Disposable hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers Panzerfaust ("tank fist", short Pzf; also known as "Faustpatrone") were developed in Germany in the middle of World War II, and became one of the most revolutionary and at the same time the most massive German military innovations of that period. The very concept of a cheap but rather powerful hand-held anti-tank weapon used by individual infantrymen in the post-war period was picked up and developed in many countries, including the USA and the USSR.

The Panzerfaust system was based on German developments in the field of recoilless (dynamo-reactive) anti-tank guns. The Panzerfaust was actually a recoilless weapon, simplified to the limit - it consisted of a launcher barrel, a propellant charge, a cumulative armor-piercing grenade, a trigger mechanism and primitive sighting devices. Nevertheless, this did not prevent, or rather, helped Panzerfaust to become one of the most massive samples of Wehrmacht anti-tank weapons - by the end of 1944, the monthly release of Panzerfaust exceeded a million pieces.

The developer of the Panzerfaust system is considered Heinrich Langweiler, an employee of the German company HASAG. The first samples of the Panzerfaust, later designated Panzerfaust 30M Klein, went into mass production in the summer of 1943, and the first experience of using them against Soviet tanks dates back to November 1943. By the end of the same year, HASAG released an improved version of the grenade launcher, the Panzerfaust 30M, which featured a larger diameter warhead and increased armor penetration. At the beginning of 1944, another modification followed, the Panzerfaust 60M, in which, while maintaining the previous cumulative warhead, the effective firing range was almost doubled (from 30 to 60 meters), by increasing the caliber and strength of the barrel, as well as increasing the expelling charge. By the end of 1944, the last mass version of Panzerfaust appeared - the Panzerfaust 100M, in which the range had already been raised to 100 meters with a slight increase in armor-piercing. By the end of the war, more advanced models with a range were in development.

Instructions for using Panzerfaust 60M
effective shooting at 150 and even 250 meters, but they did not go into the series. It should be noted. that the design of the experimental Panzerfaust 150M grenade launcher had a significant impact on the design of the first Soviet post-war RPG-2 anti-tank grenade launcher.
All grenade launchers of the Panzerfaust series are built on the same principle of dynamo-reactive launch of a grenade from an open at both ends of the launch tube - the barrel. An expelling charge made of black powder is located approximately in the center of the barrel, when fired, the force of the flame from the rear of the launch tube reaches several meters (the danger zone is up to 10 meters behind the grenade launcher). Stabilization of the grenade in flight is carried out by the folding tail unit. The warhead of the grenade is over-caliber, cumulative. The firing mechanism is mechanical, the sighting devices are in the form of a rear sight-ladder with several range marks. there is no front sight as such, aiming is carried out along the upper edge of the grenade.

Tactical and technical characteristics

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 fight Soviet combat vehicles equipped with anti-cannon armor. Due to its low effectiveness, German soldiers called this weapon a "mallet" or "clapperboard", 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 88mm anti-aircraft guns, which they successfully used against Soviet tanks, but this was not very convenient. These guns were bulky, expensive, they were few and they could not always cover the infantry from the offensive of tanks. The Germans tried to solve the problem by using special ammunition, sub-caliber and cumulative shells, but this only partially resolved the issue. The worst thing 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 another solution, and the German designers found it: at the beginning of 1943, the first 500 "Faustpatrones" entered service with the Wehrmacht. This weapon was simple and cheap, while at the same time it was 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 leadership of Dr. Heinrich Langweiler. He was faced with the task of creating a simple and effective means of dealing with enemy tanks at short distances. It is believed that the Germans were inspired to create the Panzerfaust by their acquaintance 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 weapon. The Panzerfaust grenade launcher was designed in such a way that it could be used by any infantryman after a short briefing. The American bazooka had a constant and well-trained calculation.

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 from the tank armor, and the weight of the explosive in the warhead was insufficient. The manufacturer took these shortcomings into account, and very quickly the modernized version of the weapon, the Panzerfaust, was adopted by the Wehrmacht. In this modification, the size and weight of the head of the grenade was increased, its front part was made in the form of a flat platform, the weight of the explosive increased. All this led to an increase in the armor penetration of the weapon.

"Faustpatron" received exactly that classic look, familiar to us from war films and turned into a simple and deadly weapon, leaving almost no chance for any tank.

A distinctive feature of the Panzerfaust was its ease of manufacture and low cost.

With a grenade mass of 3.25 kg "Faustpatron" could penetrate the armor of any Soviet tank. The following figures testify to 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 large 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 named Panzerfaust 60. The aiming range of fire was increased to 60 meters, the combat qualities of the weapon increased, and its production was simplified. Major changes:

  • Increasing the caliber of the launch tube up to 50 mm, as well as increasing the thickness of its walls. This made it possible to increase the amount of gunpowder in the propelling charge, thereby increasing the speed and range of the grenade.
  • The grenade was connected to the stem thanks to a special latch, rather than a thread, which simplified the loading process and made it possible to install the front sight.
  • The push-button type percussion mechanism was replaced by a simpler and more reliable lever type. The primer-igniter was replaced.
  • The Panzerfaust 60 received an improved sight.
  • The mass of the modernized weapon has increased to 6.25 kg.

The use of "Faustpatrons" in the vast territories of the USSR was less effective than in densely populated Eastern Europe due to the short range of the grenade launcher. German industry was rapidly increasing the production of Panzerfaust: if in April 1944 the Wehrmacht received 100 thousand units of these weapons, then in November of the same year this figure was 1.084 million units. It is for these reasons that most of the tanks were knocked out with the help of "Faustpatrons" at the final stage of the war. At the end of the war, Panzerfaust became the main anti-tank weapon of the Wehrmacht, SS troops and people's militia units. German troops on the front line had several units of such weapons per soldier, 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 a collection of disposable launch tubes for the Faustpatron to be sent to factories for secondary equipment.

