bazooka

 

in warfare, portable, lightweight metal tube from which rockets are launched, usually operated by two men. It is used by infantry as an antitank weapon and also for attacking pillboxes and bunkers. In general, the bazooka is a short-range weapon with low accuracy; however, it gives the individual soldier the means of destroying heavily armored vehicles and fortified positions. An American invention, it was widely used in World War II—first by the Allies and later by the Germans—and in the Korean War by the UN forces. Since then, bazookas have largely been replaced by recoilless weapons and antitank missiles. In modern warfare, the first major use of the rocket as a weapon was in the bazooka. See rocket.

Launcher, Rocket, Antitank, M-9 Series
Bazooka with Super Bazooka
Type	Recoilless rocket antitank weapon
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1942–Present
Used by	U.S. Army; U.S. Marine Corps
Wars	World War II; Korea
Production history
Designer	U.S. Army Signal Corps
Specifications
Length	1.37 m (54 in.)

The bazooka is a man-portable anti-tank rocket launcher, made famous during World War II where it was one of the primary infantry anti-tank weapons used by the United States Armed Forces. It was one of the first weapons based on the High explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shell to enter service. It was nicknamed "bazooka" from a vague resemblance to the musical instrument of the same name invented and used by Bob Burns. It saw widespread use throughout WWII.

The German armed forces copied the design increasing the caliber to 88 mm, as well as other changes, and issued it as the Raketenpanzerbüchse "Panzerschreck".

In addition to the actual weapon, the word "bazooka" is often incorrectly used to refer to any shoulder-launched missile weapon.

Development

The development of the bazooka involved the development of two specific lines of technology: the rocket-powered (recoilless) weapon, and the shaped-charge warhead.

The development of the Rocket Powered Recoilless Weapon was the brainchild of Dr. Robert H. Goddard as a side project of his work on rocket propulsion. Goddard, during his tenure at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Clark University, and at Mount Wilson Observatory, devised a tube rocket for military use during World War I. He successfully demonstrated his tube-fired rocket to the US Army Signal Corps at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, on November 6, 1918, but the end of the war only five days later killed interest in the weapon. Goddard continued to be a part-time consultant to the US Government at Indian Head, Maryland, until 1923, but he then ceased all work on the project, and others picked up where he left off.

The explosive shaped charge dates back to the work of American physicist Charles Edward Munroe, who did the first practical work on the subject in 1880. This work was built on in the 1930s by Henry Mohaupt, a Swiss immigrant who worked on the idea for the War Department.

Mohaupt developed a shaped-charge hand grenade for anti-tank use that was effective at defeating up to 100 mm (4 in) of armor, by far the best such weapon in the world at the time. However, the M10 grenade weighed 3.5 lb (1.6 kg) and was difficult to throw and too heavy to function as a rifle grenade. The only practical way to use it was to place it directly on the tank. A smaller version of the M10, the M9, was developed which could be fired from a rifle. This resulted in the creation of the M1 (Springfield M-1903), M2 (Enfield M-1917) and the M7 and M8 for the M1 Rifle, and the M9A1 Grenade which was still Standard A.

Things changed when Army Colonel Leslie A. Skinner suggested placing the grenade on the front of the experimental rocket launcher he had developed with U.S. Army Lieutenant Edward G. Uhl, a weapon looking for a role. Development took place in Corcoran Hall at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. By late 1942, the Rocket Launcher, M1A1 was introduced. This consisted of a 54-inch-long (1.37 m) tube with a simple wooden stock and sights (replaced by metal in the production models), into which the 60.07 mm (designated 2.36-inch to avoid confusion with rounds for the 60 mm mortar) rocket grenades were inserted at the rear. A two-cell dry battery in the buttstock provided a charge to ignite the rocket when the trigger was pulled. The main drawback to the weapon was the large backblast and smoke trail which gave away the position of the shooter (compare to the British PIAT). The original models were not reinforced for bore-safety, and they added a ring basket at the breech and a deflector at the muzzle of developmental models to control the backblast.

The original model was equipped with a hinged rear sight and fixed front sights. These were followed by a peep rear sight and a front sight in the form of a rectangular frame at the muzzle of the launcher. The vertical sides of the frame carried graduations for ranges of 100, 200 and 300 yards. In the production models, these sights were replaced by an optical ring sight hinged to fold against the tube when not in use, and protected by a cover. It had an adjustable range scale that provided graduations from 50 to 700 yards (46 to 640 meters) in 50 yard increments. The final major changes were the division of the tube into two pieces with bayonet joints for airborne deployment. This changed the weapon specifications to a tube length of 55 inches (1.4 meter) and a weight of 14 lb (6.35 kg), the replacement of the battery with a magneto operated through the trigger, and a trigger safety that isolated the magneto to prevent the firing dud rounds when the trigger was released and the storage of a charge that would prematurely fire the next round.

The ammunition for the original M9 Launcher was the M6 Series, which finalized as the M6A3 that was 19.4 inches (49.28 cm) long, and weighed 3.38 lb (1.53 kg).

Secretly introduced in Operation Torch, it was highly effective, though inherently inaccurate at all but very close ranges. Its impact was such that General Dwight D. Eisenhower later described it as (together with the atom bomb, jeep and the C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft) one of the weapons which won World War II for the allies [1][2][3]. The Germans immediately copied it from captured weapons, to produce their own much larger version known as the Panzerschreck. It was the success of the Panzerschreck that caused the original bazooka to be reworked after the war to the larger 3.5-inch (88.9 mm) model that was identical in size and power to the German weapon.

Variants

Rocket Launcher, M1 and M1A1 "Bazooka"

• First issued June 14, 1942 by Capt. L.A. Skinner.
• A1 addressed reliability issues with an improved electrical system.

Rocket Launcher, M9 "Bazooka"

• Improved model
• Supplanted M1A1 in 1945.

Rocket Launcher, M9A1 "Bazooka"

• Could be broken into two halves for easier carrying.
• Battery ignition replaced by trigger magneto.

Rocket Launcher, M20 "Super Bazooka"

• Larger 3.5 in (89 mm) diameter warhead.
• Could penetrate up to 200 mm of armor.
• Extended range of about 150 m.
• Entered service at start of Korean War

Rocket Launcher, M20B1 "Super Bazooka"

• Lightweight version with barrels made of cast aluminum, and other components simplified
• Used as a supplement to the M20

Rocket Launcher, M20A1/A1B1 "Super Bazooka"

• Product improved variant with improved connector latch assembly, entering production in 1952^[1]
• Improved versions of the M20 and M20B1 respectively

Specifications

M1A1

• Length: 50 in (137 cm)
• Caliber: 60 mm (2.36 in)
• Weight: 15 lb (6.8 kg)
• Warhead: M6A1 shaped charge (3.5 lb, 1.59 kg)
• Range
  • Maximum: 400 yards (365 m)
  • Effective: 150 yards (135 m)
• Crew: 2, operator and loader

M9A1

• Length: 61 in (1,550 mm)
• Caliber: 60 mm (2.36 in)
• Weight: 15.95 lb
• Warhead: M6A3/C shaped charge (3.5 lb)
• Range
  • Maximum: 400–500 yards (350–450 m)
  • Effective: 120 yards (110 m)
• Crew: 2, operator and loader(M9) or 1, operator+loader(M9A1)

M20A1/A1B1

• Length (when assembled for firing): 60 in (1,524 mm)
• Caliber: 89 mm (3.5 in)
• Weight (Unloaded): M20A1: 14 lb (6.4 kg); M20A1B1: 13 lb (5.9 kg)
• Warhead: M28A2 HEAT (9 lb) or T127E3/M30 WP (8.96 lb)
• Range
  • Maximum: 999 yds (823 m)
  • Effective (Stationary Target/Moving Target): 300 yd (275 m) /200 yd (185 m)
• Crew: 2, operator and loader)

References

• Anti-Tank Rocket M6 Bazooka

See also

• Rocket propelled grenade

External links

• 90th Infantry Division Preservation Group page on Bazookas and Equipment

United States infantry weapons of World War II and Korea
Side arms
Colt M1911/M1911A1 | M1917 revolver | Smith & Wesson "Victory" revolver
Rifles & carbines
Springfield M1903 | M1 Garand | M1 Carbine | M1941 Johnson | Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
Submachine guns
Thompson ("Tommy Gun") M1928/M1/M1A1 | M3 "Grease Gun" | Reising M50/M55 | United Defense M42
Machine guns & other larger weapons
Browning M1917 | Browning M1919 | Johnson LMG | Browning M2 HMG | Bazooka | M2 flamethrower
Cartridges used during World War II and the Korean War
.45 ACP | .38 Special | .30-06 Springfield | .30 Carbine | 9 mm Luger | .50 BMG

Modern (post Korean War) US infantry weapons
Semi-automatic pistols	M1911/A1 and M15 • M9/A1 • M11 • Mk 22 • Mk 23 • Mk 24
Rifles & Automatic rifles	M1 and Mk 2 • M1918 • M14 • M15 • M16 and Mk 4 • XM22/E1 • XM106 • XM70 • XM8 • Mk 14 • EX 16 and EX 17
Carbines	M1/M2 • XM177/E1/E2 and GAU-5/A • XM23 • Colt Model 653 • M231 • M4/A1/E2 • GUU-5/P • Mk 18
Sniper Rifles	M21 • M24 • M25 • M40 • M82 and M107 • M88 and Mk 15 • XM109 • XM110 • Mk 11 • Mk 12 • DMR • SAM-R • SDM-R
Submachine guns	M1 • M3 • Mk 24 (S&W Model 76) • MP5/K
Shotguns	Ithaca M37 • Remington 870 • Mossberg 500/590 • M1014 • XM26
Machine-guns	M2 series (M2, M3, M213, XM218, M296, GAU-10/A, GAU-15/A, GAU-16/A, GAU-18/A, GAU-21/A) • M60 series and Mk 43 • XM207/E1 and Mk 23 • M73/M219 • M240 series • M249 series and Mk 46 • XM262 • XM307 • XM312 • Mk 21 • EX 27 • Mk 48
Grenade Launchers	M79 • XM148 • M203 • M234 • M320 • M32 • EX 41 • EX 13 Automatic: Mk 19 • Mk 47
Other larger weapons	XM25 • M20A1/A1B1 • M67 • M72 series • M136 (AT4) • M141 • M202/A1 • Mk 153
Modern cartridges used	5.56×45 mm NATO (.223 Remington) • 7.62×51 mm NATO (.308 Win) • .30-06 Springfield • 12.7×99 mm NATO (.50 BMG) • .300 Winchester Magnum • 9 mm Luger • .45 ACP • 12 gauge

Also a nickname for a drywall finishing tool, which applies joint compound and drywall tape at the same time.

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