Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck

Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck PDF Author: Gordon L. Rottman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 178200789X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 82

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Book Description
Two of World War II's most distinctive weapons, the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck offered German and other infantrymen the ability to destroy enemy tanks singlehandedly at close ranges. While the Panzerschreck owed its origins largely to the US bazooka, the Panzerfaust was a revolutionary design that was unlike any previous weapon, and went on to influence anti-tank technology and tactics for decades after World War II. Allied troops, notably Soviet forces, made widespread use of captured Panzerfäuste, and they were also supplied to German allies such as Finland, Hungary and Bulgaria. Written by an expert on anti-tank warfare, this book reveals the fascinating development history of these two feared weapons and assesses the tactics that were employed by the soldiers using them.

Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck

Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck PDF Author: Gordon L. Rottman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 178200789X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 82

Get Book Here

Book Description
Two of World War II's most distinctive weapons, the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck offered German and other infantrymen the ability to destroy enemy tanks singlehandedly at close ranges. While the Panzerschreck owed its origins largely to the US bazooka, the Panzerfaust was a revolutionary design that was unlike any previous weapon, and went on to influence anti-tank technology and tactics for decades after World War II. Allied troops, notably Soviet forces, made widespread use of captured Panzerfäuste, and they were also supplied to German allies such as Finland, Hungary and Bulgaria. Written by an expert on anti-tank warfare, this book reveals the fascinating development history of these two feared weapons and assesses the tactics that were employed by the soldiers using them.

Panzerfaust vs Sherman

Panzerfaust vs Sherman PDF Author: Steven J. Zaloga
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472832329
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81

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Book Description
In the summer of 1944, across the battlefields of Normandy, US tanks were confronted with a dangerous challenge: the mobile and deadly Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck anti-tank weapons wielded by the German infantry. Having only occasionally encountered such weaponry before, the US tankers were ill-equipped to defend against this kind of attack, and the threat only increased as the summer wore on. This Duel title follows the technological battle for dominance that ensued, as the US Army devised new ways to defend against the threat posed by the German shaped-charge projectiles. From the addition of sandbags and spare tracks to individual tanks made by anxious crews on the ground to the large-scale programmes put together by the US armies, the book explores the implementation and effectiveness of the various tactics employed by the tank crews, as well as the technology behind the anti-tank weapons wielded by their German adversaries. Drawing on first-hand accounts from the men on the ground, this illustrated title examines the evolving trial of strength between US armour and innovative German anti-tank weaponry in the climactic months of World War II in Europe.

Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck

Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck PDF Author: Gordon L. Rottman
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781782007883
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
These lethal man-portable anti-tank weapons enabled Wehrmacht infantry to destroy T-34 and Sherman tanks. Written by an expert on anti-tank warfare, this book reveals the fascinating development history of the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck and accessess the tactics that were employed by the soldiers using these two feared weapons. Two of World War II's most distinctive weapons, the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck offered German and other infantrymen the ability to destroy enemy tanks singlehandedly at close range. While the Panzerschreck owed its origins largely to the US bazooka, the Panzerfaust was a revolutionary design that was unlike any previous weapon, and went on to influence anti-tank technology and tactics for decades after World War II. Germany had begun World War II with several inadequate antitank weapons for infantry use, supplemented by improvised and captured weapons and, from 1942, a hand-delivered 3kg antitank shaped charge. As the fortunes of war turned against Germany, what was desperately needed was an antitank weapon that allowed the individual soldier to destroy a tank. The first effort to field such a weapon began with the Faustpatrone 43, a handheld short tube with a propellant charge and an over-caliber, shaped-charge warhead; it was the first of the Panzerfaust ("armor fist") series of anti-tank weapons. The warhead was propelled by a launcher cartridge. The sights were extremely crude, but more sophisticated sights were unnecessary owing to the short ranges and the fact that tanks were large targets. Panzerfaust models were designated by two- or three-digit numbers indicating their approximate range in meters. The reloadable Panzerfaust 250 was under development a the war's end, as was an anti-personnel high-explosive-fragmentation projectile. The Panzerfaust was not manned by a dedicated crew but was issued to individuals. Training was extremely simple and given in the form of a lecture and demonstrations, often without even any live fire. German propaganda made much of the Panzerfaust capable of being use by Hitler Youth teenagers, old men of the Volkssturm and other civilians. Over eight million Panzerfauste of all types were produced, and they became as widely used as hand grenades. They proved to be comparatively effective against tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, as well as fortifications and buildings. Allied troops, notably Soviet forces, made widespread use of captured Panzerfauste, and they were also supplied to German allies such as Finland, Hungary, and Bulgaria. The Germans provided the Japanese with examples and plans for the Panzerfaust and they went on to develop their own reloadable and very different version called the 45mm Type 5 recoilless anti-tank weapon; it was to be used to defend the Home Islands.

The Bazooka

The Bazooka PDF Author: Gordon L. Rottman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780964633
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 173

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Book Description
Most belligerents entering World War II armed their infantry with bulky and ineffectual anti-tank rifles as their primary means of combating tanks. US planners realized that what infantrymen needed was a relatively lightweight, man-portable anti-tank weapon that was simple to operate, accurate, and capable of knocking out the average tank at a reasonable range, while also being effective against fortified buildings, pillboxes, and personnel in the open. The bazooka combined a revolutionary new anti-tank rifle-grenade warhead, a much-modified British anti-aircraft rocket motor, and a cobbled-together launcher tube and electrical firing system; its first test-firing astounded observers, and it was immediately adopted by the US armed forces. Featuring specially drawn colour artwork, this engaging study tells the story of the bazooka, which set the standard for future light anti-tank weapons and their ammunition, and was a key influence on anti-tank tactics and techniques in the post-war era.

