World War II Database

Country of Origin	Germany
Type	Grenade
Weight	3.500 kg

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Hafthohlladung hand-held explosive devices, nicknamed "Panzerknacker" ("Tank Breaker" or "Safe Cracker"), were shaped charges designed against heavily armored targets, particularly tanks and other armored vehicles. They were introduced into the German military in Nov 1942. They were capable of penetrating about 140 millimeters (about 5.5 inches) of rolled homogeneous armor or about 500 millimeters (about 20 inches) of concrete. At the base of each weapon there were three magnets for attachment to metal surfaces. The ignitors were at the rear of the mine, so that they could be activated (by pulling) after each weapon had been attached to the target. While the operators necessarily exposed themselves to great danger during their approach, once deployed these weapons were very effective. There were two variants of this weapon. The 3 HL variant charges had a weight of 3 kilograms and were shaped like sharp-sloped funnels, while the 3.5 HL variant charges had a weight of 3.5 kilograms and were shaped like softer-sloped bells. Both variants originally had a 4.5-second fuse; examples made after May 1943 had 7.5-second fuses. Production ceased in May 1944 after the introduction of the Panzerfaust grenade launchers, but charges already deployed to front line units continued to be used through the end of the European War. 553,900 examples were made between Nov 1942 and May 1944.

Source: Wikipedia ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Nov 2014

Photographs

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Please help us spread the word:  Reddit  Bluesky  Mastodon Stay updated with WW2DB:  RSS Feeds

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Webite
Your Email
	Your email will not be published
Comment Type	General comment/question Additional information about this page Looking for more information on this topic Looking for information about my relative
Your Comments

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.