However, Soviet soldiers also gained experience in fighting 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 up to a hundred meters. In addition, the armor-piercing ability of the new grenade launcher and its firing accuracy have increased. The Panzerfaust-100 has become 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 shielded their vehicles, changed tactics, and tried to avoid close combat.

At the very end of the war, the Teutonic gloomy genius "gave out on the mountain" another model Panzerfaust, 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 stable grenade flight. The maximum flight range was 300 meters, and the effective firing distance was 150 meters. A steel shirt with a notch could be put 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 also worked on the creation of the "Faustpatron" with an aiming range of 250 meters, which was very reminiscent of modern grenade launchers, but they could not realize these plans, Germany surrendered.

"Faust cartridges" inflicted enormous damage on Soviet troops during the battle for Berlin: in total, more than 800 Soviet tanks and self-propelled guns were destroyed in this battle, most of which were knocked out of grenade launchers.

"Faustpatron" can be called one of the most effective 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 arms business.

Description of Panzerfaust

The Faustpatron is a disposable anti-tank grenade launcher that uses the same principle of operation as recoilless guns. Its structure 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 igniting it, the powder gases pushed the grenade forward and burst out of the barrel backward, compensating for the recoil.

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

Sights consisted of a flap and the edge of the shell of the grenade. 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 front sight were painted with luminescent paint for ease of aiming at night.

To make a shot, the grenade launcher was placed under the arm, aimed and pressed the trigger button. The shooter must be careful, as the jet of powder gases from the rear of the weapon reached 4 meters and could, reflecting from any obstacles, shock the shooter. Therefore, it was impossible to shoot from the Panzerfaust from enclosed spaces.

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

The performance characteristics of the Faustpatron

Video about the grenade launcher

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They were useful to the Wehrmacht and ... the Red Army
http: //russkoedvizhenie.rf/index.php/military-equipment/54-military-equipment/12915-2012-12-14-10-21-07

The development of these weapons in the Third Reich marked 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 counterparts 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, a dynamo-jet) 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 strongly demanded by the experience of battles on the Eastern Front.

Soon after the start of the aggression against the Soviet Union, it became clear that the German 37-mm anti-tank gun was incapable of performing 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, besides, they were light enough to keep up with the infantry everywhere. True, 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 cannon barrel, was supplied specifically to combat new Soviet tanks.


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

A little history is required here. The recoilless principle itself has been known for a long time. For example, the Russian "Artillery Journal" back in 1866 reported about "carried out in England" experiments with a gun with an open barrel 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, DP Ryabushinsky manufactured a 70-mm recoilless gun in the form of a pipe open at both ends for a unitary cartridge with a burning sleeve ("free pipe" scheme). Active work on recoilless circuits was carried out in the 30s in the USSR (which remains to be discussed) and in Germany.

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

It should be noted that then the schemes of recoilless guns were of interest to specialists as a way to reduce the combat mass of field guns by facilitating the carriage, and not by creating specialized anti-tank guns. The role of primarily anti-tank weapons recoilless guns will play 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 in late 1941 - early 1942 th, when these guns were supplied 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 "Faustpatrone" (Faustpatrone - "fist cartridge"), which the weapon received originally. The simplest recoilless device was connected to the same 3,7 cm Stiel-Gr. Patr. 41. I must say that in the experienced "Faustpatron" it did not look very good, which required significant changes. So, instead of the tail stem, a tube with a wooden rod was introduced, the rigid plumage changed 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 the soldiers from burns.


In the summer and autumn of 1942, the first approbations of an infantry recoilless weapon with a cumulative grenade took place, and already in December its first model - Panzerfaust (Panzerfaust, literally - "armored fist" or "steel fist") was adopted. In Germany, they loved historical and mythological analogies, 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.

Improvement

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


The basis of "Panzerfaust" F-1 was an open steel pipe-barrel 800 millimeters long with a propellant charge and a firing mechanism. An over-caliber grenade was inserted into the tube 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 the percussion mechanism was welded to the front of the pipe, which included a drummer with a mainspring, a trigger button, a retractable stem with a screw, a return spring and a sleeve with a primer-igniter. The descent was carried out 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 flowed freely back from the pipe, balancing the recoil.

The body of the grenade contained an explosive charge (TNT / RDX) with a conical shaped-charge notch covered with a ballistic tip. The collapsed stabilizer blades in the tail section opened 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. A flap with a hole served as a sight, a front sight - the top of a 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 mass of a warhead of 95 grams was demonstrated at the Kummersdorf test site (54 g for the F-1 model). The caliber of the F-1 grenade is 100 millimeters, the F-2 is 150, the armor penetration is 140 and 200 millimeters at an angle of encounter with the armor up to 30o. The initial speed of the grenade is 30 m / s. The lack of a jet engine and the low muzzle velocity, which a black powder charge could give, limited the targeted firing range of the F-1 and F-2 to only 30 meters - a little further than a hand-held anti-tank grenade throw, but with greater accuracy. Hence, the names of the models "Panzerfaust-30", while the small model was called "Panzerfaust-30 Klein" , in any case, an example of gloomy German humor), and the big one is “Panzerfaust-30 gross” or simply “Panzerfaust-30” (Panzerfaust 30M).


The third model (F-3 or "Panzerfaust-60") appeared in early 1944. With the same caliber of a 150 mm grenade, it had a propelling charge increased to 134 grams, which made it possible to increase the initial speed of the grenade (up to 45 m / s) and the aimed firing range. The trunk pipe had to be enlarged. The warhead of the grenade was connected to the stabilizer rod no longer by a thread, but by a spring latch, which accelerated the loading of the grenade (inserting a detonator in preparation for a shot). A front sight appeared on its rim, which made aiming more accurate. The not entirely successful push-button trigger mechanism of the early "Panzerfaust" was replaced with a lever one, and a more "all-weather" primer-igniter of the "Javelo" type 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 percussion mechanism without raising the bar. A heavier grenade could be used to destroy not only armored targets, but also defensive structures. Instructions for the use of "Panzerfaust" were usually glued to 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 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 a shot 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, to more efficient extinguishing of the recoil by the gases of the rear charge. This provided the initial speed of the grenade of 60 m / s and the firing range of up to 100 meters, increased the stability of the weapon when fired, and hence the accuracy of the fire.


Production

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

The mass order for the F-2 was issued only in September, when the F-1 was already supplied to the troops. The massiveness of weapons - both in terms of the size of production and supplies, and in terms of the speed of development - affected quickly. 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 Ofenror reusable rocket launcher 88.

Tactical and technical characteristics
serial grenade launchers "Panzerfaust"
Panzerfaust-30 grenade launcher 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 the 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


The standardization traditional for the German industry made it possible to quickly involve several companies in the production of Panzerfaust. Explosive charges for grenade launchers were supplied by the factories Oerlikon, Byurle und Co, Reinische Gummi und Celluloid Factories, pipes-trunks were supplied by the Volkswagen automobile plant. The average cost of one Panzerfaust was 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 of them were grenade launchers with increased firing range.

Experienced options

"Panzerfaust" served as the basis for a number of experimental developments, among which were the "Sprengfaust" with a fragmentation warhead, and "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 "Einstossflammenwerfer" -44 ", and cumulative-incendiary" Brandfaust ". Attempts were made to equip light aircraft for assault operations with Panzerfaust.

In November 1944, with the advent of the Panzerfaustov-100, the Armaments Directorate issued HASAG a task to develop 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 ability to combat manpower, the grenade should have, in addition to the cumulative armor-piercing, fragmentation effect.


After unsuccessful attempts to use energy-intensive smokeless (nitrocellulose) propellants in a propellant charge and light metals for the manufacture of a barrel pipe, 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 for more effective compensation of recoil by the reactive 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 was provided up to 220-240 millimeters, which made it possible to fight all types of tanks that had appeared on the battlefield by that time.

A steel "shirt" with an external notch was put on the cylindrical part of the body of the grenade, which formed fragments during the explosion of a combat charge - 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 initial speed of the grenade (85 m / s) and improved aerodynamics provided 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 "Panzerfaust-150" was issued only on March 16, 1945. The production of an initial batch of 500 units began, with the expectation of bringing serial production to 100 thousand units per month. Such a weapon would be very effective, but the war was already over.

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


In September 1944, a reusable Panzerfaust-250 model with a firing range of up to 200 meters was developed, but never put into production. The normal penetration of the grenade was 320 mm of homogeneous armor. This 106 mm caliber grenade launcher weighed 7-7.2 kilograms, had an elongated tube-barrel with a more powerful charge. A pistol grip with a trigger mechanism, a frame metal shoulder rest, and a front hold 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 an enhanced propellant charge in difficult conditions, especially in cold weather. The 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 bring to the production model.

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


"Faustniki"

Reactive cumulative grenades, which were fairly easy to manufacture, quickly began to crowd out less effective hand grenades. Although the Panzerfaust's barrel was originally a disposable one, the troops organized the collection of spent pipes and sending them to bases for reloading at factories - the need for new weapons turned out to be so great in the conditions of the obvious superiority of Soviet armored and mechanized troops in the last period of the war.


The Panzerfaust was just as easy to use as it was to manufacture: it only required a short training in aiming, shooting and positioning. The "faustniks" tried to fire on the tanks from the side, hiding in trenches, trenches, behind folds of terrain, and buildings. And yet, given the short range of aimed firing, strong nerves were required. Moreover, the shot unmasked the soldier with a white spherical cloud and raised dust.


The role of the "Faustists" especially increased from the middle of 1944 - this was facilitated by both an 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 seek cover and fire from close distances , especially in battles on the streets of cities.

On the approaches to Berlin in the spring of 1945, the damage of Soviet tank units in armored vehicles as a result of the use of faust cartridges by the enemy sometimes reached 30 percent. During the movement of tanks with open hatches, there were cases of hitting a Panzerfaust grenade launched from an ambush into the open frontal hatch of the T-34. During the Berlin operation, however, only 7.8 percent of the irrecoverable losses of the thirty-fours (137 out of 1746) fell on the fire of the Faustists. Although everything depended on the direction and methods of action.


So, the 2nd Guards Tank Army, as a result of the use of the 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 with all the danger of the "Faustists", artillery still played the main role in the anti-tank defense, even in the conditions of the city. Marshal I. S. Konev wrote: “The Germans saturated the defense units with a large number of faust cartridges, which, in the context 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 battles it played a particularly large role in anti-tank defense. Except for the faust cartridges, we suffered most of the losses in tanks and self-propelled guns in Berlin from the enemy's anti-aircraft guns. "


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

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

The place that the Panzerfaust took 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 Ofenror 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 Panzershrekov (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 “Panzerfaustos” of various brands at the same time, including 271,000 in warehouses. The role of disposable RPGs in the fight against tanks at close range was also appropriate. That is why it was required to develop technical and tactical methods for protecting Soviet armored vehicles from the fire of enemy grenade launchers.


