Raketen Panzerbüchse 43 « Panzerschreck«
History, technical sheet and photo
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
