Raketen Panzerbüchse 43 “Panzerschreck

History, technical sheet and photo

Image : Raketen <em>Panzer</em>büchse 43 "Panzerschreck"

Panzerschreck rocket launcher history

In 1943, German troops fighting American soldiers on the front of North Africa seized many specimens of the “Bazooka” M1 rocket launcher. At that time, The Germans were equipped with the Panzerfaust 30, the Panzerfaust 60 being still under study. The German military decided to equip their troops with a rocket launcher capable of being used several times, like the American “Bazooka”.

The first prototype of the Raketen Panzerbüchse 43, nicknamed “Panzerschreck” (“terror of tanks”), was produced in 1943, and then the model was manufactured on a larger scale. It equipped the German anti-tank teams.

Feared by the Allied tank crews, this RPzB 43 “Panzerschreck” rocket launcher operated in the same mode (electric shooting mechanism) as the American M1 “Bazooka” rocket launcher.

Panzerschreck rocket launcher specification

Creator/User: Germany
Denomination: RPzB 43

Fire mode: single shot
Caliber: 88 mm
Effective firing range: 120 m
Rate of fire: 2 rockets/min
Muzzle velocity: 110 meters/second

Weight: 9,25 kg
Length: 1640 mm