Launcher, Rocket, Antitank, M-9 Series
Bazooka with Super Bazooka
Type	Recoilless rocket antitank weapon
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1942–Present
Used by	United States, Paraguay, many rothers
Wars	World War II; Korea
Production history
Designer	U.S. