Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon
The Panzerfaust was a single shot, dispensable anti-tank weapon carried
by German anti-tank squads during World War Two. It was small, light, cheap to
produce and most importantly, it was a deadly anti-tank weapon. Capable of
penetrating up to 200mm of armor, the Panzerfaust could deal certain destruction
to any tank of the World War Two era – German or Allied.
The Panzerfaust simply meant, “Tank Fist”. The concept behind the development
of the Panzerfaust was to provide infantry with the ability to knock out enemy
tanks in close combat. It was a single shot weapon; meaning it was discarded after use.
Several variants existed, the Panzerfaust 30, 60, 100 and 150. They all had the same
penetration capability of 200mm of armor at 90 degrees, the difference being their
effective range. The Panzerfaust 30 had an effective range of 30 meters, while the
Panzerfaust 60 was effective up to 60 meters. The 100 and 150 versions were effective up to
100 and 150 meters respectively.
Consisting of two basic parts, the Panzerfaust
was made up of a projectile and cartridge, similar in concept to a bullet, which
consisted of a slug and shell. The entire length of the weapon was about 104cm
(42 inches) and weighed approximately 5.1kg (11.23 lbs). Later versions such as
the Panzerfaust 100 weighed more at 6.8kgs (15 lbs), but the length remained
largely unchanged.
The Panzerfaust Projectile
The projectile resembled a large oversized head, which was essentially a
small rocket with stabilizer fins. Upon leaving the cartridge, a lever of
springs extended the folded stabilizer fins. After a flight of about five
meters, the warhead was armed and upon impact, the warhead exploded into a fiery
burst, obliterating the target. Different from a bullet, the projectile did not
use kinetic energy as a means of penetration. Neither did it spin as a means of
stabilizing during flight. Instead the concept was based on the theory of the
shaped charge.
The shaped charge (also known as hollow
charge) works by focusing the explosive energy of the warhead into a jet stream.
By focusing all the energy forward, the resulting explosion would form a sharp
thrust, penetrating anything that was in the way. The gases expelled impacts the
target at a speed of over 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) per second, with a force in
excess of 10 million kg per square cm. For maximum effectiveness, the shaped
charge has to be detonated at an optimum distance to the target; too close and
the gases have not yet formed, too far and the gases loses its energy as it is
dispersed with distance. It is also important not to spin the warhead during the
point of impact, as they gyrating force would disperse and unfocus the resulting
jet stream. For this reason, the rocket projectile had to be stabilized by fins
rather than the gyrating actions of a bullet. As a consequence, the Panzerfaust
rocket had a low flight speed and was not very accurate at long range. However,
the German armed forces ministry also appreciated that it was to be used in
close range against tanks, which presented a rather large target, so accuracy
was not of paramount importance. And since it did not depend on kinetic energy,
the penetration capability was the same at any distance. It could be fired from
100 meters or laid atop a tank, and still have the same penetration capability.
This made the shaped charge a formidable close-range anti-tank infantry weapon.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTINUE READING AT: http://www.worldwar2aces.com/panzerfaust.htm
by German anti-tank squads during World War Two. It was small, light, cheap to
produce and most importantly, it was a deadly anti-tank weapon. Capable of
penetrating up to 200mm of armor, the Panzerfaust could deal certain destruction
to any tank of the World War Two era – German or Allied.
The Panzerfaust simply meant, “Tank Fist”. The concept behind the development
of the Panzerfaust was to provide infantry with the ability to knock out enemy
tanks in close combat. It was a single shot weapon; meaning it was discarded after use.
Several variants existed, the Panzerfaust 30, 60, 100 and 150. They all had the same
penetration capability of 200mm of armor at 90 degrees, the difference being their
effective range. The Panzerfaust 30 had an effective range of 30 meters, while the
Panzerfaust 60 was effective up to 60 meters. The 100 and 150 versions were effective up to
100 and 150 meters respectively.
Consisting of two basic parts, the Panzerfaust
was made up of a projectile and cartridge, similar in concept to a bullet, which
consisted of a slug and shell. The entire length of the weapon was about 104cm
(42 inches) and weighed approximately 5.1kg (11.23 lbs). Later versions such as
the Panzerfaust 100 weighed more at 6.8kgs (15 lbs), but the length remained
largely unchanged.
The Panzerfaust Projectile
The projectile resembled a large oversized head, which was essentially a
small rocket with stabilizer fins. Upon leaving the cartridge, a lever of
springs extended the folded stabilizer fins. After a flight of about five
meters, the warhead was armed and upon impact, the warhead exploded into a fiery
burst, obliterating the target. Different from a bullet, the projectile did not
use kinetic energy as a means of penetration. Neither did it spin as a means of
stabilizing during flight. Instead the concept was based on the theory of the
shaped charge.
The shaped charge (also known as hollow
charge) works by focusing the explosive energy of the warhead into a jet stream.
By focusing all the energy forward, the resulting explosion would form a sharp
thrust, penetrating anything that was in the way. The gases expelled impacts the
target at a speed of over 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) per second, with a force in
excess of 10 million kg per square cm. For maximum effectiveness, the shaped
charge has to be detonated at an optimum distance to the target; too close and
the gases have not yet formed, too far and the gases loses its energy as it is
dispersed with distance. It is also important not to spin the warhead during the
point of impact, as they gyrating force would disperse and unfocus the resulting
jet stream. For this reason, the rocket projectile had to be stabilized by fins
rather than the gyrating actions of a bullet. As a consequence, the Panzerfaust
rocket had a low flight speed and was not very accurate at long range. However,
the German armed forces ministry also appreciated that it was to be used in
close range against tanks, which presented a rather large target, so accuracy
was not of paramount importance. And since it did not depend on kinetic energy,
the penetration capability was the same at any distance. It could be fired from
100 meters or laid atop a tank, and still have the same penetration capability.
This made the shaped charge a formidable close-range anti-tank infantry weapon.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTINUE READING AT: http://www.worldwar2aces.com/panzerfaust.htm