The Volkssturm was supposed to stop the Soviet tanks. Volkssturm was supposed to stop the Soviet tanks Panzerfaust 60

The term "wunderwaffe" (Wunderwaffe) was introduced by the Nazi propaganda ministry to refer to large-scale research projects aimed at creating new types of weapons, new types of artillery and armored vehicles (you can recall, for example, Panzerkampfwagen VII Löwe tanks, Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus, E-100; or anti-tank guided missiles Rumpelstilzchen, Rochen, or turbojet fighters Messerschmitt Me.262 "Schwalbe", Heinkel He-162 "Salamander", etc.). Sven Felix Kellerhof, in an article published by Die Welt, considers German panzerfausts, panzerschrecks as such a "miracle weapon" that in 1945 could only slow down the advance of Soviet troops, somewhat delay the inevitable defeat of Germany.

Volkssturm - units of the people's militia

Volkssturm soldiers learning to use the Panzerfaust, early days of April 1945.

A simple pipe with a grenade: the Volkssturm had to stop soviet tanks in the spring of 1945 by simple means. It was the concept of a suicide squad.

There is no more dangerous place on the battlefield than a few tens of meters in front of enemy tanks. Although their guns at this distance are already ineffective. But almost every tank has one or two machine guns. Most of the Panzerfaust models, with which the German soldiers were supposed to delay the Red Army in the spring of 1945, had an effective fire range of only 30-50 meters. Several million of these disposable grenade launchers were created starting from 1943 and delivered to the Wehrmacht.

In the spring of 1945, they were the last, deceptive hope to delay the armada of Soviet tanks, which were waiting on the Oder for an order to march towards Berlin. The newspaper "People's Observer" ("Völkische Beobachter") printed sketches on the correct use of panzerfausts, the latest film magazines "German Weekly Review" (Die Deutsche Wochenschau) of the Ministry of Propaganda showed drill techniques with these weapons.

At the end of March 1945, Joseph Goebbels dictated to his secretary: " Dr. Lei was at the Fuhrer's and explained to him the question of justifying the volunteer corps.". (site note: Freikorps, Freikorps, free corps, volunteer corps - the name of a number of paramilitary patriotic formations that existed in Germany and Austria in the 18-20 centuries). The formation, founded as free corps of the Napoleonic wars, was supposed to bear the name " Volunteer Corps Adolf Hitler.

Its members were to form "anti-tank combat units", which are "equipped only with panzerfausts, assault rifles and bicycles". This self-restraint was inevitable, since the Wehrmacht had scarcely large material resources at its disposal.

Photo: German Federal Archives.

Due to his excessive alcohol consumption, many Germans informally referred to Ley as "Reichstrunkenbold" ("imperial drunkard"). So, Goebbels was certainly right, such as Ley will not be able to motivate the "volunteer corps" to fight not for life, but for death. But just as pointless was the creation of formations equipped only with assault rifles and panzerfausts. Such battle groups were actually suicide bombers.

Actually, the idea was not bad for this weapon. The German military industry could not produce enough anti-tank guns to compete with the mass production of enemy factories. Anti-tank guns from the first days of the war were ineffective against modern models of such Soviet tanks as the T-34-85 and IS-2 or the American Pershings -2 - October 31, 1943, and baptism of fire - at the beginning of 1944; M26 "Pershing" - entered the first battle in February 1945).

During the fighting in Tunisia 1942-43. Wehrmacht seized American anti-tank weapons - "Bazooka". On its basis, a significantly improved version was developed - " Panzerschreck". Its reactive shaped charge could penetrate up to 150 mm of armored steel at a distance of 200 meters. An ominous weapon, but relatively expensive and difficult to manufacture.

Therefore, in parallel with the "panzerschreck", a simpler version was developed. The charge of the mine was attached to a conventional barrel, there was almost no recoil, the speed was increased to 60 meters per second. When hit in the tank hull, tank armor could be pierced and the crew destroyed. But the "Panzerfaust" had a major drawback: the effective firing range was less than one third of the "Panzerschreck". Therefore, they were only suitable for attacks at close range.

The anti-tank formations, which mainly consisted of the old men of the Volkssturm and the Hitler Youth, were supposed to hide in the trenches, in ruins, until the Soviet tank approached 50 meters, or even less. Only then did they point their weapons at the tank with a simple tin as a sight, and fire. In a matter of seconds after the explosion of a shaped charge grenade, they had to jump up and change their position. The wrecked tank delayed the further advance of the enemy.

This is theory. And it had nothing, or almost nothing, to do with practice. Since the forward detachments of the Red Army troops very quickly realized that the Wehrmacht had new weapons. They adapted their tactics. Potential nests of resistance were fired upon from machine guns and tank machine guns as they advanced. Artillery fired at blind spots as a precaution before the tanks approached.

No one knows how many boys and old men from the anti-tank formations who tried to get the T-34-85 close enough to hit them died. Nor does anyone know how many of the approximately 2,000 Soviet tanks destroyed in the Battle of Berlin were hit by Panzerfausts. Regardless, the last miracle weapon of the Third Reich was a mistake. Because panzerfaust, in principle, is only suitable for slowing down the advance of the enemy.

In the spring of 1945, the Wehrmacht no longer had troops and materiel for a counterattack, nor a sufficient number of tanks and aircraft, there was also too little fuel and ammunition. The containment of the advance of the enemy by the suicide squads could thus only delay the inevitable defeat.

Panzerfaust grenade launcher (armored (tank) fist) - German single-use grenade launcher from the Second World War.

He came to replace the faustpatron and was used by the German troops until the end of the war. One of its modifications (Panzerfaust 150) became the basis for the Soviet counterpart RPG-2.

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The image of the invincibility of tanks compared to infantry faded with the advent of the Panzerschreck and Ofenrohr anti-tank rifles, and finally ceased to exist after the appearance in August 1943 of the Faustpatron disposable anti-tank grenade launchers. This rocket-propelled weapon was developed by the designers of the Leipzig company Hazag. Depending on the version of the Faustpatron, its rocket-propelled grenade hit a steel sheet with a thickness of 140 to 200 mm, and a grenade that never entered service with the Faustpatron - 150 m could pierce a steel sheet 280-320 mm thick.

The development of the Panzerfaust grenade launcher began in 1942 on enlarged Faustpatrone samples. As a result, Panzerfaust was developed, which is a steel pipe with a diameter of 5 cm and a length of 1 meter. On top was a sight and a starter. Aiming was carried out by combining the sight and the upper edge of the warhead. A charge of gunpowder was placed inside the tube. Ahead was a warhead with a diameter of 15 cm, weighing up to 3 kg and containing 0.8 kg of explosive.

A red inscription in German was applied to the pipe: “Achtung! Feuerstrahl! ("Watch out! Jet blast!"), warning soldiers not to stand behind the user of the weapon. Jet blast burns up to 3 meters away were fatal. According to the instructions, there should be 10 meters of free space behind the shooter. Like the Faustpatrone, the Panzerfaust was disposable and discarded after being fired. The projectile could penetrate steel sheet up to 200 mm thick.

In urban combat conditions, a small distance made it possible to use weapons with high (although later greatly exaggerated) efficiency, which was especially noticeable in the battle for Berlin. The simplicity of the weapon made it possible to create it in the conditions of a besieged city and immediately transfer it to low-skilled defenders.

Many panzerfausts were sold to Finland as the main anti-tank weapon against the Soviet T-34 and IS-2 tanks.

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Part of the captured "faustpatrons" (as the soldiers of the allied forces mistakenly called both panzerfausts and faustpatrons) was also used by the Soviet army in the development of the first samples of the RPG-2.

The very first version of the weapon was the Panzerfaust 30 "Gretchen", developed by Dr. Langweiter from the company "Hugo Schneider AG", officially it was called "Panzerfaust 30 small" (kleine). It was a pipe 762 mm long, from which a cumulative grenade with a mass of 1.5 kg and a diameter of 100 mm was fired at a speed of approximately 30 m / s. The ammunition used the cumulative Monroe principle: a high-explosive charge from the inside had a cone-shaped notch covered with copper, the wide part forward. When such a projectile hit the armor plate, the charge detonated at some distance from it and the entire force of the explosion rushed forward. The charge burned through the copper cone at its top, which in turn created the effect of a thin directed jet of molten metal and hot gases hitting the armor at a speed of about 6000 m / s. "Panzerfaust 30 (small)" did not have sights, and the maximum effect was achieved when firing at a distance of up to 30 meters: the grenade was able to penetrate a 140 mm armor sheet at an angle of 30 degrees. The shot was carried out with the help of an expelling charge placed inside the pipe,

The Panzerfaust 30 kleine was replaced by the Panzerfaust 30 grenade launcher, used since August 1943, which was distinguished by a warhead of increased diameter and increased armor penetration. The number 30 means the weapon's nominal maximum range in meters.

The most common version of the grenade launcher is the Panzerfaust 60, which began production in August 1944. The distance was increased to 60 meters, for which the pipe diameter was increased from 4.4 to 5 cm and the mass of the charge was increased by 134 g. The launch mechanism was also improved. As a result, the mass of the grenade launcher was increased.

The latest version of the Panzerfaust weapon is the Panzerfaust 100 grenade launcher, which entered the troops in November 1944. The nominal distance has been increased to 150 meters. The diameter of the pipe was again increased to 6 cm. Holes with luminescent marks appeared on the sight at 30, 60, 80 and 150 meters.

