History of production and use of Panzerfaust (faustpatron)

destruction of captured faustpatrons with an overhead charge. 1945

The massive use of medium and heavy tanks by the Red Army forced the German command to urgently look for ways to establish anti-tank defense of infantry units. In the spring of 1942, the Ordnance Department invited several companies to develop new anti-tank weapons. Little is known about what other contestants have proposed, but the choice fell on a project designed by Dr. Heinrich Langeweiler of Hugo Schneider Aktien-Gesellschaft (HASAG) in Leipzig-Altenburg.
Langweiler created an unusual device called the Faustpatrone. Faustpatron, which translates as "fist-cartridge" was HEAT projectile mounted on a short tube. The total length of the device did not exceed 35 cm. The descent was carried out using a lever located on the side of the rough. The projectile was twisted thanks to two rods inserted into the grooves on the inner surface of the pipe. The caliber of the projectile was 80 mm, the total mass did not exceed 1 kg.

The device had a serious flaw. When fired from the rear end of the pipe, a powerful sheaf of flame escaped, which forced the shooter to hold the pipe at arm's length. And this did not allow for aimed fire. The projectile was unstable in the air, the fuse was very sensitive to the angle of impact. That is, if the projectile did not hit the target at a right angle, then the explosion did not occur. But the project also had undeniable advantages.
In October 1942, the armaments department decided to refine the faustpatron so that the effective range of fire reached at least 30-40 m. In November, the main shortcomings of the weapon were eliminated.


fuse diagram FPZ8003 from the faustpatron

Faustpatron received a longer pipe with a larger diameter. Thanks to this measure, the soldier was able to put the pipe on his shoulder and aim accurately. The projectile was stabilized in flight by sheet metal plumage mounted on a wooden tang. The plumage wound around the shank when the projectile was in the tube, but after leaving the tube, the plumage straightened due to the elasticity of the metal. The caliber of the projectile was brought up to 95 mm and equipped with a bottom fuse that worked regardless of the angle of attack. The propellant charge consisted of a sample of black powder weighing 56 g. The initial velocity of the projectile was 25-28 m / s, the effective firing range was 30 m. The projectile pierced armor up to 140 mm thick.


aiming from panzerfaust 60

Approximately simultaneously with the faustpatron, work was carried out on an enlarged projectile with a caliber of 150 mm. The basis was put magnetic cumulative mine
Hafthohladung 3 kg (Haft-Hl 3), The larger projectile weighed 5.1 kg. for its throwing, a charge of black powder weighing 95 g was intended. Despite the large mass, the effective firing range was the same 30 m. At the same time, the projectile pierced armor up to 200 mm thick.


Pointing Papzerfaust 30 was primitive and at the same time difficult, as can be clearly seen in the picture. It was necessary to combine the aiming bar with a small notch on the top of the warhead. The accuracy of such aiming left much to be desired, although it was enough to hit the tank from 30 m. Russia, early 1944

In March 1943, both models were presented to officials from the armaments department at the Kummersdorf training ground. For comparison, an American bazooka was demonstrated. Based on the test results, it was decided to continue work on both types of weapons. At the same time, work was underway on the German bazooka, nicknamed Ofenrohr ("chimney"). The Ordnance Department placed an order for 3,000 faustpatrons of both types. Soon, new weapons arrived on the eastern front.


Standard box for 4 panzerfausts. The detonators were stored in a separate case during transportation.

The first batches of faustpatrons entered the troops in August 1943. These were 500 pieces of small and 6800 large faustpatrons. The instruction manual is dated September 1, 1943. For distinction, the smaller faustpatrone was named Faustpatrone 1 and the larger faustpatrone 2. In October 1943, the Ordnance Department placed an order for 100,000 faustpatrons 1 and 200,000 faustpatrons 2 monthly. Although these results were achieved only by the end of 1944, very quickly the German industry began to produce tens of thousands of faustpatrons monthly. Faustpatrons were easy to use, but required caution from the shooter, since the exhaust from the rear end of the pipe hit two meters. All copies were stenciled with a warning inscription in red paint: Achtung Feuerstrahl (“Beware of a fiery stream”) or another similar warning.