With the help of "armor nets"

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

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


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 the protection of tanks from cumulative shells and mines. The chief of staff of the armored and mechanized forces, Major General M.F.Salminov, in a document dated January 25, 1944, indicated:

"1. Effective and reliable protection against a cumulative projectile is a shield, 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 shield 10 mm thick, applied directly to the armor (in both points, the influence of the German experience in the protection of tanks and assault guns is visible. - S. F.).

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

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


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 often mentioned "bed nets" are more from the realm of legends, generated, apparently, by the external resemblance of nets with a "shell bed" made by our repairmen. 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. Ye. Bokov, said: “... during the assault on Berlin, army craftsmen found an effective means of protecting armor from faust cartridges. In the marching weapons workshops, additional, simple protection against tanks was made, which greatly increased their survivability. The essence of this device, which was aptly called shielding, was as follows. A metal mesh (cell 4x4 cm) made of wire 0.5-0.8 mm in diameter was welded to the tank hull in the most affected areas 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 outside the armor and could no longer burn through it ... Immediately after the test firing, the commander of the armored and mechanized forces of the 5th shock army, Major General of the tank forces B.A. ".


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 studied in the post-war years and contributed to the development of effective anti-cumulative screens, although they were made constructively on slightly different principles.


At the enemy from his own weapon

"Panzerfaust" often turned out to be trophies of the Red Army and were willingly used by Soviet soldiers. It happened that the officers who knew the German language themselves translated short German instructions for their soldiers in order to quickly put the captured RPGs into action. Brief instructions and memos on the use of faust cartridges, 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 "Panzerfaust", knocking out six tanks, two assault guns and two enemy armored personnel carriers during the battle.

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

The experience of using faust cartridges by our troops, as well as the experience of fighting the faust cartridges used against our tanks, should be reported to the headquarters of the BT and MV KA. "

Fighters 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 Panzerfaust. In Danzig alone, Soviet assault groups spent 200-250 Panzerfausts almost daily.

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

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

But another thing 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 VI Chuikov, noting the interest of Soviet soldiers in the Panzerfaust (Faustpatron), even suggested that they be included in the troops under the half-joking name of Ivan the Patron.

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

Works for Soviet RPGs

Assessment of the meaning of "Panzerfaust" (and in German-speaking countries this word became 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 short-range anti-tank defense." But they, in his opinion, did not solve the problem: "The infantry needs anti-tank weapons to be serviced by one person and to allow them to hit the tank and disable it from a distance of 150, and, if possible, 400 meters."

Lieutenant Colonel E. Middeldorf echoed Schneider: "The creation of the Ofenror anti-tank gun and the Panzerfaust dynamo-rocket launcher can only be viewed as a temporary measure in solving the problem of infantry anti-tank defense." Although the German researcher G. Kerl later asserted: “Perhaps the only German weapon that met the requirements of maximum efficiency with a minimum expenditure of manpower and resources for its production was the Faustpatron anti-tank gun.

In turn, Marshal of Artillery ND Yakovlev, who was the head of GAU during the war years, 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 anti-tank weapons as "Faustpatron" ... But it has proven itself very well. "

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

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

One way or another, the work on dynamo-reactive subjects was interrupted (already in 1943, JV Stalin allegedly remarked on this matter: "Together with the dirty water they threw out the child"). They returned to them already during the war. To a large extent - under the influence of the recoilless systems of the German army and in connection with the emergence of its own ammunition with a cumulative warhead.

It is not surprising that 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 for processing documentation, detailed reproduction of missile and jet weapons designs with the involvement of German specialists.

The Leipzig branch of the Berlin Institute, for example, was commissioned to finalize the Panzerfaust-150 and Panzerfaust-250. The design bureau "Nordhausen" in Sommerd prepared documentation for the fuses for both grenade launchers. However, the most interested in the Soviet military "Panzerfaust-150". Tests of the Panzerfaust-250 showed the inadequacy of this system. At the end of October 1946, German specialists were taken to the Krasnoarmeisky village 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 jet armament: already in May, under the USSR Council of Ministers, a Special Committee on Jet Equipment was created, under the Main Artillery Directorate - the Directorate of Jet Weapons. Work has intensified in various areas, including light rocket-propelled anti-tank weapons. At the Research Rocket Institute of the GAU, a department of anti-tank shells was formed.

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-type jet torpedoes, Panzerfaust hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers ...

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

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

samples - 110 pieces ...

All the aforementioned samples of jet weapons manufactured in Germany have been sent to the Soviet Union. "

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

And the idea of ​​a lightweight and extremely easy-to-use 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 a different weapon.

Semyon Fedoseev

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 muzzle velocity to destroy tanks, then from the middle of 1942, the massive use of the Red Army KB-1 and T-34 tanks 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 RAK.38 and 37-mm RAK.35 / 36, German anti-tank rifles, hand grenades, as well as Molotov cocktails could not hit even medium tanks are at minimum distances.

It was called "Faustpatron 1", "Faustpatron small" (klein), "Faustpatron 30" or, later, "Panzerfaust 30" (here the 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 single-use anti-tank grenade launchers.

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

Faustpatron small

In this regard, German designers continued their 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 tried to reduce the cost of production by means of widespread introduction of non-scarce materials and stamped-welded structures. A real breakthrough in this area was the proposal of an engineer, Dr. Heinrich Langweiler from the HASAG department (Leipzig), who worked on rocket and dynamo-rocket weapons. In the spring of 1942, Langweiler formulated a schematic diagram of a new anti-tank hand-held weapon that had no recoil when fired. This weapon was named Faustpatrone 1 ("Faustpatron" - fist cartridge). This name later 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 called its unofficial nickname "Gretchen". The Faustpatrone 1 was one of the first in a series of so-called "wonder weapons" developed by German gunsmiths during World War II.