In addition, at the very end of the war, a limited series of Panzerfaust 150 was released. The changes affected the warhead, and the charge was divided into two parts, which increased the projectile speed to 85 m / s and penetration. The pipe could be reused up to ten times.

Also, the Panzerfaust 250 grenade launcher was planned for release in September 1945, but the development was not completed.

In addition, many modifications of the panzerfaust were made:

One of the designs allowed it to be used as an anti-personnel weapon: the kit included a small rocket, Kleinrakete zur Infanteriebekampfung ("small anti-infantry rocket"), the warhead was 24.5 cm long and 7.6 cm in diameter, only a few examples of this were made design, because it turned out that the range was the same as that of rifle grenades.

In late 1944, the Panzerfaust 150 used a projectile (with an increased fragmentation effect) with a connection to shrapnel rings (Splitterringe), notched like hand grenades, to increase the fragmentation effect. Such a grenade simultaneously hit both the tank and the infantry of the Soviet army, often located on the armor.

Another development was the Schrappnellfaust ("shrapnel fist"), unlike the Panzerfaust, it was rechargeable, also designed to defeat infantry. The Shrapnel Fist weighed 8 kg and had a maximum range of 400 meters.

In January 1945, a new warhead was developed for the Panzerfaust called the Verbesserte Panzerfaust ("improved armor fist"). This modification had a tube diameter of 160 mm with variable detonation distance. There is no evidence that this warhead was used by the Wehrmacht.

• Weapons » Grenade launchers » Germany
• Mercenary 8411 1

If in the first period of the Eastern campaign the German army, given the relative weakness of its own anti-tank artillery, focused on the use of special. shells, which made it possible to increase the armor-piercing effect when firing from anti-tank guns and the use of guns with a low initial speed to destroy tanks, then from the middle of 1942, the massive use of the Red Army tanks KB-1 and T-34 forced the Wehrmacht to start looking for fundamentally new means for their destruction. In close combat, the German infantry with enemy tanks remained virtually one on one, since the 50-mm anti-tank guns PAK.38 and 37-mm PAK.35 / 36, German anti-tank rifles, hand grenades, and Molotov cocktails could not hit on minimum distances even medium tanks.

It was called "Faustpatron 1", "Faustpatron small" (klein), "Faustpatron 30" or, later, "Panzerfaust 30" (here index 30 is the effective firing range in meters). In the Red Army, the name "Faustpatron" was fixed as the cumulative designation of all German disposable anti-tank grenade launchers.

German grenade launchers with RPG "Panzerfaust" 30M in ambush. June 1944

Faustpatron small

In this regard, German designers continued research in this direction. The main condition for the new, in addition to armor penetration of more than 150 millimeters, was the combination of lightness and high power inherent in recoilless systems. In addition, they sought to reduce the cost of production by means of the widespread introduction of non-deficient materials and stamp-welded structures. A real breakthrough in this area was the proposal of an engineer, Dr. Heinrich Langweiler from the department of HASAG (Leipzig), who worked on reactive and dynamo-reactive weapons. In the spring of 1942, Langweiler formulated the concept of a new anti-tank hand weapon that had no recoil when fired. This weapon was called Faustpatrone 1 ("Faustpatron" - fist cartridge). This name subsequently became common to all samples of dynamo-reactive hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers (RPGs) in Germany. In addition, the new weapon has long been referred to by its unofficial nickname "Gretchen". The Faustpatrone 1 was one of the first in a line of so-called "wonder weapons" developed by German gunsmiths during World War II.

For the first time in one design, a fairly effective warhead of a 3.7 cm Stiel-Gr. Patr.41 and a rocket engine (powder charge) placed in the bore. The use of ammunition in this weapon with a low initial velocity and a reduction in recoil to a level acceptable to the shooter made it possible to create a model that allowed sustained fire, both from the machine and from the hand. This disposable grenade launcher, which is, in fact, a reactive anti-tank grenade, consisted of two parts (mainly manufactured by cold stamping): an over-caliber cumulative grenade with a tail stabilizer and a hollow tube-barrel open on both sides (length 360 mm) containing a powder propellant charge. The grenade was inserted into the barrel in front. A trigger mechanism was assembled on the barrel. Part of the powder gases during a shot through an open barrel was diverted back, while a forward reactive force was created to balance the recoil force. "Faustpatron" was served by one person. But since when fired, a beam (force) of flame from a burning charge arose, the grenade launcher had to hold a new weapon at arm's length. This position significantly reduced the accuracy of aiming. This design affected the accuracy of the weapon. The first version of the RPG was unsuccessful due to the shortcomings of the grenade, short range and extremely low accuracy of fire. But, despite this, the combination of low-velocity cumulative ammunition in one weapon and the absence of recoil during the shot promised that this maneuverable and light infantry anti-tank weapon, which allows firing from the hand, is cheap and easy to manufacture, can revolutionize military affairs, so as it has great potential reserves for further improvement.

In the fall of 42 - in the winter of 43, Langweiler continued to upgrade his grenade launcher. Already in March 43, the HASAG company handed over to the HWaA (Wehrmacht Arms Department) an improved version of the Faustpatron - a dynamo-active 101-mm Panzerfaust Klein 30M (“armored fist”) anti-tank grenade launcher. The designer modified his grenade launcher by lengthening the barrel to 800 millimeters, which made it possible to take it by the arm. The grenade was inserted in the front. The changes made mainly affected the over-caliber cumulative action grenade: its caliber was reduced, the head fairing received a new shape, which was more successful, the tail rod of the grenade was replaced with a stem (a tube with a wooden tip) with elastic plumage attached to it. The plumage consisted of four folding stabilizers. The stalk was connected to the body of the grenade by a thread. An explosive shaped charge was placed in the body of the grenade (a mixture of TNT and RDX in the proportion of 40/60%). The metal parts of the grenade were made by stamping. The 33mm barrel was a smoothbore metal tube. With the help of welding, a spring-loaded push-button mechanism and an aiming post were fixed on the barrel. The composition of the firing mechanism includes a tube of the percussion mechanism, a trigger button, a retractable stem with a screw, a sleeve with an igniter primer and a return spring. The percussion mechanism was installed in two main positions - on the cocked and on the fuse. A propellant charge, consisting of fine-grained smoky gunpowder, contained in a cylindrical cardboard charge, was attached to the barrel with a screw. The propellant charge was separated from the grenade by a plastic wad. Sights - rear and front sights. Instead of a front sight, the upper edge of the grenade shell was used. The rear viewfinder was a figured slot in the aiming folding bar, which was pivotally connected to the USM body. For firing at night, the front sight and sight were covered with luminescent paint. In the stowed position, the folding bar, fixed to the eye of the grenade with a pin and adjacent to the barrel, served as a stopper for the grenade and the firing mechanism. In this position of the aiming bar, it is impossible to cock the drummer, since the trigger button was closed, and, therefore, the shot was impossible. Grenade launchers were painted yellow-brown or dark green.

General appearance of the RPG "Panzerfaust" 30M

The grenade launchers were handed over to the troops assembled, however, in order to fire a shot, it was necessary to first charge the Panzerfaust, while loading was carried out immediately before combat use. For loading, it was necessary, without removing the safety pin, by turning the grenade body counterclockwise to separate the warhead from the grenade stem. The stem remained in the barrel of the grenade launcher. A metal cup was placed in the body tube, having a bottom inertial fuse of a non-safety type and a standard detonator kl. ZdTg.34 Np, 10. Connect the grenade and stabilizer in reverse. Before the shot, the safety pin located in front of the barrel was removed. After that, the aiming bar was raised and the firing mechanism was cocked. For cocking, the stem inside the body was moved forward, while the primer was brought to the ignition hole. Then it was pulled back, turned 90 degrees counterclockwise, removing the mechanism from the safety lock. When the shutter button was pressed, a beam of fire was transmitted from the igniter cap to the expelling charge. The expelling charge, igniting, threw the grenade out of the barrel.

In order to make a shot, the barrel was wrapped around with both hands and, holding tightly under the arm, aiming and pressing the trigger were carried out. After the grenade was ejected from the barrel, the folded stabilizer blades opened up. A jet of powder gases, escaping from the open rear end of the barrel and reaching a length of 4 meters, created a danger to the shooter. In this regard, in order to avoid the ricochet of the reflected flame of the shooter and other people, as well as combustible materials and ammunition, there should not have been obstacles behind him at a distance of 10 meters. This was warned by the inscription “Attention! Powerful ray of fire!" placed on the stem. Thus, the use of this weapon had certain restrictions, including a ban on the use of enclosed spaces. At the time of the shot, the impact mechanism of the fuse was cocked, which worked during the meeting of the head of the grenade and any obstacle. When fired, the grenade launcher practically did not feel the effect of recoil. After the shot, the launch tube was thrown away, since it was not subject to reloading. If, after the drummer was cocked and the trigger removed from the fuse, there was no need to fire, the grenade launcher could be removed from the cocking and put on the fuse. To do this, you need to lower the aiming bar to the barrel and insert the pin back into the cutout at the end of the aiming bar and the eye of the grenade.

