A shaped charge is a charge of explosive matter with a conical, spherical, or wedge-shaped hollow whose action is based on a cumulative effect. It is used as a warhead in anti-tank rockets or artillery shells. The purpose of the shaped charge is the controlled destruction of solid materials, especially rolled steel armor. Also known as hollow charge, these anti-tank munitions were developed by Germany during World War II and fired with anti-tank grenade launchers, such as the Panzerschreck, Panzerfaust, and Puppchen. Britain developed its own hollow charge warhead, which was fired with the PIAT.
Shaped charges with a conical hollow, the height of which is equal to the diameter of the hollow opening and which has a metal lining (with a thickness of about one-thirtieth of the diameter of the hollow opening). It can easily pierce steel armor whose thickness is approximately four times the diameter of the hollow opening. Shaped charges are used in armor-piercing shells, in blasting caps, and for pulverizing odd-shaped rocks in quarries and breaking up other objects.
A typical example of the use of shaped charges in military activity is in antitank rocket projectiles. These shells have a large hollow head which ensures that the shell explodes at the right distance from the obstacle so that its armor-piercing effect will be maximal. Another example is the linear shaped charge, which is elongated and has a metal-lined wedge-shaped hollow in the form of a trough. These charges are used to cut metal sheets, cores, and design elements, in particular when taking down surface and underwater structures.
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| Shaped-charge in the Panzerfaust anti-tank grenade. |
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