World War II Database

1.  BILL says:
14 May 2009 05:24:05 PM

I'm listing the Bazooka under Artillery this weapon gives the the infantryman an edge against tanks. But do you know the story behind the name Bazooka. Bob Burns unique musical instrument made by Arkansas Comedian Bob Burns, and used this instrument in his comedy act.
When looking at the new rocket launcher, one soldier said " It looks like Bob Burns Bazooka to me" and so the name stuck with GI's.

2.  BILL says:
14 May 2009 05:31:17 PM

I was able to fire the 3.5in Bazooka this model was an improved version still used by the U.S. Army in the 1960's. When you fired the weapon, you could see the round going down range. Took my turn as loader and gunner. Fort Bliss, Texas

3.  BILLAnonymous says:
14 May 2009 05:57:37 PM

Launcher,Rocket M1/M1A1 2.36in Official designation. The weapon fired a 3.4 lb,M6A3 rocket,of 60mm calibre . Range 650 yards.
An improved model the M9 this weapon was able to be broken down into two halves for easy of carrying. As the war ended the all-aluminium M18 was being introduced. By the time the war ended, 476,628 bazookas of all types had been produced, along with 15,603,000 rockets of all kinds.

4.  Bill says:
28 Oct 2009 08:20:12 AM

The Germans captured early models of the
bazooka, and improved on the design with
their own version,called the Panzerschreck
or(tank-terror).
The weapon like its American counter-part
was crewed by two soldiers gunner and the
loader, the weapon fired the RPzBGr-4322 hollow charge round.
From 1943 to 1945 314,895 weapons, were
produced, and over 2.2 million rounds.
Panzerschreck anti-tank, rocket launcher
3.4 inch/88mm.
The other version was the 3.9 inch/100mm
model,and was built in small numbers.

5.  Bill says:
6 Nov 2009 04:31:56 PM

More data on the Panzerschreck RPzB-43.
Rate of fire was about 2rds. per minute.
Effective range 150m, Weight of the launcher
was 9.25Kgs. The 88mm round weighted 3.25Kgs.
The maxium armor perforation was 200mm

6.  Bill says:
11 Dec 2009 02:00:31 PM

The Panzerfaust (Armor fist) this was an
inexpensive anti-tank weapon, it was also
disposable, launch tube fired by one soldier.
The weapon had its drawbacks, it was noted,
not to stand behind the weapon because of its backblast. The warning read:
Achtung! Feuerstrah! (Beware! Fire Jet)
The Germans produced over 6,000,000 from
1943 to 1945.
The Panzerfaust 150 variant, was the basis
for the development of the Russian RPG-2 that
evolved into the RPG-7 Shoulder Fired Anti- Tank Weapon.

7.  Bill says:
10 Aug 2010 09:43:28 AM

"Tools of the Trade"

The Germans used different types of hand
grenades one of the most famous was the
"Potato masher"

This weapon known to the Germans as the M-24 Stielhandgranate or(Stick hand grenade)was
used by the German army throughout WWII.

To activate the weapon, unscrew the cap at
the bottom of the handle, and the pull cord falls out, pull on the cord and throw!

The M-24 could be thrown between 30-40 yards
To speed production, a more simpler version
was the M-43 used near the end of the war.

"The egg Grenade"

The Model M-39 (Eierhandgranate)or egg hand grenade was introduced in 1939, and produced
until the end of the war.

To activate the weapon, unscrew the cap on
the top and pull-cord falls out, tug sharply
and throw! because it had a 4 second fuse.

To see the M-39 used,German official has two M-39 hand grenades, under the family dinning
table,and uses them to kill his family.

Academy Award Nominee Best Foreign Language Film.
"Downfall"/ Sony Pictures 2005. The Last Days of the Third Reich, takes you into
Hitler's bunker in Berlin, April 1945.

8.  Bill says:
12 Aug 2010 09:56:39 AM

"Goliath"

Sd.Kfz Zwergpanzer was a remote-controlled
tracked vehicle used as a tank-buster, mine,
demolition and reconnasince, some were even
fitted with a camera.

Used by Special panzer and engineer units
Goliath was controlled by wire,and guided to its target by the operator.

The first models,carried 75Kgs of explosives
later versions carried as much as 100Kgs of
exposives. Improved models, were powered by larger batteries,or by gasoline engines.

9.  Bill says:
12 Aug 2010 01:03:15 PM

"Grenade!"

The British Mills Bomb was pineapple shaped with a cast iron body, deeply grooved to
allow it to break into fragments.

The soldier grasps the grenade holding the lever, pulls the pin, and throws as the
grenade leaves the soldiers hand, the lever
flies off starting the fuse, and dive for
cover.
The Mills Bomb, could be fired from a rifle
using a blank cartridge to launch the
grenade, range about 200 yards or 182 meters

Grenade, Hand, Fragmentation Mk 2 or better
known to American GI's, as the "Pineapple"
This grenade has a killing radius of 5 meters
with a casualty-radius of 15 meters.

Millions were produced during WWII, and used
during later conflicts. Some were even used
during the Vietnam war. The Mk 2 has been
phased out of service, the last service to
use the Mk 2, was the US Navy.

Japanese Type 91,was a fragmentation grenade
that could also be fired from a small mortar

In the grenade role the pin is pulled and the striker is hit against the boot-heel to
start the fuse, before throwing.

The Italians also developed hand grenades with all-ways impact fuses which had a habit
of not always working when they landed, but were effective when they did.

Italian Bomba a Mado Mod. 35
For some reason, these grenades were painted
red and given the nickname "Red Devils".
This weapon had a reputation for being very
dangerous when found in a unexploded condition.
Other Italian grenades are, Breda Mod.45 and
Mod.35 Bomba a Mano Tipo S.I.P.E. grenade.

During WWII The Italians used both German and
captured allied hand grenades.

Personal note

During Basic training I got the feel of throwing those "Blue" training grenades, before using the live ones.
Trained with the old Mk 2 hand grenade, the army was using the last of them up in the
1960's.

Advanced to the M 26 hand grenade and the
M 79 40mm grenade launcher. And other anti-
personnel weapons.

"Watch Out Left Handed Thrower!"

Being left handed, I had to hold the grenade
upside down,with the lever away from me,pull
the pin with my right index finger, before throwing, you yell grenade!, as I throw the grenade the lever flies away, and I hit the dirt.
Right handed men, threw the grenade right-
side up. In training I remember left handed men to the left, right handed men to the right.

Russian hand grenade RG42,type 42 used by the Red army during WWII, shaped like a tin can with a grooved diamond pattern, it had
a 3-4 second fuse.

Type 1, M33 also used by the Red army and looked like the American Mk 2 and the WWII British Mills Bomb with cast iron body.

RDG33 Stick grenade looked like the German M-24. RKG3 and 3M Anti-Tank grenade and the
RDG5.
Years later these weapons were used by
Communist forces during the Vietnam war.