From left to right: RPG "Panzerfaust". 60M; Sight and percussion trigger RPG "Panzerfaust" 60M; Sights (front sight on a grenade and sight) RPG "Panzerfaust" 60M, painted with luminous paint for firing at night (drawings from the German manual of 1944 edition)

Panzerfaust Klein 30M grenade launchers were transported 4 pieces in wooden boxes in an unfinished equipped form, that is, without detonating devices and fuses, placed separately in cardboard cases.

With a grenade launcher mass equal to 3.25 kilograms, its armor penetration at 30 meters was up to 150 millimeters. This was one of the best results for that time, which allowed the German infantry to destroy almost all types of enemy tanks. However, the short range of the grenade made firing from the Panzerfaust Klein 30M problematic, since the grenade launcher could die under the tracks of an armored vehicle. As a result, a new tactic for combating armored vehicles appeared - flank fire was fired at tanks: in populated areas - from behind structures, in the field - from light shelters or trenches.

Sealing box RPG "Panzerfaust" 60M in a separate package stored bottom inertial fuses and igniter caps kl.zdlg.34

In August 1943, HASAG, having mastered the mass production of Klein 30M hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, produced 8.7 thousand units. The Panzerfaust was first used successfully in combat on the Eastern Front in Ukraine in November 1943. By October, the production of this cheap and at the same time very effective weapon was already 200 thousand pieces. per month. The following figures speak of the success of this anti-tank weapon: in the period from January to April 1944, 520 tanks were destroyed by German infantry on the Eastern Front in close combat. At the same time, Panzerfaust dynamo-reactive RPGs accounted for 264 units, while Ofenrohr RPzB.43 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers accounted for only 88 tanks.

Langweiler grenade launchers had a rare feature - the potential for their further improvement was very wide. The army's need for more powerful weapons led to the creation of an upgraded 149mm Panzerfaust 30M RPG. The grenade, whose mass was 2.4 kg, made it possible to penetrate armor up to 200 millimeters thick, with the same firing range - 30 meters. At the beginning of 44, the Faustpatrons were subject to a radical modernization. This significantly increased the combat qualities of the grenade launcher, simplified manufacturing, and increased the range of aimed fire to 60 meters. The changes made to the modification of the 149 mm Panzerfaust 60M grenade launcher were as follows:
- the diameter of the launch tube-barrel increased to 50 millimeters;
- an increase in the thickness of the walls (throwing pipe) of the barrel increased the resistance to mechanical damage during transportation and combat operations. In addition, this allowed the use of more powerful gunpowder and also increased the weight of the propellant charge. This increased the muzzle velocity of the grenade from 45 to 60 meters per second;
- a grenade of a new design was connected to the stem with a spring latch, and not with a threaded connection. This simplified the loading of the weapon and made it possible to install the front sight on the rim of the grenade, allowing more aimed fire from the grenade launcher;
- the push-button percussion mechanism of the early Faustpatrons, which was not entirely successful, was replaced with a simple lever. A new Javelot-type igniter primer was installed in it, which operated reliably in adverse conditions;
- changed the design of the sight. Now it was designed for three fixed firing ranges - 30, 60 and 80 meters (the first models of grenade launchers had only one fixed sight range);
- while maintaining armor penetration (200 millimeters at an angle of 30 degrees), a grenade of increased mass (2.8 kg) could hit armored targets at a distance of up to 80 meters. In addition, the anti-tank grenade launcher could now be used to destroy defensive structures;
- the mass of the upgraded grenade launcher was 3.3 kg, and the grenade launcher assembly (with a grenade) increased from 5.35 kg to 6.25 kg.

Aiming methods from Panzerfaust

As the experience of combat use of the Panzerfaust increased, the views of the Wehrmacht command on this weapon also changed. In 1943 and at the beginning of 1944, while hostilities were taking place on the territory of the USSR with its vast territories, the effectiveness of this weapon was insufficient, since the short firing range (up to 60 meters) did not allow the widespread use of RPGs in the field. In this regard, Panzerfaust was in service only with tank destroyers, who set up ambushes in fortified areas, near bridges, roads, in settlements, etc. And only in the spring and summer of 1944, when the Soviet army entered the territory of densely built-up Eastern Europe, the Faustpatrons began en masse to enter service with the German infantry. This dramatic change in the situation was also facilitated by the deployment of large-scale production of RPGs. By the autumn of 1944, the German military industry was able to establish an ever-growing production of Panzerfaust. In April 1944, Panzerfaust 30M production reached 100,000 units. and Panzerfaust 60M - 200 thousand units. In May - October of the same year, their monthly output was already 400 thousand units, in November - 1.084 million units, and in December this figure was already 1.3 million units. At the same time, the consumption of Panzerfaust 30M and Panzerfaust 60M in November 1944, during the fighting in Poland, Prussia and Hungary, amounted to only 209 thousand units. In January - April 45, German enterprises produced more than 2.8 million Faustpatron grenade launchers. In addition to all enterprises of the HASAG concern in Schlieben and Leipzig, other companies were engaged in the release of Faustpatrone. The production of explosives for these RPGs was carried out by: Rheinische Gummi- & Celluloid- Fabrik, Buhrle & Co and Oerlikon, and the production of Volkswagen launch tubes was one of the largest automobile plants in Germany. Moreover, the need of the German troops for these weapons was so great that the guides of the Panzerfaust, which was a disposable weapon, were not thrown away after use. In combat units, they were collected to be sent for re-reloading with grenades in the factory.

In 1944-1945, the Faustpatron was the main PTS of infantry divisions, people's grenadier divisions, and Volkssturm battalions. So, for example, in the fall of 1944, up to 90 Panzerfaust anti-tank grenade launchers per kilometer of the front. German infantry companies for each soldier had several grenade launchers, which made it possible to significantly strengthen the anti-tank defense and significantly increased the losses of Soviet troops in armored vehicles. A good example is the fighting on the territory of Poland, Hungary and Germany in the autumn of 44 - in the winter of 45. On January 26, 1945, the Supreme Commander of the German Armed Forces, A. Hitler, ordered the creation of a "tank-fighter division", which was to include companies of scooters (cyclists) armed with Panzerfaust.

Photo and diagram of a grenade

The difficulties of fighting enemy tanks, the development of combat experience by the Soviet and Anglo-American troops in combating grenade launchers armed with Panzerfaust, again forced HASAG engineers to improve grenade launchers. At the same time, the designers did not focus on increasing armor penetration, which was 200 mm (quite sufficient for its time), but on increasing the range of use. In November 1944, the Wehrmacht received a new RPG model, the 149mm Panzerfaust 100M. In this anti-tank grenade launcher, the developers were able to increase the firing range to 100 meters.

An original feature of the Panzerfaust 100M is the presence of a container of propellant powder charges sequentially placed in the barrel with an air gap between them. This arrangement of charges ensured an increase in the pressure of the powder gases that arose during the ignition of the first charge, affecting, by creating a closed volume with the second charge, an increase in the range of throwing grenades. When firing a grenade, the powder gases of the second charge, moving backward, balanced the system. Thus, the designers managed to achieve greater stability when firing, which was reflected in the improvement of accuracy during the battle. Simultaneously with the increase in the range of fire, its armor penetration increased, albeit slightly (up to 240 mm), which made it possible for the Panzerfaust 100M at the final stage of the war to become a really serious opponent for all heavy allied tanks.

Drawing of the training version of the RPG "Panzerfaust" 60M

The high efficiency of the Panzerfaust in the last months of the war significantly increased the losses of the allies in armored vehicles, which led to the adoption of retaliatory countermeasures - the most vulnerable places of the combat vehicles were shielded, new tactics were used to conduct joint actions of infantry and tank units. These changes made it possible to significantly reduce the damage inflicted by the Nazi grenade launchers on armored forces. After the war, Marshal of the Soviet Union I.S. Konev, commander of the First Ukrainian Front, wrote the following about this: “... In an effort to reduce the number of tanks knocked out by faustpatrons, we introduced a simple, but very effective means - around the tanks they created the so-called shielding: sheet iron or sheets of tin were hung over the armor. Getting into the tank, the faustpatron first pierced this insignificant obstacle, but behind it there was a void, and the grenade ran into the armor, having lost reactive power. It most often ricocheted, and did no damage ... Why did this remedy begin to be used so late? This is probably due to the fact that we practically did not encounter such a widespread use of faustpatrons during street fighting, and in open areas we did not take this into account.

And here is what his opponent, Lieutenant Colonel E. Middeldorf of the Wehrmacht, said about this in his memoirs: “A large number of tanks knocked out with the help of infantry anti-tank weapons speaks for itself ... Most of the knocked out tanks are on the Panzerfaust account. But the Panzerfaust, which has a rough aiming and large dispersion, gave a good result only when used at a distance of no more than 80 meters ... This fact speaks of the courage of the German soldiers, which they showed in close combat with tanks. However, the importance of close combat should not be overestimated. The sharp decline in the results of fighting tanks with the Faustpatrone, which was observed from January 1945, is primarily due to the introduction of new tactics by the Russians to protect against tank destroyers. It consisted in the protection of armored vehicles during the battle by individual shooters who moved at a distance of 100 - 200 meters from the tank. If the nature of the terrain did not provide favorable conditions for a tank destroyer to hide, close combat became impossible ... This tactic was a response to the increase in the effectiveness of anti-tank defense, which was achieved through the use of new RPGs "Panzerfaust" and "Ofenror".