For the first time, a fairly effective warhead of a cumulative barrel grenade 3,7 cm Stiel-Gr was connected in one design. Patr. 41 and a rocket motor (powder charge) placed in the bore. The use of ammunition in this weapon with a low initial velocity and a decrease in recoil to an acceptable level for the shooter made it possible to create a sample that allowed sustained fire, both from the machine and from the hand. This single-action grenade launcher, which is, in fact, a rocket-propelled anti-tank grenade, consisted of two parts (mainly made by cold stamping): an over-caliber cumulative grenade with a tail stabilizer and a hollow open on both sides of the barrel tube (length 360 mm) containing powder propellant charge. The grenade was inserted into the barrel from the front. A trigger was assembled on the barrel. Part of the powder gases during a shot at an open barrel was retracted, while a forward-directed reactive force was created to counterbalance the recoil force. Faustpatron was served by one person. But since when fired, a beam (force) of flame appeared from the burning charge, the grenade launcher had to hold the new weapon at arm's length. This position significantly reduced aiming accuracy. This design affected the accuracy of the weapon. The first version of the RPG turned out to be unsuccessful due to the shortcomings of the grenade, short flight range and extremely low accuracy of fire. But, despite this, the combination of low-speed cumulative ammunition in one weapon and the absence of recoil during a shot promised that this maneuverable and light infantry anti-tank weapon, which allows firing from the hand, cheap and easy to manufacture, could 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, HASAG handed over to HWaA (Wehrmacht Armaments Directorate) an improved version of the "Faustpatron" - a dynamo-reactive 101-mm hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher Panzerfaust Klein 30M ("armored fist"). The designer modified his grenade launcher by extending 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 grenade of cumulative action: they reduced its caliber, 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 tail fixed to it. The plumage consisted of four folding stabilizers. The stem was connected to the body of the grenade with a thread. An explosive shaped charge was placed in the body of the grenade (a mixture of TNT and RDX in a ratio of 40/60%). The metal parts of the grenade were made by stamping. The 33mm barrel was a smooth-bore metal tube. By welding, a firing spring-loaded push-button mechanism and an aiming stand were fixed on the barrel. The firing mechanism includes a tube of the percussion mechanism, a trigger button, a retractable stem with a screw, a sleeve with a primer-igniter and a return spring. The percussion mechanism was installed in two main positions - on a combat platoon and on a safety device. The propellant charge, consisting of fine-grained smoky gunpowder in a cylindrical cardboard charge, was attached to the barrel with a screw. The propellant charge was separated from the grenade with a plastic wad. Sights - rear and front sighting devices. Instead of a front sight, the upper edge of the grenade shell was used. The rear sight was a figured slot in the sighting flap, which was hingedly connected to the trigger body. For firing in the dark, the front sight and sight were covered with luminescent paint. In the stowed position, the flap, fixed to the eye of the grenade with a pin and adjacent to the barrel, served as a stopper for the grenade and the percussion mechanism. In this position of the aiming bar, it is impossible to cock the drummer, since the release button closed, and, therefore, the shot was impossible. The grenade launchers were painted yellow-brown or dark green.

General appearance of RPG "Panzerfaust" 30M

The grenade launchers were transferred to the troops in assembled form, however, in order to fire a shot, it was necessary to first load 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 head from the grenade stem. The stem remained in the barrel of the grenade launcher. A metal glass with a bottom inertial fuse of a non-safety type and a standard detonator kl was placed in the body tube. ZdTg.34 Np, 10. Reverse the grenade and stabilizer. Before the shot, a safety check was removed, which was located in the front of the barrel. After that, the aiming bar was raised and the percussion mechanism was cocked. For cocking, the stem inside the body was fed 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 catch. When the release button was pressed, a beam of fire was transmitted to the expelling charge from the primer-igniter. The expelling charge, igniting, threw a grenade out of the barrel.

In order to make a shot, the barrel was clasped with two hands and, tightly held under the arm, aiming and pressing the trigger was carried out. After the grenade was thrown out of the barrel, the folded blades of the stabilizer opened. A jet of powder gases escaping from the open rear end of the barrel and the length of which reached 4 meters created a danger to the shooter. In this regard, in order to avoid being hit by the ricochet of the reflected flame of the shooter and other people, as well as combustible materials and ammunition, there should have been no obstacles behind him at a distance of 10 meters. This was warned by the inscription “Attention! Strong beam of fire! " placed on the trunk. Thus, the use of this weapon had certain restrictions, including a ban on the use from enclosed spaces. At the time of the shot, the percussion mechanism of the fuse was cocked, which was triggered during the meeting of the head of the grenade and any obstacle. When fired, the grenade launcher practically did not feel the impact 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 was removed from the fuse, the need for firing disappeared, the grenade launcher could be removed from the combat platoon 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 grenade eyelet.

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

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

With a mass of a grenade launcher equal to 3.25 kilograms, its armor penetration at 30 meters was up to 150 millimeters. This was one of the best results for the time, allowing 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 the armored vehicle. As a result, a new tactic of fighting armored vehicles appeared - flanking fire was fired at the tanks: in settlements - from behind structures, in the field - from light shelters or trenches.

Capping box RPG "Panzerfaust" 60M in a separate package are stored bottom inertial fuses and primers kl.zdlg.34

In August 1943, HASAG, having mastered the mass production of the Klein 30M hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, produced 8.7 thousand units. For the first time, Panzerfaust was successfully used in battle on the Eastern Front on the territory of 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 indicate the success of this anti-tank weapon: in the period from January to April 1944, German infantrymen on the Eastern Front destroyed 520 tanks in close combat. At the same time, 264 units fell to the share of the Panzerfaust dynamo-rocket RPGs, while only 88 tanks of the Ofenrohr RPzB.43 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers.