The instructions said that the release is dangerous for people within a radius of ten meters. The shooter himself could suffer from the ejection if there was an obstacle behind him at a distance of up to two meters.
Before firing, the faustpatron projectile was removed from the pipe. Then a detonator and a demolition charge were installed. In Faustpatron 1, the explosive charge was in the shank, which was inserted into the pipe. In the Faustpatron 2, the detonator and explosive charge were placed in the tubular protrusion of the warhead.


detonators kl.zdlg. 34 used in panzerfausts

Then the projectile was installed back. The shot was fired by pressing the striker, which broke the primer and ignited the propellant charge. The explosive charge and primer were installed at the factory. Before firing, it was necessary to remove the pin that held the aiming bar in the lowered position. Next, the bar had to be raised. At the same time, the striker was cocked, and the descent protruded outward. The sight was very simple and was a slot with which to catch the target. The mouse was missing. The aiming range did not exceed 30 m.

Notation

The name Faustpatrone was used until the end of the war, although at the end of 1943 the official name of the weapon was changed to Panzerfaust - "tank fist". Small panzerfaust became known as Panzerfaust klein. and the big one is Panzerfaust gross. To eliminate confusion, the shell of a large panzerfaust was necessarily marked with the inscription gross. This measure seemed superfluous, since the large and small Panzerfaust are already easy to distinguish.
Most authors agree that the production of small panzerfausts was curtailed at the beginning of 1944. The large panzerfaust in 1944 received a new designation Panzerfaust 30.



The sergeant-major explains to the soldiers the rules for using the large panzerfaust 30. The photograph is dated September 1943. Just a month earlier, the first small batches of panzerfausts had entered combat units. Apparently, it is one of the earliest photographs on this topic. Russia, September 1943


A non-commissioned officer aims a Panzerfaust 30 gross from cover. The shot was taken shortly after the Allied landings in Normandy in order to boost the morale of the soldiers. France, June 1944

Panzerfaust 60

As mentioned above, the Panzerfaust 30 had an effective firing range of only 30 m. To approach an enemy tank at such a distance from a soldier required great courage and determination. The shot from the panzerfaust was very loud, in case of a miss, the soldier did not have the opportunity to reload the weapon and try to shoot again. Therefore, the military demanded to increase the aiming range of the Panzerfaust. This requirement was soon granted. In the same 1944, the Panzerfaust 60 appeared. The new Panzerfaust had a tube with walls 3 mm thick instead of 2, capable of withstanding a charge of propellant gunpowder increased to 140 grams. More powerful charge increased initial speed projectile up to 48 m / s and an effective range of fire up to 60 m, hence the name.



The Panzerfaust 60 had a more complex sight with graduations at 30. 60 and 80 m. The projectile had a notch that played the role of a front sight. The weapon was easy to use and had an upgraded trigger mechanism. Before the shot, the projectile was removed, a detonator and a demolition charge were installed in it, after which the projectile was installed back into the pipe. The release button gave way to a lever that acted on a spring-loaded firing pin. Pressing the lever released the firing pin.

instructions for use panzerfaust 60

The fuse was a crude sliding pin. In the rear position, he blocked the trigger lever. To remove panzerfauet 60 from the fuse. it was necessary to take the pin to the front position


Panzerfaust 100


cover of the manual for panzerfaust 100

Panzerfaust 150

In the late autumn of 1944, the armaments department demanded that the design of the Panzerfaust be further improved. Due to the lack of raw materials, it was proposed to reduce the mass of the shaped charge, while maintaining its penetrating ability. In parallel, the new Panzerfauette was supposed to get an even greater range of effective shot.
This meant a radical change in the design of the projectile. Experiments with cumulative funnels various shapes allowed to increase the penetrating power to 360 mm. The wooden shank of the projectile, which stabilized it in flight, was replaced with a steel one. Thanks to this measure, the projectile was delivered already fully equipped.