A front-line officer teaches the handling of the Panzerfaust 100M RPG to Volkssturm militiamen. Germany, November 29, 1944

The last support of the regime, as conceived by the leadership of the Third Reich, was to be the people's militia, which is better known as the Volkssturm. More than 4 million people had to take up arms. To equip them, a huge amount of weapons was required, which had to be easy to handle and cheap to manufacture. At the same time, the weapon must be highly effective, such as the Panzerfaust. Under these conditions, the Wehrmacht command faced an almost insoluble problem. On the one hand, it was necessary to call on and arm a mass of people who had not undergone combat training, on the other hand, it was necessary to teach them elementary knowledge in military affairs. Naturally, the question arose of how to teach the use of disposable grenade launchers if there was a shortage of them in combat units at the front. Therefore, it was urgent to create a training version of the Faustpatron. On November 20, 1944, all military units of the German Army received a joint order from the head of the HWaA armaments service and the general inspector of tank troops to independently manufacture (according to the attached drawings) a device that allows them to teach shooting from the Panzerfaust. The training version of the Panzerfaust was a 60M grenade launcher equipped with a special device for shooting a mock grenade and a “beam of fire”. The device was a chamber for a blank 7.92 mm M.ZZ rifle cartridge, which was vertically inserted into the barrel of a grenade launcher. When fired, the powder gases pushed the wooden model of the grenade out of the barrel-pipe forward and acted on the drummer of the second blank cartridge, which was inserted into the wooden imitator of the “ray of fire”, which served as a counterweight for the grenade. This device made its own, although not as significant as it was intended, contribution to the training of the Volkssturm in aiming, shooting and positioning.

Scheme of installation of an improvised anti-tank mine from the RPG "Panzerfaust"

I.S. Konev: “Volkssturm battalions were especially abundantly supplied with Faustpatrons, in the ranks of which adolescents and elderly people predominated. The Faustpatron was one of the means that could create a feeling of confidence among people who were not trained in war and physically unprepared that, having become soldiers only yesterday, they would be able to do something today. It should be noted that in most cases these Faustniks fought to the end and showed much greater stamina than the battered German soldiers, however, broken by many years of fatigue and defeats.

The deteriorating situation at the front, and the new tactics of the enemy’s motorized rifle and armored forces, which now took into account the widespread use of the Panzerfaust by the Wehrmacht, again required the Germans to take measures to neutralize Allied attempts to minimize losses in tanks and armored vehicles. Therefore, in November 1944, the HWaA rocket weapons development department instructed HASAG to again modernize the Panzerfaust design to expand the combat capabilities of the anti-tank grenade launcher. When designing this weapon, new tactical and technical requirements should have been taken into account, which included:
- an increase in the firing range while maintaining the charge and the launch tube-barrel of the Panzerfaust 100M;
- saving explosives while increasing the armor penetration of grenades;
- use of surrogated explosives;
- use in the manufacture of arc and spot electric welding;
- the possibility of using a grenade, both for the destruction of armored targets, and enemy manpower.

Volkssturmist shooting training from the Faustpatron. 1945

In these tactical and technical requirements, in addition to the requirements that have already become permanent to improve the combat qualities of weapons, as well as to reduce the cost of its manufacture, a completely new requirement was also voiced - for the first time they formulated the concept of creating a combined cumulative fragmentation grenade (in many countries, this concept was approached after 10 - 15 years). First of all, HASAG engineers began working with a grenade. To increase the firing range, an additional jet engine was introduced into the design of the grenade. Despite the fact that this decision made it possible to significantly increase the throwing range, a sharp decrease in the accuracy of fire nullified all the results achieved. The use of nitrocellulose powder as a propellant charge did not give a positive result either. Measures to reduce the cost of the Faustpatron, taken by the designers, forced them to turn to light metals for the manufacture of barrel-pipes, but these works also did not give positive results. After several unsuccessful experiments, without refusing to make various improvements to its design, which at the same time did not affect the very foundations of the weapon, German engineers approached the problem from an unconventional side, giving the tested Faustpatron a new breath. The designers proposed to make a completely new model - a reusable RPG. This solved many problems associated with an acute shortage of materials necessary for the production of the Faustpatron in the face of the loss of part of the raw material base and the collapse of production ties in the Third Reich, and to some extent removed the issue of increasing the production of these weapons, which are so necessary in defensive battles. First of all, the grenade itself was almost completely redesigned. In the new grenade, the head warhead, stabilizer and bottom fuse were assembled into a single whole (grenades of the previous Panzerfaust consisted of two parts - a warhead and a shank with plumage). This made it possible to change the principle of loading a grenade launcher. The stabilizer tube had a latch, which, when loaded, entered the cutout of the muzzle of the grenade launcher. This ensured a strong fixation of the live charge in a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher and allowed the weapon to be safely discharged if there was no need to fire. The launch tube-barrel in this form allowed multiple reloading. The thickening of the walls of the barrel made it possible to withstand a grenade launcher up to 10 shots. The solution to the problem of increasing the firing range also turned out to be very simple - they improved the aerodynamics of the grenade.

The new hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher, called the Panzerfaust 150M, but better known as the Splitterfaust (fragmentation fist), used a cylindrical-conical grenade, with stabilizers and longitudinal grooves on the ballistic cap ensuring its stable flight. Aerodynamics have also improved due to a decrease in the diameter of the grenade body from 149 millimeters (in the Panzerfaust 100M) to 106 millimeters (in the Panzerfaust 150M). Due to this, the maximum firing range of the Panzerfaust 150M was 300 meters, and the effective range was about 150 meters. At the same time, thanks to minor changes, the effectiveness of the grenade has increased significantly. The cylindrical part of the grenade body was equipped with a folding front sight, which greatly improved the ability to conduct aimed fire. A steel cylindrical shirt was put on the body of the grenade (it was copied from the RGD-33 hand grenade made in the USSR) with transverse flutes applied on its surface to create lethal elements that increased the damaging effect of fragments. This made it possible to conduct a successful fight, both with the enemy’s armored vehicles and with his manpower. The new grenade retained its previous armor penetration (220-240 mm), which was sufficient to destroy any tanks of that time. In March of the 45th year, HASAG began production of the first pilot batch of these anti-tank grenade launchers in the amount of 500 pieces. It was planned that their monthly output would soon reach 100,000 units. However, the American troops, having captured Leipzig in mid-April, where the production of the Panzerfaust 150M was started, stopped the last attempt of the Germans to use the so-called "wonder weapon" and thus increase the number of victims of the war.

A column of Soviet IS-2 tanks on a road in East Prussia. 1st Belorussian Front. On the left side of the road - abandoned German grenade launchers "Panzerfaust" (Panzerfaust)

The problem of increasing the effectiveness of the Panzerfaust was not only to increase the firing range and armor penetration, but also to improve the accuracy of their combat. In this regard, simultaneously with the creation of the Panzerfaust 150M PTG, the designers were working on the next, more powerful Panzerfaust 250 model, the effective range of which was 250 meters. It was achieved through the use of an elongated launch tube-barrel and a larger mass of expelling charge. The use of an electric fuse instead of a lever trigger made it possible to achieve greater reliability of operation under adverse conditions, especially in the cold season. For the grenade launcher, a new launching barrel-pipe was created, on which, with the help of cap collars, they were attached: a trigger mechanism assembled in a stamped control handle; frame shoulder rest, made of metal; additional handle for holding a grenade launcher. Shooting was carried out from the shoulder, similar to the Panzerschreck and Ofenrohr grenade launchers. Such simple devices significantly improved the controllability of the weapon when fired, which, in turn, increased the accuracy of firing from these grenade launchers. However, the experiments with the Panzerfaust 250M, like other similar works, were not brought to an end due to the surrender of Germany.

In January 1945, the Reichsforschungsrat (RFR), the Reich Research Council, and WASAG made another attempt to improve this weapon. The new grenade launcher, known as Verbesserte Pz.Faust ("improved Panzerfaust"), had a 160 mm grenade with an improved fuse. Already in February, Heber planned to establish its production in the city of Osterode, but the rapid advance of the Allies prevented the implementation of these plans. At the same time, in the same January of the 45th year, a number of projects for new designs of grenade launchers appeared, including those that can be confidently classified as fantastic: the Grosse Panzerfaust project - barrel pipes from the 250M and a new enlarged grenade with armor penetration up to 400 millimeters; Brandfaust - Pz.Brandgranate incendiary grenade was used; Gasfaust - a grenade filled with poisonous substances; Flammfaust is a disposable flamethrower. The most promising project was the Schrappnell-Faust anti-personnel grenade launcher, with a fragmentation grenade and a range of up to 400 meters. The charge was detonated by a mechanical remote fuse at a height of 2 - 3 meters, contributing to the formation of a continuous zone of destruction of enemy forces at a distance of up to 20 meters. The weight of this weapon was about 8 kilograms. By the spring of the 45th year, a batch of these grenade launchers in the amount of 100 pieces was sent for military testing. But Schrappnell-Faust was not brought to mass production.