Langweiler's 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 a modernized 149mm RPG Panzerfaust 30M. 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, "Faustpatrona" were subjected to 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 Panzerfaust 60M 149 mm 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 tube) of the barrel increased resistance to mechanical damage during transportation and combat operations. In addition, this allowed the use of more powerful propellants as well as an increase in 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 using a spring latch, and not a threaded connection. This simplified the loading of weapons and made it possible to install the front sight on the rim of the grenade, allowing more targeted fire from the grenade launcher;
- The push-button percussion mechanism of the early "Faustpatrons", which was not entirely successful, was replaced by a simple lever mechanism. A new primer-igniter of the Javelot type 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 assembled grenade launcher (with a grenade) increased from 5.35 kg to 6.25 kg.

Aiming methods from Panzerfaust

As the experience of the combat use of Panzerfaust increased, the views of the Wehrmacht command on this weapon also changed. In 1943 and at the beginning of 1944, while hostilities were being conducted 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 RPG to be widely used in the field. In this regard, Panzerfaust was in service only with tank destroyers, which ambushed in fortified areas, at bridges, roads, in settlements, etc. And only in the spring-summer of 1944, when the Soviet army entered the territory of densely built-up Eastern Europe, the "Faustpatrons" began to enter the German infantry's arsenal in droves. This dramatic change in the situation was also facilitated by the deployment of large-scale production of RPGs. By the fall of 1944, the German military industry was able to establish an ever-growing production of Panzerfaust. In April 1944, production of the Panzerfaust 30M 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 the Panzerfaust 30M and Panzerfaust 60M in November 1944, during the battles 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. Apart from all HASAG factories in Schlieben and Leipzig, other companies were also involved in the production 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 launch tubes-barrels Volkswagen - one of the largest automobile factories in Germany. Moreover, the need of the German troops for this weapon was so great that the guides of the Panzerfaust, which was a single-use weapon, were not thrown away after use. In combat units, their collection was organized to be sent for reloading with grenades at the factory.

In 1944-1945, "Faustpatron" was the main vehicle for infantry divisions, people's grenadier divisions, as well as Volkssturm battalions. So, for example, in the fall of 1944, there were up to 90 Panzerfaust anti-tank grenade launchers per kilometer of the front. German infantry companies had several grenade launchers for each soldier, which made it possible to significantly strengthen the anti-tank defense and significantly increase the losses of Soviet troops in armored vehicles. A vivid example is the fighting in Poland, Hungary and Germany in the fall 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-destroyer 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 accumulation of combat experience by the Soviet and Anglo-American troops in fighting grenade launchers, which were armed with Panzerfaust, again forced the HASAG engineers to improve the grenade launchers. At the same time, the designers did not focus on increasing the 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 propelling powder charges placed sequentially 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 when the first charge was ignited, affecting, due to the creation of a closed volume with the second charge, an increase in the throwing range of the grenade. When firing a grenade, the second charge powder gases, 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 (up to 240 mm) increased, though only slightly, which made it possible for the Panzerfaust 100M to become a really serious enemy for all heavy tanks of the Allies at the final stage of the war.

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

The high efficiency of Panzerfaust in the last months of the war significantly increased the losses of allies in armored vehicles, which led to the adoption of countermeasures - the most vulnerable spots of combat vehicles were shielded, new tactics of conducting joint actions of infantry and tank units were used. These changes made it possible to significantly reduce the damage inflicted by Hitler's grenade launchers to armored forces. After the war, Marshal of the Soviet Union I.S. Konev, the commander of the First Ukrainian Front, wrote the following about this: “... In an effort to reduce the number of tanks knocked out by faust cartridges, we introduced a simple, but very effective means - so-called shielding was created around the tanks: sheet metal or sheets of tin were hung over the armor. Getting into the tank, the faustpatron first pierced this insignificant obstacle, but there was a void behind it, and the grenade ran into the armor, losing its reactive power. She most often ricocheted, and did not cause damage ... Why did they start using this remedy so late? Probably, this is due to the fact that we practically did not encounter such a widespread use of faust cartridges during street battles, and in open areas we did not reckon with it. "

And here is what his opponent, Lieutenant Colonel of the Wehrmacht E. Middeldorf, 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 account of Panzerfaust. But "Panzerfaust", having a rough aiming and a 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 help of Faustpatrone, which has been observed since January 1945, is primarily due to the introduction by the Russians of new tactics of protection against tank destroyers. It consisted in the protection of armored vehicles during the battle with separate shooters, who moved at a distance of 100-200 meters from the tank. If the nature of the terrain did not give favorable conditions for the tank destroyer for shelter, close combat became impossible ... This tactic was a response to increasing the effectiveness of anti-tank defense, which was achieved thanks to the use of the new RPGs "Panzerfaust" and "Ofenror".

A front-line officer teaches 100M Volkssturm militias to handle the Panzerfaust RPG. 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 stand up to arms. To equip them, a huge number of weapons were required, which had to be easy to use and cheap to manufacture. At the same time, the weapon must be highly effective, such as the Panzerfaust. In these conditions, the command of the Wehrmacht faced an almost insoluble problem. On the one hand, it was necessary to call and arm a mass of people who had not undergone combat training, on the other hand, it was necessary to teach them basic knowledge in military affairs. Naturally, the question arose of how to teach the use of disposable grenade launchers, if there is a shortage of them in combat units at the front. Therefore, it was urgently necessary 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 armament service and the general inspector of tank forces on the independent manufacture (according to the attached drawings) of a device that allows training in shooting from "Panzerfaust". The Panzerfaust training version was a 60M grenade launcher, equipped with a special device for shooting a grenade model and a "beam of fire". The device was a chamber for a blank 7.92-mm rifle cartridge M.ZZ, which was vertically inserted into the barrel of a grenade launcher. When fired, the powder gases pushed the wooden model of the grenade from the barrel-pipe forward and affected the drummer of the second blank cartridge, which was inserted into a wooden simulator of the "beam of fire" that served as a counter-mass for the grenade. This device made its own, although not as significant as intended, contribution to the training of Volkssturm in aiming, shooting and positioning.

