Panzerfaust 60

History

The Panzerfaust 60 is a development of the Panzerfaust (meaning "Panzerfaust" or "Armored Fist") disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, developed for the German infantry during World War II (1939-1945). It became the evolution of the mid-level "Panzerfaust 30" and the long-range "Panzerfaust 100".

The "60" in the Panzerfaust 60 name actually represents the effective operational range of the weapon design - a naming convention that attests to the common practice of all rocket-launched weapons in the Panzerfaust family. At the heart of the Panzerfaust is a fairly simple single-target anti-tank weapon system - especially valuable to German and Axis infantry during the siege of Allied armor at the end of World War II.

It entered service in 1943 and production continued until 1945 - the last year of the war.

The Panzerfaust 60 is slightly different from the Panzerfaust 30 variant in that it uses a larger 150mm warhead. In addition, the diameter of the launch tube has been increased slightly, and aiming is performed through a precision flip-up rear sight above the frame. Engineers have also addressed triggering issues encountered with previous Panzerfaust forms. The overall form and function are largely similar to earlier designs, using the same projectile body but with a longer effective range and higher muzzle velocity - and therefore higher penetration.

The Panzerfaust 60 itself was followed by the longer-range "Panzerfaust 100" when demand called for it and production quantities permitted. The Panzerfaust line was designed with mass production in mind - given the pressure on the German military industry at the end of the war - so mass production was inexpensive and easy to operate.

Even units of the German Home Guard received this type of training.

All Panzerfaust weapons consisted of disposable launch tubes, although planning and testing of reusable launch tube systems were underway through the development of the Panzerfaust 150 and Panzerfaust 200 - these were not completed until the fall of Berlin in May 1945, the operator With these weapons only a well-positioned shot is allowed. Projectiles are nothing more than high-explosive (HE) armor that defeats warheads.

The guns weighed nearly 14 pounds and were 3 feet 3 inches long.

In practice, Iron Fist's lethality increased later in the war as the Germans became more efficient and their missiles landed in areas more vulnerable to Allied tanks. After the Normandy invasion, there was a significant increase in enemy tanks being knocked down or destroyed by bazooka fire - especially when operators might be lurking in ambush.

They proved to be very tough weapons on the battlefield, and were even highly regarded by the Allies, who found them to be more effective than the standard M1 Bazooka and PIAT.

During the war, the Panzerfaust 60 model was the more readily available of all the Panzerfaust brands and was used by Finland against Soviet tanks.

Specification

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Changes