The launch tube of the Panzerfaust 150 allowed reloading, since in the design of the Panzerfaust the tube was the most difficult part to manufacture. Lack of materials and problems with transportation forced the command to announce a bonus of three cigarettes for the delivery of each fired pipe from Panzerfaust 60 and 100.

In the spring of 1945, work on the Panzerfaust 150 was completed and an order for 3,000,000 copies was received. But such an order was already impossible to fulfill. Only a few hundred panzerfausts were collected. moreover, most of them had to be destroyed so that they would not fall into the hands of the advancing enemy troops.


There is conflicting information regarding the exact characteristics of the Panzerfaust 150. An illustration in Waffen und Geheimwaffen des deutschen Heeres 1933-1945 shows a device with a pistol grip and a bell at the rear end of the tube. But according to the Deutsches Waffen-Journal, these features are characteristic of the next Panzerfaust 250 model, which remained at the experimental stage. This article reports that the Panierfaust 150 outwardly resembled the Panierfaust 100. But the sight was calibrated for only three distances, and the shape of the projectile was changed. Perhaps the DWJ depicts a "hybrid" in the form of a Panzerfaust 150 projectile on a pipe from 60 or 100. Production dimensions
Different models of Panzerfaust were produced in such a massive series that it is almost impossible to give any exact production numbers. By November 1944, more than a million Panzerfausts had been produced and mass production continued until at least February 1945.
The official statistics given in Ruestungsstand des Heeres reports the presence of 335,300 copies in 1943, almost 5,500,000 in 1944 and 2,056,000 in January-February 1945. A significant part was issued by Hugo Schneider Aktien-Gesellschaft. but many firms were involved in the release. Unfortunately, no details about this have been preserved.


“In a crater on the side of the road, a soldier from the Grossdeutschland division equipped himself with a firing position). Here he is waiting for the approaching Soviet tanks,” reads the original caption under the photo. At the end of 1944, units of the Red Army were irresistibly rushing to the west. Eastern Front, November 1944

Given such mass production, it is not surprising that the panzerfaust became the emblem of the German army at the last stage of the war. In almost any picture taken at the end of the war, you can see the panzerfaust. In March 1945, it came to an attempt to use panzerfausts as an aircraft weapon. The military had quite a few Vis 181 training aircraft at its disposal. A proposal was made to convert them into attack aircraft (Behelfspanzerjaeger - literally auxiliary tank hunters). Each plane was supposed to take three 50-kg bombs and four panzerfausts. attached two at the tips of the wings. It was planned to begin combat use of aircraft in mid-April, but it is unlikely that it came to practical use.




Information about the effectiveness of panzerfausts is somewhat contradictory. Most likely, it was not as great as it is commonly believed. A shot from a panzerfaust required a rather strong soldier nervous tension, the ability to which one could hardly expect from an unfired militia. But one way or another, panzerfaust had a noticeable impact on the course of the war.



The picture was taken by SS photographer Dospesh. The original caption reads: “He is not afraid of enemy tanks. Confident in the fighting qualities of his Panzerfaust, he calmly awaits the approach of British tanks. Western Front, October 1944


Aiming. Soldiers and non-commissioned officers (with binoculars), who are easily recognizable as veteran veterans, do not seem particularly impressed. They can't figure out how this little thing can penetrate thick tank armor. Please note that the projectile is not completely inserted into the pipe. Russia, September 1943


The original caption reads: “These are our grenadiers. Since the beginning of the enemy offensive in the east, they have not known rest. They fight day and night with admirable tenacity. At the limit of human capabilities, the grenadiers again and again enter the battle, demonstrating desperate courage. Eastern Front, July 1944


The soft atmosphere of this shot contrasts strikingly with the atmosphere of other photos. The original caption reads: “Women brought pies and cookies for the soldiers. Every time the soldiers pass through the village to the front, the grandmother comes to the window and distributes food. Every soldier gets a piece." The SS man in the picture is armed with a Panzerfaust 60, the type of Panzerfaust is easily identified by the shape of the warhead. Notice the white line and arrow at the bottom of the picture. This is the mark of the editor who planned to crop the image. Germany, November 1944