Installation diagram of an impromptu anti-tank mine from the RPG "Panzerfaust"

I.S. Konev: “The battalions of the Volkssturm, in the ranks of which were dominated by adolescents and the elderly, were especially abundantly supplied with Faust patrons. Faustpatron was one of the means that could create in people not trained in war and physically unprepared people a feeling of confidence that, having only become soldiers yesterday, they will be able to do something today. It should be noted that in most cases these faustics fought to the end and showed much greater stamina than the well-worn German soldiers, however, broken by long-term fatigue and defeats. "

The deterioration of the 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 the allies' attempts to minimize losses in tanks and armored vehicles. Therefore, in November 1944, the HWaA jet weapons development department instructed HASAG to re-modernize the Panzerfaust design to expand the combat capabilities of the anti-tank grenade launcher. When designing this weapon, new tactical and technical requirements had to be taken into account, which included:
- increasing the firing range while maintaining the charge and the launch tube-barrel Panzerfaust 100M;
- economy of explosives while increasing the armor penetration of the grenade;
- the use of surrogate explosives;
- use in the manufacture of arc and spot electric welding;
- the ability to use a grenade, both for the destruction of armored targets and enemy manpower.

Training in shooting from the "faustpatron" Volkssturmist. 1945 year

In these tactical and technical requirements, in addition to the already constant requirements to improve the combat qualities of weapons, as well as to reduce the cost of its manufacture, a completely new requirement sounded - 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 started 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 solution 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 gunpowder as a propellant charge also did not give a positive result. The measures taken by the designers to reduce the cost of the Faustpatron made them turn to light metals for the manufacture of barrels-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 solution of 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 Faustpatron amid the loss of a 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 this weapon, which is so necessary in defensive battles. First of all, the grenade itself was almost completely reworked. In the new grenade, the warhead, the stabilizer and the bottom fuse were assembled into a single whole (the grenades of the former Panzerfaust consisted of two parts - the warhead and the tail with a tail). This made it possible to change the principle of loading the grenade launcher. The stabilizer tube had a retainer, which, when loaded, entered the cutout of the muzzle of the grenade launcher. This provided a solid fixation of the warhead in a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher and made it possible to safely discharge the weapon if there was no need to fire. The launch tube-barrel in this form allowed multiple reloading. The thickening of the barrel walls allowed the grenade launcher to withstand up to 10 rounds. The solution to the problem of increasing the firing range was also 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 has also improved thanks 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 reclining 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 hand grenade RGD-33 made in the USSR) with transverse flutes applied to 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 the same armor penetration (220-240 mm), which was sufficient to defeat any tanks of that time. In March 45, HASAG began production of the first installation batch of these anti-tank grenade launchers in the amount of 500 pieces. It was planned that their monthly release in the near future will reach 100 thousand pieces. However, American troops, capturing Leipzig in mid-April, where the production of the Panzerfaust 150M was started, thwarted the last attempt of the Germans to use the so-called "miracle weapon" and thus increase the number of victims of the war.

Column of Soviet tanks IS-2 on the road in East Prussia. 1st Belorussian Front. Left on the side of the road - abandoned German Panzerfaust grenade launchers

The problem of increasing the effectiveness of Panzerfaust consisted not only in increasing the firing range and armor penetration, but also in improving the accuracy of their battle. 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 aiming range of which was 250 meters. Achieved thanks to the use of an elongated launch tube-barrel and a greater mass of expelling charge. The use of an electric igniter instead of a lever trigger mechanism made it possible to achieve greater reliability of operation under adverse conditions, especially in the cold season. For the grenade launcher, a new launch tube-tube was created, on which, with the help of collar clamps, the following were attached: a trigger, assembled in a stamped control handle; frame shoulder rest made of metal; additional handle for holding the 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 completed to the 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 the Verbesserte Pz.Faust ("improved Panzerfaust"), had a 160mm grenade with an improved fuse. Already in February, its production was planned by the Heber company in the city of Osterode, but the rapid offensive of the allies prevented the implementation of these plans. At the same time, in the same January 1945, a number of projects for new designs of grenade launchers appeared, including those that can be confidently attributed to fantastic: the Grosse Panzerfaust project - a barrel-pipe from "250M" and a new enlarged grenade with armor penetration up to 400 millimeters; Brandfaust - used the Pz.Brandgranate incendiary grenade; Gasfaust - a grenade filled with toxic 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 1945, a batch of these grenade launchers in the amount of 100 pieces was sent for military tests. But Schrappnell-Faust was not brought to mass production.