A British tanker from the 11th Panzer Division and captured German "tank destroyers" from the Hitler Youth. The tanker is armed with a STEN Mk.III submachine gun, a German StG 44 assault rifle “confiscated” from teenagers is visible on his shoulder. Bicycles with pairs of Panzerfausts attached to them are visible in the foreground and on the right. Similar bicycle units of tank destroyers were widely used in the last months of the war in Germany.

This weapon inflicted huge losses on the Soviet troops during the fighting in the capital of the Reich, where the Panzerfaust RPGs were in service with all German units and divisions of the Wehrmacht, the Volkssturm and the SS defending Berlin.

Later I.S. Konev, who was directly involved in these bloody battles, wrote in his memoirs: “... The Germans were preparing Berlin for a tough and strong defense, which was designed for a long time. The defense was built on a system of heavy fire, nodes of resistance and strongholds. The closer to the center of Berlin, the denser the defense became. Massive stone buildings with thick walls adapted to a long siege. Several buildings fortified in this way formed a knot of resistance. To cover the flanks, strong barricades up to 4 meters thick were erected, which were also powerful anti-tank obstacles ... The corner buildings from which oblique and flank fire could be fired were strengthened especially carefully ... In addition, the German defense centers were saturated with a huge number of faustpatrons, which in street battles became a formidable anti-tank weapon ... Berlin also had a lot of anti-aircraft artillery, which during street battles played a significant role in anti-tank weapons. If we do not take into account the faustpatrons, then we suffered most of the losses among tanks and self-propelled guns in Berlin precisely from enemy anti-aircraft installations. During the battle for Berlin, the Nazis destroyed and knocked out more than 800 of our self-propelled guns and tanks. At the same time, the main part of the losses fell on the battles in the city.

If we evaluate the RPG according to the main criterion "cost-effectiveness", then the Panzerfaust occupies a leading position in the class of infantry weapons of the Second World War. The German scientist of Germany, Hans Kerl, a specialist in the field of the military industry, gave these grenade launchers the most accurate assessment: “Perhaps the only German weapon that met the requirements of maximum efficiency with minimal cost and effort for its production was the Faustpatron. German grenade launchers were not only the most massive type of weapons of the Wehrmacht, but the cheapest. The production of one "Faustpatron" took 8 man-hours, and the cost ranged from 25 to 30 marks, depending on the modification. According to data compiled on the instructions of the Ministry of Armaments by the German Central Statistical Office in 1945, from August 43 to March 45, the total production of Faustpatrons amounted to 9.21 million units, of which 2.077 million were Panzerfaust Klein 30M and 30M, and 7.133 million 60M and 100M. According to OKN, as of March 1, 45, there were 3.018 million units in the German armed forces in the troops. Panzerfaust dynamo-reactive RPGs of various models, and another 271,000 in arsenals.

Dismantled, prepared for undermining by US Army sappers, German anti-tank grenade launchers "Panzerfaust" (Panzerfaust), modifications M60 and M100. (Indices 60 and 100 indicate the effective range in meters). American-made 200-gram TNT 1/2 pound block coiled together are used as explosives (above).

The effectiveness of the use of this weapon is evidenced by the numbers of losses suffered by the Soviet tank armies in the battles at the last stage of the Second World War. So, for example, in April 1945, in the battles on the outskirts of Berlin, Panzerfaust lost from 11.3 to 30% of tanks, and during street fighting in the city itself, up to 45 - 50%.

In general, Panzerfaust during the Second World War fully justified all the hopes placed on them by the command of the German armed forces. The crisis of anti-tank weapons for the infantry caused the gunsmiths to find a fundamentally new solution to this problem - they created a complex of anti-tank weapons: RPGs and cumulative grenades. German designers thus opened a new direction in the development of weapons. An extremely effective, but at the same time cheap and simple weapon, such as grenade launchers, allowed German infantrymen to fight on equal terms with almost any enemy tanks in a maneuverable modern battle. Although the Germans themselves, including Erich Schneider, Lieutenant General of the Wehrmacht, after the war believed that: “During the war, anti-tank weapons caused a lot of trouble to the infantry of all countries ... However, anti-tank weapons that would meet all the requirements of the infantry were not created . The infantry needs anti-tank weapons to be operated by one person, and so that it can be used to destroy a tank from a distance of 150, and even better from 400 meters.

But this statement can be attributed to the Panzerfaust with a very big stretch, since it was they who had all the opportunities for their further improvement, and the latest models of these weapons - the Panzerfaust 150 and 250M - met the requirements. It was they who became the prototypes for the creation in many countries, including the Soviet Union, of the latest type of weapons for infantry - hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers.

Based on the materials "Infantry weapons of the Third Reich, part VI. Wehrmacht rocket weapons" Special issue of the magazine "Arms" for 11/12, 2003

Close combat with tanks

"Close combat with tanks" - an action movie from the command of the Wehrmacht. (Hollywood is resting). Cast - brave Aryan guys, stupid Russian tankers and their useless tanks. Year of issue - 1943. The purpose of this masterpiece is to demonstrate to housewives and boys from the Hitler Youth how to destroy Russian tanks and their crews. Everything looks easy, understandable, simple and accessible.

ctrl Enter

Noticed osh s bku Highlight text and click Ctrl+Enter

Chinese products. Airsoft version of the Panzerfaust anti-tank grenade launcher.
This model is a modification of the Panzerfaust - Panzerfaust 60. 60 means - that the real model hit at a distance of 60 meters (by the end of the war, the Germans brought the range of the Panzerfaust to 200 meters).

The manufacturer of this device is unknown - there was an inscription on the boxes - S.H.I. - Spide Heavy Industries. Maybe it's the manufacturer. The grenade launcher is supplied in two boxes - head and pipe separately...

Weight - about 3-4 kg. The pipe is metal. But the head, unfortunately, is made of plastic like textolite. To the touch, it seems to be strong - it’s still not worth dropping or being an enemy ...

Appearance.

There is a plastic cap on the end of the grenade launcher. Which can be removed .. In principle, for this, the Chinese can be given a solid "five" - ​​with a plug, a grenade launcher can be placed on the ground without fear that earth or debris will fill it ...

The head is attached to the pipe quite primitively - it simply slips into the groove and is fastened with a pin (it is immediately recommended to tie the pin with some kind of rope - because you can ... t)

Incomplete parsing.

The head is disassembled into two parts according to the principle of a nesting doll and fixed with grooves by rotating the halves clockwise. The trigger system can be observed inside.

The trigger system is a metal rod - which, moving along the pipe, presses on the valve on the grenade and thereby initiates it ...

The grenade launcher is designed for conventional 40mm airsoft grenades.

The grenade is inserted into the upper half of the head. It is fixed only due to friction forces - but it goes quite tightly. I turned the half over - the grenade did not fall .... There is another plastic plug on the front that closes the hole for the grenade charge to fly out. So, outwardly with a plug, the grenade launcher also does not differ much from its combat prototype. And the entourage is not broken. For this, Chinese manufacturers receive another "five". Of course, the plug must be removed to shoot.

The principle of operation is similar to a combat grenade launcher. Let's uncheck the sight and cock it (and at the same time it is also a fuse). Then we press the lever ..... And voila - we earn ourselves a patch on the sleeve)))

I was very pleased that, thanks to the variety of airsoft grenades, the grenade launcher is universal.
Ordinary 40mm grenades can be used against infantry, while specialized ones (which fire paintballs or special charges) can be used against vehicles...

Photos of special grenades are attached ...

Impression.
Pros - entourage appearance, ease of use, versatility, the presence of plugs.
Cons - a plastic head, and a slightly unfinished striker system (I'm afraid it will not put much pressure on the grenade valve).

Photos of special grenades ...

Grenades firing special "charges"

Paintball shooting grenade.

Useful to the Wehrmacht and ... Red Army
http://Russianmovement.rf/index.php/military-equipment/54-military-equipment/12915-2012-12-14-10-21-​07

The development of this weapon in the Third Reich was a turning point in the development of infantry weapons designed to combat enemy armored vehicles. Moreover, it served both German and Soviet troops very well, influenced the creation of domestic analogues in the first post-war years.


"Fist cartridge", aka "iron hand"

In 1943, the German army received a recoilless (or, as it was also called, dynamo-reactive) device, known as the Panzerfaust or Faustpatron. This was one of the results of the implementation of the Infantry Armament Program, the adoption of which was urgently required by the experience of fighting on the Eastern Front.

Soon after the start of aggression against the Soviet Union, it became clear that the German 37-mm anti-tank gun was unable to fulfill the tasks assigned to it and therefore received the contemptuous nickname "army mallet" from German soldiers. But the troops had a large number of these guns, and besides, they were light enough to keep up with the infantry everywhere. True, in order to increase their capabilities, already at the end of 1941, an over-caliber feathered projectile (grenade) with a cumulative warhead, which was inserted into the gun barrel, was delivered specifically for the fight against new Soviet tanks.


However, the rate of fire and range of aimed fire with this ammunition turned out to be too low for more or less successful firing of thirty-seven millimeters. The Germans decided that it was more effective to fire such a grenade with a light fixture that would correspond in size, weight and mobility to infantry weapons. And then they remembered the recoilless principle.