A group of SS men awaiting orders. All wear camouflage, most have large panzerfausts 30. The original caption reads: “SS cavalry ready to move. The soldiers are waiting for the command to attack. Most of the soldiers are from Siebenbürgen, they are ready to defend their home.” Eastern Front, October 1944


German positions in Holland near the destroyed bridge over the Mudijk. Mielke, Essov's photographer, did an excellent job of capturing the hopelessness of the situation. Neither the MG 34 machine gun nor the Panzerfaust 60 will save Germany. Holland, January 1945


A soldier in camouflage sets a Panzerfaust 30 gross shell into the tube. The picture was taken in winter, it is not clear why the soldier did not turn his uniform inside out with the white side out. In addition, the soldier made the mistake of raising the aim bar before placing the projectile. When the scope is raised, the trigger mechanism of the Panzerfaust is cocked, so an accidental shot may occur. Russia, December 1943


“Every soldier should become a tank destroyer. Experienced instructors introduce the soldiers to the device of the panzerfaust, ”says the original with a different caption. Officers learning to use the Panzerfaust 60. Unknown location, December 1944.

Stickers for panzerfaust. Click to view in full size:


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 that 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 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 an acceptable level for 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 made 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 in assembled form, 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 being hit by a 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 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 appeared in the fight against armored vehicles - flank fire was fired at the tanks: in settlements- because of 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 has significantly increased fighting qualities grenade launcher, simplified manufacturing, 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;
- grenade new design connected to the stem with a spring latch, and not 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 worked 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 experience increases combat use Panzerfaust also changed the views of the Wehrmacht command on this weapon. In 1943 and early 1944, while the fighting 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 already amounted to 400 thousand pieces, in November - 1.084 million pieces, and in December this indicator already amounted to 1.3 million pieces. 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. January 26, 1945 Supreme Commander 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

Panzerfaust's high performance recent months war significantly increased the loss of allies in armored vehicles, which led to the adoption of countermeasures - the most vulnerabilities combat vehicles were screened, a new tactic was 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 screening: 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. November 20, 1944 to all military units German army the joint order of the head of the HWaA armaments service and the general inspector of tank troops on the independent manufacture (according to the attached drawings) of a device that allows you to teach shooting from the Panzerfaust has left. 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 these Faustniks in most cases fought to the end and showed much greater stamina than the battered species, however, broken down by many years of fatigue and defeats. German soldiers».

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 is 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.

Column Soviet tanks IS-2 on the 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 strong fire, nodes of resistance and strong points. 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 fortified especially carefully ... In addition, the German defense centers were saturated with a huge number of faustpatrons, which became formidable anti-tank weapons in street battles ... Berlin also had a lot of anti-aircraft artillery, which during street fighting played a significant role in the PTO. If we do not take into account faustpatrons, then we suffered most of the losses among tanks and self-propelled guns in Berlin precisely from anti-aircraft installations enemy. 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 Panzerfaust takes leading place in the class of infantry weapons of World War II. 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 release 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.

According to the materials "Infantry weapons of the Third Reich, part VI. Rocket weapon Wehrmacht" 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.

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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 models of artillery and armored vehicles (you can recall, for example, Panzerkampfwagen tanks VII Löwe, 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, discusses german panzerfausts, panzerschrecks as such a "miracle weapon", which 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 about correct use 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 Soviet tanks such as the T-34-85 and IS-2 or American Pershings 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. If it hit the tank hull, it could be pierced tank armor 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 people of the Volkssturm and the Hitler Youth, were supposed to hide in the trenches, in ruins, until the Soviet tank approached 50 meters, or better 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.

