Panzerfaust
German anti-tank weapon of World War II. It was a single-use launcher preloaded with a Rocket propelled grenade.
Development began in 1942 on a larger version of the Faustpatrone. The resulting weapon was the Panzerfaust, a very simple weapon weighing only 10 kg. The body was a tube of low-grade steel, around a metre long and 4 cm in diameter. Attached to the upper-side of the tube were a simple sight and trigger; inside the tube was a small charge of black powder for propellant. Fitted to the front of the tube by its tail stem was an oversized warhead, 15 cm in diameter and weighing 3.3 kg. It containing around 1.6 kg of explosive.
The Panzerfaust often had warnings written in large red lettering 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.
The weapon was often fired from the crook of the arm and the shaped charge could penetrate up to 17 cm of steel. After firing, the tube was discarded, making the Pazerfaust the first expendable anti-tank weapon.
It was produced in three versions as the technology improved. The "Panzerfaust 30" was the original version, first delivered in August, 1943. The "30" was indicative of the nominal maximum range of 30 meters. Two later versions saw active use, the Panzerfaust 60 and the Panzerfaust 100. These had increased range of 60 and 100 meters, respectively, and the explosive charge was more powerful. A Panzerfaust 150 was deployed in relatively limited numbers near the end of the war, and a Panzerfaust 250 was planned.
The Panzerfaust was cheap and simple, lighter than the U.S. Bazooka, more effective than the Russian Anti-tank rifle, and less risky than a petrol bomb. The main tactical limitation was its short range.
Altogether, millions were made and widely distributed to the army and civilian defence units toward the end of the war. During the Battle of Berlin, wheelbarrow loads of Panzerfausts were delivered to the defenders.
A related weapon is the Bazooka-like Panzerschreck, which could be reloaded. Relatively few of these were produced.
See also: List of common WWII infantry weapons, List of Axis firearms of WW2
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In German Panzerfaust is the generic term for any RPG.
