrel panzerschreck mounted on a light trailer with 30 rounds.
In the above file photo Paul our Panzerschreck gunner in my opinion, is too far away from his weapon (MP40) it would take precious seconds to reach for it. A field soldier keeps his weapon clean and close to him.

A GI REMEMBERS:

During (AIT) Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, OK in 1966, I was able to load and fire the M20 3.5in rocket launcher after you fired, you could see the round travel down range. By the 1960s the M20 was obsolete, but still used in training.
Assigned to West Germany was trained on the (LAW) Light Anti-Tank Weapon it was a fire and throw away weapon. During my two-tours in Vietnam both the M114, 155mm towed Howitzer battery, 9th Infantry Div. 1967/68 and the M108 Self-Propelled 105mm Howitzer battery (I FFV) I Field Forces Vietnam, had LAWs for self defense against tanks or other targets.

I thank the editor/ww2db for allowing me to leave my personal military experience during the Vietnam War

2.  Bill says:
11 Jan 2015 11:53:00 AM

BY THE BOOK:

Let's take another look and see what Paul the
loader is up to. Gunther is ready to fire so what's taking so long? Gunther I'm doing this by the book! In training I fired two rounds one as loader and one as gunner. The weapon had short service life of 200 rounds. The R.PzBGR 4322 rocket was capable of penetrating 160mm (6in) of armor. In above file photo, I'm surprised Gunther our gunner isn't wearing his helmet or gas mask also this model doesn't have the face shield either. Two men teams were called you gotta like those German compound words Panzerzerstorergruppen
Tank Destroyer Groups...

NUMBERS GAME:

Some sources list 100,000 Panzerschreck were
manufactured, while others list as many as 300,000
even the number of R.PzBGR anti-tank rounds produced could be well over the 2,200,000 mark
by the end of the war many production records were lost or destroyed.

SNAFU:

At wars end over 40,000 improved Panzerschreck
R.PzB54 were still in storage unused and about 200,000 Panzerschreck weapons were issued to the troops.

POST WAR:

With Germany's surrender, thousands of tons of German weapons and equipment were captured or continued to be used by Europe's surviving armies The Panzerschreck was still used in the post war period by Finland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary and
a few other countries.
Switzerland made a licensed version called the Raketenrohr from the Belgian version called the Blindicide both models worked on the principle of the German Panzerschreck. Did you know the post war West German Bundeswehr maintained surviving Panzerschrek's in its armoires.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:

During the early 1960s you could even buy a war surplus demilitarized / non firing Panzerschrek for about $19.95 say people I'm not making this stuff up complete with operating manual. Most weapons you see now are props for foreign and Hollywood movies. If anyone has more information
post it here on ww2db...

I thank the editor/ww2db for allowing me to continue our study of the Panzerschreck.

3.  Bill says:
17 May 2015 08:24:56 PM

HUNGARIAN RHAPSODY: PANZERSCHRECK

Besides the Wehrmacht other Axis forces were issued, or manufactured their own version of the
Panzerschreck Rocket Launcher. The Hungarian
model was called the 44.01 Roppentyu and was very similar to the German R.Pz.B.54/1.
After World War II the Swiss and French armies operated the wartime model the Swiss, even developed their own version.

AXIS FORCES:

Axis countries as Romania, Hungary, Italy and the (RSI) Italian Social Republic and Finland used the Panzerschreck. It has also been reported the Polish resistance used captured Panzerschrecks against German forces during the Warsaw uprising of 1944.
Did you know that Finland didn't retire its stock of the 2000 surviving WWII Panzerschrecks until the 1950s weapons were put into storage along with 14,000 of the 20,000 rockets fired left over from WWII.

ALLIES:

The US Army, USSR, UK and France developed their own improved rocket launchers after testing & evaluating the Panzerschreck, this led to the
development of the US (LAW) Light Anti-Tank Rocket and the USSRs (RPG) Family of anti-tank rockets during the Cold War. Other countries improved there anti-tank weapons as well...

HEADDER TITLE: HUNGARIAN RHAPSODY

Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 in C-Sharp Minor by
Franz Liszt 1811 - 1886