The first months of fighting on the Eastern Front showed a significant advantage of the heavy Soviet KV and T-34 over German tanks and anti-tank artillery of the Wehrmacht. The German Pak 35/36 anti-tank gun could not effectively deal with Soviet combat vehicles equipped with anti-cannon armor. Due to its low efficiency, the German soldiers called this gun a "mallet" or "cracker", and German military leaders later called the confrontation between the T-34 and Pak 35/36 "a dramatic chapter in the history of the German infantry."

The Germans had 88 mm anti-aircraft guns, which they successfully used against Soviet tanks, but it was not very convenient. These guns were bulky, expensive, few of them, and they could not always cover the infantry from the advance of tanks. The Germans tried to solve the problem using special ammunition, sub-caliber and cumulative shells, but this only partially resolved the issue. Worst of all was something else: in close combat with enemy tanks, German soldiers remained practically unarmed, since it is very difficult to destroy a formidable combat vehicle with a grenade.

It was necessary to look for a different solution, and the German designers found it: at the beginning of 1943, the first 500 Faustpatrons entered service with the Wehrmacht. This weapon was simple and cheap, while at the same time highly effective. His work was based on the dynamo-reactive principle. During the war years, German industry produced 8,254,300 units of various modifications of these weapons.

The history of the creation of Faustpatron

"Faustpatron" (Panzerfaust or Faustpatrone) was developed by HASAG (Hugo Schneider AG) under the direction of Dr. Heinrich Langweiler. He was faced with the task of creating a simple and effective remedy fighting enemy tanks short distances. It is believed that the Germans were inspired to create the Panzerfaust by familiarity with the American bazooka.

However, there are significant differences between the bazooka and the Faustpatrone: the bazooka is, in fact, a portable rocket launcher, the Faustpatron is more like a recoilless rifle. The Panzerfaust grenade launcher was designed in such a way that any infantryman could use it after a short briefing. The American bazooka had a constant and well-trained crew.

During the war years, the Wehrmacht received several modifications of the Panzerfaust, "Faustpatron" is, rather, the collective name for all types of these weapons.

The first "Faustpatron" did not have a sight, its pointed front part often ricocheted off tank armor, and the weight of the explosive in the warhead was insufficient. The manufacturer took into account these shortcomings, and very quickly a modernized version of the weapon, the Panzerfaust, was adopted by the Wehrmacht. In this modification, the size and mass of the head of the grenade was increased, its front part was made in the form of a flat platform, and the weight of the explosive increased. All this led to an increase in the armor penetration of weapons.

"Faustpatron" received exactly that classic appearance familiar to us from military films and turned into a simple and deadly weapon, which leaves almost no chance for any tank.

A hallmark of the Panzerfaust was its ease of production and low cost.

With a grenade mass of 3.25 kg, the Faustpatron could penetrate the armor of any Soviet tank. The following figures speak of the effectiveness of this weapon: from January to April 1944, the Germans destroyed more than 250 Soviet tanks with the help of the Faustpatron.

This weapon had a great resource for further modernization, which the developers took advantage of already at the beginning of 1944. The changes that were made to the Faustpatron affected almost all the characteristics of this weapon. The new modification was called Panzerfaust 60. The range of aimed fire increased to 60 meters, the combat qualities of the weapon increased, and its production was simplified. Main changes:

  • Increasing the caliber of the launch tube to 50 mm, as well as increasing the thickness of its walls. This made it possible to increase the weight of gunpowder in the propellant charge, which increased the speed and range of the grenade.
  • The grenade was connected to the stem thanks to a special latch, not a thread, which simplified the loading process and made it possible to install a front sight.
  • The push-button type percussion mechanism has been replaced with a simpler and more reliable lever type. The igniter cap has been replaced.
  • Panzerfaust 60 received a more advanced sight.
  • The mass of the upgraded weapon has increased to 6.25 kg.

