Raketenpanzerbüchse (Panzerschreck)

The Raketenpanzerbüchse, also known as Panzerschreck, was a German, 8.8 cm, anti-tank grenade launcher, which was used by the Wehrmacht in World War II. It was widely employed by the German infantry against Allied tanks, especially during the Battle of Normandy. Operated by two men (gunner and loader), it was a very effective and efficient anti-tank weapon, especially when used at close range. The American M4 Sherman tank was the most vulnerable armored vehicle to this vicious German grenade launcher.

Hugo Schneider AG developed and manufactured it in two versions: the Raketenpanzerbüchse (RPzB) 43 and the 54 model. The former one was the first German grenade launcher utilized by the Germans in combat action. Based on the American Bazooka, it was little more than a simple tube open at both ends, from which an 88-mm, hollow-charge warhead rocket could be fired. The infantry soldier set the tube on his shoulder, aimed at the target to be hit, and then operated a lever to power a small electrical generator. Releasing the trigger allowed the power so produced to be transmitted through wires to the rocket motor.

After further development of this weapon, Hugo Schneider AG produced the Raketenpanzerbüchse 54, which was fitted with a shield to protect the firer so that the protective clothing was no longer necessary. It also had a shorter tube as it fired a more powerful anti-tank grenade. However, it had an increased range of 180 m (197 yards). Thus, the RPzB 54 replaced the earlier RPzB 43 in production, and the early models were passed to reserve infantry units.

The Panzerschreck would be very massively delivered, supplied to every German Army infantry unit as well as to every Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger regiment and Waffen-SS division. By late 1944, it was so widely used, to the extend that it was encountered on every war front in large numbers. The later rockets employed could penetrate up to 160-mm-thick tank armor. However, it was essentially a close-range weapon which required careful handling in action. Thus, it was very useful in the close-quarters combat of urban warfare, such as the Battle of Berlin.

Specifications  (RPzB 54)

Type: reusable rocket launcher

Caliber: 8.8 cm (88-mm) -3.46 inches.

Weight: 9.2 kg (20.3 pounds)

Grenade: 3.25 kg (7.165 pounds)

Tube Length: 1.638 m (5 feet, 5 inches)

Rate of Fire: 5 rounds per minute

Above, the Raketenpanzerbuchse 54 during training. You can see the loader holding a rocket crouching behind the gunner.

The Panzerschreck being fired from ground level.

The Raketenpanzerbuchse 43. The first model of the Panzerschreck, with a longer tube and without the steel shield.