Here we need a little digression into history. The recoilless principle itself has been known for a long time. For example, the Russian "Artillery Journal" back in 1866 reported on experiments "made in England" with a gun with a barrel open at both ends and a powder charge placed between two felt wads. During the First World War, similar schemes were proposed for "trench" guns or aircraft weapons. In Russia, in 1916, D.P. Ryabushinsky manufactured a 70-mm recoilless gun in the form of a pipe open at both ends for a unitary cartridge with a burning cartridge case (“free pipe” scheme). Active work on recoilless schemes was carried out in the 30s in the USSR (which is yet to be told) and in Germany.

German designers began the practical development of recoilless rifles in 1930. Since 1938, the Scientific Research Institute of the Ground Forces has been operating in Gottovo near the Kummersdorf training ground, among the main topics of which, according to data collected by Soviet specialists after the war, were recoilless guns (Glimm group), the phenomenon of explosion cumulation (Dipner group), self-igniting liquids ( Gluppe group), etc.

It should be noted that at that time the schemes of recoilless guns were of interest to specialists as a way to reduce the combat weight of field guns by lightening the carriage, and not to create specialized anti-tank guns. The role of primarily anti-tank weapons will be played by recoilless guns a little later. So the 75-mm and 105-mm recoilless guns 7.5 cm LG40 and 10.5 cm LG40 adopted in 1940 by the Wehrmacht were intended for fire support of airborne units, but real anti-tank capabilities acquired only at the end of 1941 - beginning of 1942 th, when these guns were equipped with cumulative shells.


At the same time, Dr. Heinrich Langweiler offers a lightweight recoilless device for "throwing" an over-caliber cumulative anti-tank grenade. He, as the technical director of the Leipzig company HASAG (Hugo Schneider A.G.), led the development of this new type of anti-tank weapon, and infantry.

Meanwhile, the Wehrmacht command was urgently looking for new anti-tank weapons that would allow the infantry to fight modern Soviet tanks. It is Langweiler who is credited with the authorship of the name "Faustpatron" (Faustpatrone - "fist cartridge"), which the weapon originally received. The simplest recoilless device was connected to the same 3.7 cm Stiel-Gr over-caliber grenade. Patr.41. I must say that in the experienced "Faustpatron" she did not look too good, which required significant changes. So, instead of the tail stem, a tube with a wooden rod was introduced, the rigid plumage replaced the plumage deployed in flight, the caliber was reduced and the head fairing was changed, after experimental firing, the launch tube was lengthened to protect soldiers from burns.


In the summer-autumn of 1942, the first tests of infantry recoilless weapons with a cumulative grenade took place, and already in December, its first model, the Panzerfaust, was put into service - "armored fist" or "steel fist"). Historical and mythological analogies were loved in Germany, so the name "Panzerfaust" is associated with the popular medieval legend of the early 16th century about the "knight with an iron hand" Goetz von Berlichingen, although the military leader Friedrich von Walten from the same XVI century.

Perfection

HASAG has developed versions of the Panzerfaust with a range of 30, 60, 100, 150, 250 meters. Of these, only the following samples entered service: F-1 and F-2 (“43 system”), F-3 (“44 system”), F-4.


The basis of the "Panzerfaust" F-1 was an open steel pipe-barrel 800 mm long with a propellant charge and a trigger mechanism. An over-caliber grenade was inserted into the pipe in front. The propellant charge of smoky gunpowder was placed in a cardboard case and separated from the grenade with a plastic wad. A tube of an impact mechanism was welded to the front of the pipe, which included a firing pin with a mainspring, a release button, a retractable stem with a screw, a return spring and a sleeve with an igniter primer. The descent was made by pressing a button. The beam of fire from the primer-igniter was transmitted to the propellant charge. When it burned, the powder gases pushed the grenade forward, but at the same time, most of them freely flowed back from the pipe, balancing the recoil.

The body of the grenade contained an explosive charge (TNT / RDX) with a conical cumulative recess covered with a ballistic tip. The folded stabilizer blades in the tail section opened up after the grenade flew out of the barrel.

For a shot, the weapon was usually taken under the arm, from the shoulder they shot only at a very short range or from a prone position. The sight was a folding bar with a hole, the front sight was the top of the grenade rim.

Already at the beginning of the use of the new weapon, it became clear that it was necessary to increase its armor penetration, and in March 1943, the F-2 model with a warhead mass of 95 grams (54 g for the F-1 model) was demonstrated at the Kummersdorf training ground. F-1 grenade caliber - 100 mm, F-2 - 150, armor penetration - 140 and 200 mm at an angle of impact with armor up to 30o. The initial speed of the grenade is 30 m / s. Its lack of a jet engine and the low initial speed that a black powder charge could give limited the F-1 and F-2's aimed shooting distance to only 30 meters - a little further than throwing a hand-held anti-tank grenade, but with greater accuracy. Hence - the names of the models "Panzerfaust-30", while the small model was called "Panzerfaust-30 Klein" (Panzerfaust 30M Klein, the troops received the nickname "Gretchen" - either by the name of Dr. Faust's beloved, or as opposed to the Russian "Katyusha" , in any case, an example of gloomy German humor), and a large one - "Panzerfaust-30 gross" or simply "Panzerfaust-30" (Panzerfaust 30M).


The third model (F-3 or "Panzerfaust-60") appeared in early 1944. With the same grenade caliber of 150 millimeters, it had a propellant charge increased to 134 grams, which made it possible to increase the initial velocity of the grenade (up to 45 m / s) and the range of aimed fire. The tube-barrel had to be enlarged. The warhead of the grenade was connected to the stabilizer rod no longer with a thread, but with a spring latch, which accelerated the loading of the grenade (insertion of the detonator in preparation for the shot). A front sight appeared on its rim, which made aiming more accurate. The not entirely successful push-button trigger mechanism of the early Panzerfausts was replaced with a lever one, and a more “all-weather” Javelot-type igniter primer was installed in it. The aiming bar had three holes corresponding to ranges of 30, 50 and 75 meters. In the stowed position, the aiming bar also covered the trigger lever, so it was impossible to cock the firing mechanism without raising the bar. A heavier grenade could be used to destroy not only armored targets, but also defensive structures. Instructions for use "Panzerfaust" was usually pasted on the body of the grenade. When fired, a sheaf of flame 1.5-4 meters long escaped behind the pipe, as warned by the inscription: Achtung! Feuerstral! ("Attention! Beam of fire!").


In November 1944, the F-4 model (Panzerfaust-100) was developed, and at the beginning of 1945 it was delivered to the troops. It used a two-beam propellant charge with a total mass of 190 grams with an air gap. The creation of a high-pressure zone between the charges during firing contributed, on the one hand, to an increase in the pressure of the powder gases of the front charge, accelerating the grenade, on the other hand, to more effective damping of the recoil by the gases of the rear charge. This provided an initial grenade speed of 60 m / s and a firing range of up to 100 meters, increased the stability of the weapon when fired, and hence the accuracy of fire.


Production

The first order for the F-1 model was 20,000 units, 8,700 of them were ready in August 1943, mass production began in October. For the first time, Panzerfausts were successfully used in November 1943 - in battles on the territory of Ukraine.

The bulk order for the F-2 was issued only in September, when the F-1 was already being delivered to the troops. The mass nature of weapons - both in terms of the size of production and supplies, and in terms of the speed of development - quickly affected. In January - April 1944, German infantrymen knocked out and destroyed 520 Soviet tanks on the Eastern Front in close combat, with the Panzerfausts accounting for 264 of them (more than half), and the Offenror reusable hand grenade launcher - 88.

Tactical and technical characteristics
serial grenade launchers "Panzerfaust"
Grenade launcher "Panzerfaust-30" "Panzerfaust-60"
F-1 F-2 F-3
Year of manufacture 1943 1944 1945
Grenade caliber (mm) 100 150 150
Barrel (pipe) caliber (mm) 44 44 50
Grenade launcher length (mm) 1030 1048 1048
Weight of grenade launcher (kg) 3.25 5.35 6.25
Grenade weight (kg) 1.65 2.4 2.8
Armor penetration (mm) 140 200 200
Maximum firing range (m) 50 50 80


Standardization, traditional for the German industry, made it possible to quickly connect several companies to the manufacture of Panzerfausts. The explosive charges for the grenade launchers were supplied by the Oerlikon, Bürle und Co, Reinische Gummi und Celluloid Fabrik factories, and the tubes-barrels were supplied by the Volkswagen automobile plant. The average cost of one "Panzerfaust" was equal to 25-30 Reichsmarks.

If in 1943 351,700 Panzerfausts of all models were produced, then in 1944 - 5,538,800, in the first four months of 1945 - 2,363,800. The bulk were grenade launchers with an increased firing range.

Experienced Options

"Panzerfausts" served as the basis for a number of experimental developments, among which were the "Sprengfaust" with a fragmentation warhead, and the "Shrapnelfaust" with 100 ready-made striking elements (anti-personnel grenade launchers), and the chemical "Gazfaust" with a charge of a poisonous substance, and the incendiary "Einshtossflammenwerfer -44", and cumulative incendiary "Brandfaust". Attempts were made to equip "Panzerfausts" with light aircraft for assault operations.

In November 1944, with the advent of the Panzerfaust-100, the Arms Department gave HASAG the task of developing a variant not only with an increased firing range, but also with greater manufacturability, using surrogate explosives, and most interestingly, with a combined action grenade. For a more reliable defeat of the tank crew and the possibility of fighting manpower, the grenade, in addition to the cumulative armor-piercing one, should also have a fragmentation effect.