The Hand Grenade

The Hand Grenade PDF Author: Gordon L. Rottman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472807367
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
Allowing the user to inflict damage on his opponent within throwing range without leaving cover, the portable, lethally efficient hand grenade is a ubiquitous weapon of modern warfare, and has now found its way into law-enforcement arsenals too. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and an array of revealing photographs of grenades in use and in close-up, this engaging study explores and assesses the origins, development, combat use, and lasting legacy of the formidable military hand grenade.

The Browning Automatic Rifle

The Browning Automatic Rifle PDF Author: Robert R. Hodges Jr.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780964102
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
For nearly fifty years the hard-hitting, mobile Browning Automatic Rifle, or BAR, served in US infantry units as a light squad automatic “base of fire” weapon, providing quick bursts of concentrated fire. Designed in World War One, it didn't reach the front until September 1918. In the interwar years US forces used the BAR across the world, from China to Nicaragua. It also became a favorite of notorious gangsters like Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, who prized its ability to punch through police armored cars. At the outset of World War II the US armed forces decided to adapt the BAR for a light machine gun role. The BAR was not without its flaws; it was heavy and difficult to dismantle and reassemble, and it didn't cope well with sustained fire. Nevertheless, the BAR saw action in every major theater of World War II and went on to be used in Korea and in the opening stages of the Vietnam War. Featuring arresting first-hand accounts, specially drawn full-color artwork and close-up photographs, many in color, this lively study offers a vivid portrait of this powerful, long-lived and innovative weapon that saw service with US and other forces across the world for much of the 20th century.

The PIAT

The PIAT PDF Author: Matthew Moss
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472838149
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81

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Book Description
Designed in 1942, Britain's innovative Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT) provided British and Commonwealth troops with a much-needed means of taking on Germany's formidable Panzers. Replacing the inadequate Boys anti-tank rifle, it was conceived in the top-secret World War II research and development organization known colloquially as 'Churchill's Toyshop', alongside other ingenious weapons such as the sticky bomb, the limpet mine and the time-pencil fuse. Unlike the more famous US bazooka, the PIAT had its roots in something simpler than rocket science. Operated from the shoulder, the PIAT was a spigot mortar which fired a heavy high-explosive bomb, with its main spring soaking up the recoil. The PIAT had a limited effective range. Troops required nerves of steel to get close enough to an enemy tank to ensure a direct hit, often approaching to within 50ft of the target, and no fewer than six Victoria Crosses were won during World War II by soldiers operating PIATs. A front-line weapon in every theatre of the conflict in which Commonwealth troops fought, from Europe to the Far East, the PIAT remained in service after 1945, seeing action during the Greek Civil War, the Arab–Israeli conflict and the Korean War. This illustrated study combines detailed research with expert analysis to reveal the full story of the design, development and deployment of this revolutionary weapon.

Desperate Measures

Desperate Measures PDF Author: W. Darrin Weaver
Publisher: Collector Grade Publications
ISBN: 9780889353725
Category : Military weapons
Languages : en
Pages : 394

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Book Description


US Grenade Launchers

US Grenade Launchers PDF Author: Gordon L. Rottman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472819543
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81

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Book Description
In an effort to provide the US infantryman with more firepower to cover the range gap between the hand grenade and the light mortar, the 40mm M79 grenade launcher – a shoulder-fired, single-shot weapon – entered service with US forces in 1961. Reliable, easy to use, and lethally effective, the M79 soon became an iconic symbol of the Vietnam War and had a profound influence on small-unit tactics. As the Vietnam conflict continued, it was joined on the front line by experimental models such as the magazine-fed T148E1, as well as two launchers intended to be fitted under the barrel of the new M16 assault rifle: Colt's XM148 and AAI Corporation's M203. The M203 remains in US Army service today, while the US Marine Corps now also fields the M32 multiple grenade launcher – like the M79, a standalone weapon. Featuring full-colour artwork, this is the story of the rugged and formidable grenade launchers that equipped the United States and its allies in Vietnam and beyond from the 1960s to the present day.

The Flamethrower

The Flamethrower PDF Author: Chris McNab
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472809041
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
The focus of this book is a weapon that has literally placed the power of fire in human hands – the man-portable flamethrower. This formidable weapon first saw battlefield use in the hands of German troops during World War I, and went on to arm the forces of many countries in World War II and beyond. Capable of inflicting horrific injuries – or of using up the oxygen supply inside a building, causing the occupants to suffocate – it projected a stream of flammable liquid, which could be 'bounced' off the interior surfaces of tunnels, buildings and other defended structures to reach deep inside a fortification. From its combat debut to its deployment in Vietnam, Chechnya and elsewhere, the flamethrower has proven to be devastatingly effective, not least because of its huge psychological impact on enemy troops. Yet despite this, the weapon and its operators have always been vulnerable, suffering from a very particular set of limitations, all of which are explored here. Featuring expert analysis, first-hand accounts and a startling array of illustrations and photographs, this is the definitive guide to an extraordinary chapter in the history of military technology.