The use of "Faustpatrons" in the vast territories of the USSR was less effective than in a densely populated Eastern Europe due to the short range of the grenade launcher. The German industry was rapidly increasing the production of Panzerfaust: if in April 1944 the Wehrmacht received 100 thousand units of this weapon, then in November of the same year this figure amounted to 1.084 million units. It is for these reasons that most tanks were shot down with the help of Faustpatrons at the final stage of the war. At the end of the war, the Panzerfaust became the main anti-tank weapon of the Wehrmacht, the Waffen-SS troops and militia units. German troops on the front line had several units of such weapons per fighter, which significantly strengthened the anti-tank defense and increased the losses of Soviet tanks.

The need for this weapon in the troops was so great that the military, on their own initiative, set up the collection of disposable launch tubes of the Faustpatron to send them to factories for secondary equipment.

However, Soviet soldiers also gained experience in dealing with grenade launchers. Each tank was defended by a whole group of infantrymen located at a distance of 100-200 meters from it.

German designers continued to work on improving the grenade launcher. At the end of 1944, a new modification of the Panzerfaust appeared, which could fire at a hundred meters. In addition, the armor-piercing ability of the new grenade launcher and the accuracy of its shooting have increased. The Panzerfaust-100 became a truly formidable opponent for any Allied tank, including the heaviest vehicles.

To reduce the number of losses from the new German weapons, Soviet tankers screened their vehicles, changed tactics, and tried to avoid close combat.

At the very end of the war, the Teutonic gloomy genius brought to the surface another Panzerfaust model, which had a firing range of up to 150 meters and could be used several times. To increase the firing range, the aerodynamic characteristics of the grenade were improved by changing its shape and reducing the diameter. Stabilizers and special grooves ensured a steady flight of the grenade. The maximum flight range was 300 meters, and the effective firing distance was 150 meters. It was possible to put on a steel shirt with a notch on the body of the grenade, which, when detonated, gave a large number of fragments. So the new grenade launcher became effective not only against enemy tanks, but also against his manpower.

However, HASAG managed to release only 500 copies of the new grenade launcher, and in April Leipzig was captured by the Americans. The Germans were also working on the creation of the Faustpatron with an effective firing range of 250 meters, which was very reminiscent of modern grenade launchers, but they could not realize these plans, Germany capitulated.

The Faustpatrons inflicted enormous damage on the Soviet troops during the Battle of Berlin: in total, more than 800 Soviet tanks and self-propelled guns were destroyed in this battle, most of which were hit by grenade launchers.

"Faustpatron" can be called one of the most effective types weapons of the German army. In terms of price-performance ratio, it was unmatched. Having created the Panzerfaust, the Germans practically opened a new direction in the weapons business.

Description Panzerfaust

The Faustpatron is a disposable anti-tank grenade launcher that used the same operating principle as recoilless rifles. Its device was very simple. The grenade did not have its own jet engine, the propellant charge was placed in the launch tube of the weapon and fired the grenade. After its ignition, the powder gases pushed the grenade forward and escaped from the barrel back, compensating for the recoil.

The trigger mechanism and sights were mounted on the launch tube. On later modifications of the faustpatron, the grenade received four folding stabilizers. The grenade charge consisted of a mixture of tol and RDX.

Sights consisted of a folding bar and the edge of the grenade shell. In the stowed position, the aiming bar was attached to the eye of the grenade with a pin and blocked the trigger.

The top of the aiming bar and the front sight were painted with luminescent paint for the convenience of aiming at night.

To make a shot, a grenade launcher was placed under the arm, aimed and pressed on the trigger button. The shooter must be careful, since the jet of powder gases from the back of the weapon reached 4 meters and could, reflected from any obstacles, concuss the shooter. Therefore, the Panzerfaust could not be fired from enclosed spaces.

After the shot, the grenade fuse was cocked, it worked when it met with any obstacle.

The performance characteristics of Faustpatron

Video about the grenade launcher

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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 short distance made it possible to use weapons with high (albeit 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.

cutaway

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 had a cone-shaped notch on the inside, covered with copper, with a 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. 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.


Panzerfaust
modifications with grenades

In addition, many modifications of the panzerfaust were made:

One of the projects allowed to use it as anti-personnel weapons: 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 copies of this design were made 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 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
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