Panzerfaust 🇩🇪 The EPIC TANK DESTROYER 💥

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Man-portable anti-tank recoilless gun
1.Introduction 00:00
2.Combat use 01:22
3.Design 03:10
3.1.Panzerfaust 30 Klein (small) or Faustpatrone 03:12
3.2.Panzerfaust - 30 03:45
3.3.Panzerfaust - 60 04:02
3.4.Panzerfaust - 100 04:41
3.5.Panzerfaust - 150 05:20
3.6.Panzerfaust - 250 05:52
Introduction:
The Panzerfaust, meaning "tank fist" or "armor fist" in German, was a family of single-shot, man-portable anti-tank weapons developed by Nazi Germany during Second World War. These weapons were the first single-use light anti-tank systems with a disposable launch tube.
The Panzerfaust featured a light recoilless launcher tube with a single pre-loaded high-explosive anti-tank warhead. It was an inexpensive and easy-to-use weapon for infantry, intended to be operated by a single soldier and discarded after use. It was fired from under the arm at an upward angle, with an effective range of 30-60 meters (98-197 feet).
Development began in 1942 with the initial design called Faustpatrone, later named Panzerfaust Klein ("small tank-fist"), which entered service in 1943. A larger version, Panzerfaust Gross ("big tank-fist"), entered service in 1944.
Combat use:
To operate the Panzerfaust, a soldier would first remove the safety and then tuck the tube under their arm, aligning the target, sight, and top of the warhead. Unlike the American M1 60 mm bazooka and the heavier German Panzerschreck tube-type rocket launchers, the Panzerfaust lacked a conventional trigger. Instead, it featured a pedal-like lever near the projectile that ignited the propellant when squeezed. Due to its short range, not only enemy tanks and infantry but also debris from the exploding vehicle posed dangers to its operator, requiring significant personal courage to employ effectively. The backblast from firing extended approximately 2 meters behind the operator.
Against tanks, the Panzerfaust had a remarkable beyond-armor effect, creating a larger entry hole and producing extensive spalling that inflicted casualties on the crew and damaged equipment. Informal tests showed the Panzerfaust produced an entry hole of 2.75 inches (7 centimeters) in diameter, compared to at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) for the Panzerschreck and only 0.5 inches (1.3 centimeters) for the bazooka. This effectiveness was attributed not only to the size of the Panzerfaust's warhead but also its horn-like shape, which differed from the traditional cone-shaped warheads of bazooka and Panzerschreck rockets.
Design:
Panzerfaust 30 Klein (small) or Faustpatrone: This original version, first delivered in August 1943, weighed 3.2 kilograms and was 98.5 centimeters long. It had a maximum range of 30 meters, a 3.3 centimeters diameter tube with 54 grams of black powder, and a 10 centimeters warhead with 400 grams of explosive. The projectile traveled at 30 meters per second and could penetrate 140 millimeters of armor.
Panzerfaust 30: An improved version that also appeared in August 1943. This version had a larger warhead, increasing armor penetration capacity to 200 millimeters, but it maintained the same range of 30 m.
Panzerfaust 60: This was the most common version, with production starting in September 1944. It had a more practical range of 60 meters, though with a muzzle velocity of only 45 meters per second, it took 1.3 seconds to reach a target at that distance. To achieve higher velocity, the tube diameter was increased to 5 centimeters, and it used 134 grams of propellant. It also featured improvements in the rear sight and trigger mechanism. This version weighed 6.1 kilogram and could penetrate 200 millimeters of armor.
Panzerfaust 100: This was the final version produced in large quantities, starting from November 1944. It had a nominal maximum range of 100 meters. With 190 grams of propellant explosive, it launched the warhead at 60 meters per second from a 6 centimeters diameter tube. The sight was graduated for ranges of 30, 60, 80, and 150 meters, with phosphorescent paint for enhanced precision in nocturnal shooting. This version weighed 6 kilogram and could penetrate 220 millimeters of armor.
Panzerfaust 150: This was a significantly redesigned version. It began distribution among troops in the final days of the war. The tube was reinforced for reusability up to ten shots. A new, sharper warhead increased armor penetration capacity, and a two-stage ignition propellant boosted muzzle velocity to 85 meters per second. Production started in March 1945, two months before the war's end.
Panzerfaust 250: Scheduled to enter production in September 1945, this variant was similar to the Panzerfaust 150 but featured a longer tube and a trigger grip handle, akin to the later Soviet RPG-2. However, the war ended before its development could be completed.