Panzerfaust

[Rolf Steiner]

I've always been puzzled as to how one was supposed to aim these devices? did you sight along the tube, or would that mean a blowback of exhaust gasses into the eyes? they don't look very wieldy things - no handle to speak of for a start. where was the trigger? did they take a bit of training to master, and if so how did those 1945 scratch batallions and volksturm units get on with them?

[Nibelung]

As you can see, the aiming was done by the 'mechanism' was on top of the weapon and the trigger was situated below it. The user simply had to launch it from his shoulder towards his target and that was that...easy, huh

best,
Nibelung

[Rolf Steiner]

ah, so that's it! thanks for that. am still puzzled though, what happened to the exhaust gases, so they don't hit the guy in the face? didn't the larger panzerschrecks require protective clothing, or a perspex shield thing?

[derGespenst]

The exhaust went out the pipe, though I imagine there must have been a very brief moment after the warhead separated that things might have gotten a bit uncomfortable, but when you're as close to an enemy tank as you had to be to get a hit with one of these things, I doubt you'd notice.

The Panzerschrek had a two-man crew and functioned just like an American bazooka - no real danger to the trigger-man and the loader had just better step aside.

[Matt L]

The image Nibelung posted is of only one method of firing the Panzerfaust Groß- the later Panzerfaust 60m had a rocking trigger that was pressed down to fire, so holding it underarm like the soldier in the picture is, the thumb would likely be used, but up on the shoulder, it would be fingers pushing down (like closing a fist).

Sighting was done through a series of rectangular aperatures in the fold-up sight, and a small spike on the grenade itself- just like the front and rear sights of a gun. Each aperature was for a different range and was placed such that raising the grenade to the angle at which the spike entered a small cutout at the bottom of the aperature, it would hit the target in the aperature at that range. For the Panzerfaust 60m, there was a 30m aperature low on the sight, a 60m aperature in the middle and an 80m aperature at the top.

As far as the 'exhaust gasses' being a problem, you have to remember that the Panzerfaust isn't a rocket weapon, but a projector weapon; the grenade itself wasn't powered, but shot by a black powder charge in the barrel. It created a LOT of smoke, but that didn't interfere with the operator except to obscure his vision of the effect (and give away his position). It did, however, mean the space behind the weapon was very dangerous- hence the significant warning markings on the tube. The Panzerschreck actually fired a rocket that didn't entirely burn out in the tube, so there was some danger to the operatorl; early on, firers wore their gasmasks without filter to protect their faces, but later the shield with window was added.

One of the major features of the Panzerfaust's design was that it was an incredibly simple weapon to use- there's a well-known film of a housewife being handed one and her shooting it (a training model). The same film shows the training officer holding one above his head and firing it. Of course hitting anything beyond 20 or 30m was probably pretty iffy for anyone who hasn't been trained as the sighting system is very crude, and the grenade's ballistic arc was pronounced. But the weapon was completely disposable and produced in incredible numbers- presumably with the intent that even a completely untrained person could hit a target given enough tries. Unfortunately, given the point in the war they were made, it's impossible to really know how well the Deutsche Volkssturm and other scratch units fared- I've seen interviews with old Soviet sodiers who say they lost a lot of tanks to the Panzerfaust and that it was something they were very afraid of, but more detail than that would only be possible if the Soviets recorded reasons for the loss of each tank and if someone can find those records.

[Grunt]

Matt,

As far as the 'exhaust gasses' being a problem, you have to remember that the Panzerfaust isn't a rocket weapon, but a projector weapon; the grenade itself wasn't powered, but shot by a black powder charge in the barrel.

Are you sure the grenade was not powered itself? I think it was a projector-and-rocket-weapon meaning the grenade was thrown out of the barrel by the charge you mentioned ("Treibladung") but some metres later a rocket motor ignited to propell the grenade. Of course I am not sure if this is true for the first versions (range only some dozen metres...makes me doubt) but for the later versions with range > 100m I am 90% sure...

[SvenW]

The Panzerfaustgrenade was selfpropelled with it's blackpowder propelling charge.

Zip-file with a short mpeg-clip:

http://www.whq-forum.de/downloads/panzerfaust-01.zip

Sven.

PS.: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/munwai/hasag.htm

[Matt L]

Matt,

Are you sure the grenade was not powered itself? I think it was a projector-and-rocket-weapon meaning the grenade was thrown out of the barrel by the charge you mentioned ("Treibladung") but some metres later a rocket motor ignited to propell the grenade. Of course I am not sure if this is true for the first versions (range only some dozen metres...makes me doubt) but for the later versions with range > 100m I am 90% sure...

Nope- the Panzerfaust grenade was not powered at all. Its tail is solid wood with a sheet steel end cap; it was the Panzerschreck grenade that had a rocket motor.

Here are pictures of the tail of my Panzerfaust 60m grenade:





Every version of the Panzerfaust was the same- even the 100 and 150m versions- they simply had a second charge that also ignited before the grenade left the tube.

Here are some excellent cross-section diagrams from Wolfgang Fleischer's booklet Panzerfaust and other german infantry anti-tank weapons (1994) Schiffer, p.40- you can see that the primary propelling charge is in a container that is secured to the tube via a screw on the bottom.



Directly behind the folded fins can be seen the endcap, and behind that the projecting charge (above it the primer and firing pin). In the longer-range versions (100m and 150m) there is a hollow spacer behing the primary charge, and following that is the secondary charge. I don't know exactly how the secondary charge was ignited, but I expect that since it has no primer of its own, it would be ignited by the primary charge so it was virtually simultaneous- the events being something like: the primary charge pushes the projectile forward, and the spacer backwards while the secondary charge pushes the spacer forwards so it basically acts as a breechblock; instead of half the projecting charge energy going out the back, it's largely emparted to the projectile. The spacer eventually comes or falls out the back.

And here are a few shots, again from Fleischer and of my Panzerfaust 60m, to illustrate my description of how to aim it:

[Grunt]

Matt,

Thanks a lot for the input. I hust wondered because todays "Panzerfaust" projects a rocket-propelled grenade (but is reaching 400m however...).

Of course you took something wrong:

Its tail is solid wood with a sheet steel end cap

In fact this is the well-known and legendary "wooden charge, experimental" which was developed by the finest engineers Germany had - it turns wood into pure energy by magic and until now no other nation was able to copy it. That´s why they tell you it were just "solid wood, nothing else" because they can not stand their inferiority

[Ernest Penfold]

I'm just amazed that your wife lets you keep a Panzerfaust in the house!

[Rolf Steiner]

Interesting stuff, thanks everyone!

Matt, I trust that's deactivated! (unless it's on standby for trick or treaters/political canvassers?)

[Matt L]

Yes, it's inert- wouldn't be much good for political canvassers anyway- they'd have to get within 80m and that's just too close! I'd want a nice 8,8cm Pak43 for them