British tanker from the 11th Panzer Division and captured German "tank destroyers" from the Hitler Youth. The tankman is armed with a STEN Mk.III submachine gun, on his shoulder is visible a German assault rifle StG 44 "confiscated" from teenagers. In the foreground and on the right, bicycles with pairs of "faust cartridges" (Panzerfaust) are visible. Such bicycle divisions 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 battles in the capital of the Reich, where the Panzerfaust RPGs were in service with all German units and divisions of the Wehrmacht, Volkssturm and 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 solid defense, which was designed for a long time. The defense was built on a system of strong 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 the 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 ... street fighting became a formidable anti-tank weapon ... Also Berlin had a lot of anti-aircraft artillery, which during street fighting played a significant role in anti-tank defense. If you do not take into account the faust cartridges, then most of the losses among tanks and self-propelled guns in Berlin we suffered precisely from the enemy's 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 RPGs according to the main criterion "cost-effectiveness", then Panzerfaust takes a leading place in the class of infantry weapons of the Second World War. The German scientist of Germany Hans Kerl, an expert in the field of the military industry, gave these grenade launchers the most accurate assessment: “Perhaps the only weapon in Germany that met the requirements of maximum efficiency with minimal expenditure of funds and efforts for its production was the Faustpatron. German grenade launchers were not only the most massive type of weapon in the Wehrmacht, but the cheapest. The production of one "Faustpatron" took 8 man-hours, and the prime 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 in the period 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 the OKN, as of March 1, 45, the German armed forces numbered 3.018 million units in the troops. dynamo-reactive RPG Panzerfaust of various models, and another 271 thousand - in arsenals.

Dismantled German Panzerfaust anti-tank grenade launchers, modifications M60 and M100, prepared for detonation by US Army engineers. (Indexes 60 and 100 indicate effective firing range in meters). As an explosive (top), American-made two-hundred-gram TNT bombs (TNT 1/2 pound block) are coiled together.

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. For example, in April 1945, in the battles on the approaches to Berlin, from 11.3 to 30% of tanks were lost from Panzerfaust, and during street battles in the city itself up to 45-50%.

In general, Panzerfaust during World War II 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 became the reason that the designers-gunsmiths found 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 an equal footing with almost any enemy tanks in the conditions of maneuverable modern combat. Although the Germans themselves, including Erich Schneider, Lieutenant General of the Wehrmacht, after the war believed that: “During the war, the infantry of all countries had a lot of trouble with anti-tank weapons ... However, anti-tank weapons that would meet all the requirements of the infantry were not created ... The infantry needs the anti-tank weapon to be serviced by one person, and so that with its help it is possible to destroy a tank from a distance of 150, and even better from a distance of 400 meters. "

But this statement can be attributed to Panzerfaust with a very big stretch, since it was they who had all the possibilities for their further improvement, and the latest models of this weapon - 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 newest type of weapon for the infantry - hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers.

According to the materials "Infantry weapons of the Third Reich, part VI. Wehrmacht jet weapons" Special issue of the magazine "Arms" for 11/12 2003

Close combat with tanks

"Close combat with tanks" - a militant from the command of the Wehrmacht. (Hollywood is resting). Cast - brave Aryan guys, stupid Russian tankers and their useless tanks. Year of release - 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 Ministry of Propaganda to denote 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 Panzerfaust, Panzerschreck, 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 - detachments of the people's militia

Volkssturm soldiers learn to use Panzerfaust, early April 1945.

Simple pipe with a grenade: Volkssturm should have stopped Soviet tanks in the spring of 1945 by simple means. This was the concept of the death row team.

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

In the spring of 1945, they were the very last, deceptive hope to detain an armada of Soviet tanks that were waiting on the Oder for an order to march in the direction of Berlin. The Völkische Beobachter newspaper printed sketches on the correct use of the Panzerfausts, and the latest newsreels Die Deutsche Wochenschau from the Propaganda Ministry showed drill with these weapons.

Joseph Goebbels dictated to his secretary at the end of March 1945: " Dr. Lei was with the Fuehrer and explained to him the question of the rationale for the volunteer corps." Volunteer Corps Adolf Hitler ".

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

Photo: German Federal Archives.

Due to his excessive consumption of alcohol, many Germans informally called Lei "Reichstrunkenbold" ("imperial drunkard"). So, and Goebbels was certainly right, such as Leigh will not be able to motivate the "volunteer corps" to fight for life and death. But it was just as pointless to create formations equipped only with assault rifles and panzerfaust. Such battle groups were effectively 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 rifles from the first days of the war, they were ineffective against modern models of such Soviet tanks as the T-34-85 and IS-2 or the American Pershing (approx. adoption: T-34-85 - January 23, 1944; IS -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 in 1942-43. the Wehrmacht captured American anti-tank weapons - "Bazooka"... A significantly improved version was developed on its basis - " Panzershrek". Its reactive shaped charge could penetrate up to 150 mm of armor steel at a distance of 200 meters. A sinister weapon, but relatively expensive and difficult to manufacture.

Therefore, in parallel with the "panzershrek", a simpler version was developed. The mine charge was attached to an ordinary barrel, there was almost no recoil, the speed was increased to 60 meters per second. If it hit the hull of the tank, the 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 Panzershrek. Therefore, they were only suitable for close range attacks.

Anti-tank formations, which mainly consisted of old Volkssturm and Hitler Youth, had to hide in trenches, in ruins, until the Soviet tank approached 50 meters, or better still less. Only then did they point their weapons at the tank with plain tin as a sight and shoot. In a matter of seconds after the explosion of a shaped charge grenade, they had to jump up and change their position. The destroyed 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, they very quickly realized that the Wehrmacht had new weapons. They adapted their tactics. Potential resistance nests were fired upon from machine guns and tank machine guns as they advanced. Artillery fired in obscure places as a precautionary measure before the tanks approached.

No one knows how many boys and old men from the anti-tank formations died, who tried to let the T-34-85 close enough to hit them. Nor does anyone know how many of the approximately 2,000 Soviet tanks destroyed in the Battle of Berlin were hit by the Panzerfaust. Regardless, the last wonder weapon of the Third Reich was a mistake. Because panzerfaust, in principle, is only suitable for slowing down the enemy's advance.

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