After unsuccessful attempts to use energy-intensive smokeless (nitrocellulose) powders in the propellant charge and light metals for the manufacture of the barrel tube, they decided to go the other way - to make the grenade launcher reusable. The walls of the launch tube were thickened, it was equipped with a nozzle in the breech to more effectively compensate for recoil from the jet action of gases. The pipe was required to withstand up to 10 shots. The grenade was connected to the stabilizer. Despite the reduction in the diameter of the warhead to 106 millimeters, armor penetration of up to 220–240 millimeters was provided, which made it possible to deal with all types of tanks that had entered the battlefield by that time.

A steel "shirt" with an external notch was put on the cylindrical part of the grenade body, forming fragments during the explosion of a warhead - the grenade launcher managed to get the name "Splitterfaust" (literally - "fragmentation fist"). According to the change in charge, the igniter and detonator were strengthened. The muzzle velocity of the grenade (85 m/s) and improved aerodynamics ensured an effective firing range of up to 150 meters, although the sight was designed for a range of up to 200 meters.

The order for the Panzerfaust-150 was issued only on March 16, 1945. The production of an initial batch of 500 pieces began with the expectation to bring serial production to 100 thousand units per month. Such a weapon would have been very effective, but the war was already ending.

In January 1945, WASAG received an assignment for an improved Panzerfaust (Verbesserte Pz.Faust) with a grenade with a caliber of up to 160 millimeters. It was planned to launch it at the Heber plant in Osterode, but the offensive of the allied forces put an end to these plans.


In September 1944, the Panzerfaust-250 reusable model with a firing range of up to 200 meters was developed, but never put into production. The armor penetration of the grenade along the normal was 320 millimeters of homogeneous armor. This 106 mm grenade launcher weighed 7-7.2 kilograms, had an elongated barrel-pipe with a more powerful charge. A pistol grip with a trigger, a frame metal shoulder rest, and a front holding handle were attached to the barrel with clamps. Instead of a mechanical (lever) descent with pyrotechnic ignition, an electric igniter was used, which more reliably ignited the reinforced propellant charge in difficult conditions, especially in cold weather. Shooting was carried out from the shoulder. This actual prototype of many post-war RPGs with an over-caliber grenade did not have time to be brought to a serial model.

The powerful sample of the Grosse Panzerfaust by HASAG based on the Panzerfaust-250 was not brought to the series, but with a warhead diameter of as much as 400 millimeters.


"Faustniks"

Sufficiently simple to manufacture reactive cumulative grenades quickly began to crowd out less effective hand grenades. Although initially the Panzerfaust barrel was disposable, the troops organized the collection of spent pipes and sending them to bases for re-equipment at factories - the need for new weapons turned out to be so great in the face of the clear superiority of Soviet armored and mechanized troops in the last period of the war.


The Panzerfausts were as easy to use as they were to manufacture, requiring only brief training in aiming, shooting and positioning. The Faustniks tried to fire on the tanks from the side, hiding in trenches, trenches, behind terrain folds, and buildings. And yet, given the short range of aimed fire, this required strong nerves. Moreover, the shot unmasked the soldier with a white spherical cloud and raised dust.

The role of the "faustniks" has especially increased since the middle of 1944 - this was facilitated by both the increase in the supply of "Panzerfausts" to the troops, and the transfer of hostilities to the densely built-up territory of European countries, where the German infantrymen had more opportunities to find shelters and fire from close range , especially in battles on the streets of cities.

On the outskirts of Berlin in the spring of 1945, the damage of Soviet tank units in armored vehicles as a result of the use of faustpatrons by the enemy sometimes reached 30 percent. When moving tanks with open hatches, there were cases when a Panzerfaust grenade fired from an ambush hit the open frontal hatch of the T-34. During the Berlin operation, however, only 7.8 percent of the irretrievable losses of the thirty-fours (137 out of 1746) fell on the fire of the Faustniks. Although everything depended on the direction and methods of action.


Thus, the 2nd Guards Tank Army, due to the use of Panzerfausts by the Germans, lost about 70 tanks out of 104 lost in street battles, and the 1st and 3rd Guards Tank Armies - up to half of 104 and 114, respectively, the 7th heavy tank brigade ( IS-2) - 11 out of 67 (damage for the entire operation).

But for all the danger of the Faustnikov, the main role in anti-tank defense, even in the conditions of the city, was still played by artillery. Marshal I. S. Konev wrote: “The Germans saturated the defense knots with a large number of faustpatrons, which in the conditions of street fighting turned out to be a formidable anti-tank weapon ... Berlin also had a lot of anti-aircraft artillery, and during the period of street fighting it played a particularly large role in anti-tank defense. With the exception of faustpatrons, most of the losses in tanks and self-propelled guns we suffered in Berlin were precisely from enemy anti-aircraft guns.


And yet, it was the actions of the "faustniks" that turned out to be the most sudden due to their mobility and the difficulty of detecting before the shot.

At the last stage of the war, "Panzerfausts" were issued to the Volkssturm militias (already at the end of 1944 - more than 100,000) and the boys - members of the Hitler Youth. The enemy threw into battle "mobile tank-destroyer groups" of infantrymen with "Panzerfausts", designed to compensate for the lack of anti-tank weapons on a stretched front. And General G. Guderian recalled that on January 26, 1945, Hitler gave the order to form a "tank fighter division." With a formidable name, it was supposed to consist of companies of scooters (cyclists) who would receive Panzerfausts. However, the war gives rise to not such "improvisations".

The place that the Panzerfausts occupied among the infantry anti-tank weapons of the German army at the time when the mass production of these disposable RPGs began can be judged by the following figures. From January to April 1944, the Wehrmacht received 278,100 grenades for the Offenror reusable anti-tank grenade launchers, 12,200 cumulative anti-tank grenades and 656,300 Panzerfausts. On March 1, 1945, the German troops had 92,728 "Panzershreks" (the development of the same "Ofenror") and 541,500 grenades (shots) for them, in warehouses - 47,002 grenade launchers and 69,300 grenades. There were 3,018,000 Panzerfausts of different brands at the same time, including 271,000 in warehouses. Appropriate was the role of disposable RPGs in the fight against tanks at close range. That is why it was necessary to develop technical and tactical methods for protecting Soviet armored vehicles from the fire of enemy grenade launchers.

With the help of "shell nets"

In particular, assault groups, which included tanks and self-propelled guns, were widely used in urban battles. They advanced behind the infantrymen as a means of fire support and suffered fewer losses from the Faustniks. True, enemy soldiers with Panzerfausts could ambush in undefended houses and open fire from the rear. So in many cases it was necessary to specially allocate shooters to fight the "faustniks".

In addition to infantry, light regimental and anti-tank guns, heavy guns and 300-mm M-31 rockets were attracted to this fight in urban conditions. Marshal of Artillery K.P. Kazakov gives an example of the battle in Berlin of the 3rd battery of the 121st howitzer artillery brigade of high power. A tractor with a 203-mm howitzer of this unit advanced along the street. “When approaching a new firing position,” the commander recalled, “the gun came under fire from enemy Faustniks, and the driver, Sergeant B.K. Osmanov, barely managed to hide the gun around the corner of the nearest house. After a short reconnaissance, the platoon commander established that the Faustniks had settled in one of the small houses. With their fire, they blocked the path of the assault group, and it suffered losses ... Fulfilling the order of the platoon commander, Sergeant Osmanov turned the gun towards the enemy at top speed. In 3-4 minutes, the fire platoon of foreman Ostrovsky prepared for battle and smashed the house from which the Nazis fired destructive fire with three shells.


The crews of heavy tanks and self-propelled guns, armed with a 12.7-mm machine gun on an anti-aircraft mount, began to use them more widely to combat enemy firing points.

Meanwhile, back in 1943, Soviet specialists launched a systematic search for protecting tanks from HEAT shells and mines. The chief of staff of the armored and mechanized troops, Major General M.F. Salminov, in a document dated January 25, 1944, indicated:

"one. Effective and reliable protection against a HEAT projectile is a screen, which is an armor plate 8-10 mm thick, installed at a distance of 400-500 mm from the main armor of the turret and the fighting compartment of the tank.

2. From magnetic cumulative mines - a clay screen 10 mm thick, applied directly to the armor (both points show the influence of the German experience in protecting tanks and assault guns. - S.F.).

3. Constantly have rifle subunits to cover our tanks in order to exclude the possibility of using cumulative mines for the enemy infantry.

4. Maximum and timely suppression of enemy artillery, especially during the attack period.


Various types of screens were worked out, for example, from solid sheets, as the Germans did. But Soviet tankers used lighter mesh screens installed in repair units. The frequently mentioned "bed nets" are more from the realm of legends, apparently generated by the external similarity of the nets made by our repairmen with the "shell bed". They were attached at a distance of 250-600 millimeters from the main armor of the hull and turret.


A member of the Military Council of the 5th Shock Army, Lieutenant-General F.E. Bokov said: “... during the assault on Berlin, army craftsmen found an effective means of protecting armor from faustpatrons. In the field arms workshops, additional simple protection against tanks was made, which greatly increased their survivability. The essence of this device, which was aptly called screening, was as follows. A metal mesh (cell 4x4 cm) of wire 0.5–0.8 mm in diameter was welded to the tank hull in the most affected places at a distance of 15–20 centimeters on special brackets. Getting into it, the faustpatron exploded, but the focus of the explosion turned out to be out of the armor and could no longer burn through it ... Immediately after the test firing, the commander of the armored and mechanized troops of the 5th shock army, Major General of the Tank Forces B. A. Anisimov ordered to make screening on all vehicles ".


The documents of the 1st Belorussian Front mention various options for shielding tank armor and the positive result of their use in battle, for example, in the 11th Tank Corps. This experience was actively investigated in the postwar years and contributed to the development of effective anti-cumulative screens, although they were made constructively on slightly different principles.


On the enemy from his own weapon

"Panzerfausts" often turned out to be trophies of the Red Army and were willingly used by Soviet soldiers. It happened that officers who knew German themselves translated brief German instructions for their soldiers in order to quickly put captured RPGs into action. Brief instructions and memos on the use of faustpatrons, specially published and distributed among the troops, were of great benefit.

So, on December 3, 1944, two companies of the 1st battalion of the 29th Guards Airborne Regiment, repelling the counterattack of German tanks and infantry near the city of Meze-Komar (Hungary), in addition to two 45-mm and two 76-mm guns, used captured the day before "Panzerfausts", knocking out six tanks, two assault guns and two enemy armored personnel carriers during the battle.

The chief of staff of the armored and mechanized troops, Colonel General M. D. Solomatin, at the disposal of the chiefs of the BT and MV fronts dated March 17, 1944, reported: “Special departments have been created in units and formations of the 1st Guards TA to fight enemy tanks with the help of captured faustpatrons (one per motorized rifle company). To prepare people, practical exercises were held in shooting with a faustpatron ... Taking into account the experience of the 1st Guards. TA, you need to give appropriate instructions to the armored and mechanized troops on the use of captured faustpatrons.

On the experience of using faustpatrons by our troops, as well as on the experience of combating faustpatrons used against our tanks, report to the headquarters of the BT and MV KA.

Soldiers of assault groups in street battles and sappers when destroying firing points and long-term fortifications of the enemy were especially willing to use the Panzerfausts. In Danzig alone, Soviet assault groups used up 200-250 Panzerfausts almost daily.

Marshal of the Engineering Troops V.K. Kharchenko noted that “one shot through the window was enough to silence an enemy machine gunner, two or three shots made a hole in a stone or thin concrete wall.” The same Lieutenant General F.E. Bokov reported: “To undermine strong doors and gates, to make breaches in the walls, Soviet soldiers in Berlin very widely used captured faustpatrons.”

The Panzerfausts were also used against German tanks and self-propelled guns. It is curious that even in one of the versions (namely, versions, we note) of the death of the notorious Reichsleiter Martin Bormann, "Panzerfaust" appears. Allegedly, on the night of May 1-2, 1945, while trying to break through a group of high-ranking Nazis from Berlin to the west under the cover of several tanks, one of them was shot down on the street by a Soviet fighter from the Panzerfaust and exploded, among the dead was Borman, who was hiding behind the tank.

But something else is much more interesting - a new and still rather imperfect weapon quickly acquired a formidable reputation, which indicated great prospects for hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers. The commander of the 8th Guards Army, Colonel General V. I. Chuikov, noting the interest of Soviet soldiers in the Panzerfausts (Faustpatrons), even suggested introducing them into the troops under the half-joking name Ivan Patron.

By the way, Chuikov’s remark about street battles is characteristic, when tanks are a good target for armor-piercers armed with combustible bottles and especially rocket-propelled grenade launchers of the Faustpatron type, and must work as part of mixed assault groups (nevertheless expose tanks on city streets to fire RPG Russian troops continued after 50 years).

Developments for Soviet RPGs

Assessment of the value of "Panzerfaust" (and in the German-speaking countries, this word has become a household word for hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers) immediately after the war was ambiguous. Former Lieutenant General of the Wehrmacht E. Schneider wrote that "only shaped charges connected to a recoilless system ... or in combination with a rocket engine ... were a fairly successful means of close anti-tank defense." But they, in his opinion, did not solve the problem: "Infantry needs anti-tank weapons to be serviced by one person and that it allows them to hit the tank and disable it from a distance of 150, and if possible, 400 meters."

Schneider was echoed by Lieutenant Colonel E. Middeldorf: “The creation of the Offenror anti-tank reactive gun and the Panzerfaust dynamo-reactive grenade launcher can only be considered as a temporary measure in resolving the problem of infantry anti-tank defense.” Although the German researcher G. Kerl later stated: “Perhaps the only German weapon that meets the requirements of maximum efficiency with a minimum expenditure of manpower and resources for its production was the Faustpatron anti-tank rifle.

In turn, Marshal of Artillery N. D. Yakovlev, who during the war years was the head of the GAU, complained about the lack of hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers in service with the Red Army at the last stage of the Great Patriotic War and explained this by the fact that “there were no active supporters of such means of anti-tank warfare as "Faustpatron" ... But he has proven himself perfectly.

By the way, the design of dynamo-reactive systems in the USSR was quite vigorously engaged back in the 30s - it is enough to recall the products of L. V. Kurchevsky or the more theoretical developments of V. M. Trofimov, N. A. Upornikov, E. A. Berkalov. Infantry anti-tank weapons were also created. In 1933, the 37-mm dynamo-reactive (recoilless) anti-tank rifle proposed by Kurchevsky was adopted by the Red Army, but it lasted about two years, after which it was discontinued and withdrawn from the troops. And in 1934, the Design Bureau of P. I. Grokhovsky developed a simple hand-held dynamo-reactive launcher for firing at lightly armored targets.

The armor-piercing effect of shells in these systems was based on their kinetic energy and was not enough at low speeds: remember that in a recoilless system, most of the powder charge is spent not on projectile acceleration, but on damping recoil. The increase in the mass of gunpowder, a large danger zone behind the breech cut, thick clouds of dust raised during the shot had an especially strong effect on large-caliber weapons (which Kurchevsky was carried away to the detriment of work on battalion and company weapons). The abbreviation DRP (dynamo-reactive gun) was even jokingly deciphered as “Come on, guys, hide!”.

One way or another, but work on the dynamo-reactive theme was interrupted (already in 1943, I.V. Stalin allegedly remarked on this occasion: “They threw out the child along with the dirty water”). They returned to them during the war. To a large extent - under the influence of the recoilless systems of the German army and in connection with the appearance of their own ammunition with a cumulative warhead.

Not surprisingly, after the war, a lot of time and effort was spent on studying and trying to improve this type of weapon. After the defeat of Nazi Germany on its territory, by order of the Soviet leadership, three institutes were organized - Rabe, Nordhausen, Berlin - to process documentation, reproduce in detail the designs of missiles and jet weapons with the involvement of German specialists.

The Leipzig branch of the Berlin Institute, for example, was instructed to finalize the Panzerfaust-150 and Panzerfaust-250. The Nordhausen design bureau in Sommerde was preparing documentation for fuses for both grenade launchers. However, the most interested in the Soviet military "Panzerfaust-150". Tests of the "Panzerfaust-250" showed the unsuitability of this system. At the end of October 1946, German specialists were taken to the Krasnoarmeisky settlement of the Moscow Region (the area of ​​​​the Sofrinsky artillery range), where they took part in the work of KB-3 of the Ministry of Agricultural Engineering.

The year 1946 as a whole became a turning point in the development of domestic rocket weapons: already in May, a Special Committee on Rocket Technology was created under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and the Directorate of Rocket Weapons was created under the Main Artillery Directorate. Work has intensified in various areas, including light anti-tank rocket weapons. A department of anti-tank projectiles was formed at the Scientific Research Institute of Rockets of the GAU.

The memorandum of the members of the Committee on Jet Technology to I. V. Stalin dated December 31, 1946, signed by G. M. Malenkov, said: “As a result of the work done, the main technical documentation for the V-2 rocket, anti-aircraft guided Wasserfall projectile, Typhoon-P unguided anti-aircraft projectile, Henschel rocket-propelled torpedoes, Panzerfaust anti-tank grenade launchers…

Our engineers and technicians, with the participation of German specialists in Germany, assembled samples of the following types of rocket weapons with the completion of some of the missing parts and assemblies:

... e) a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher and a Panzerfaust grenade: a direct shot range - 100 meters, armor penetration - 200 millimeters, the weight of a charged system - about 6 kilograms;

samples - 110 pieces ...

All the above-mentioned samples of rocket weapons made in Germany were sent to the Soviet Union.

The German groundwork for the "Panzerfaust-150" and "Panzerfaust-250" was used in the development of the 80 / 40-mm RPG-2 anti-tank grenade launcher, created under the leadership of A. V. Smolyakov in GSKB-30 of the Ministry of Agricultural Engineering and adopted by the Soviet Army in 1949.

And the idea of ​​​​a light and extremely easy-to-handle disposable "rocket grenade", incorporated in the "Panzerfaust", turned out to be fruitful in terms of a "supernumerary" individual anti-tank melee weapon. Since the 60s, when the introduction of new materials and technologies made it possible to facilitate disposable anti-tank grenade launchers, they have become very popular - from the American M72 and M72A1 and the Soviet RPG-18 and beyond. But that was another weapon.

Semyon Fedoseev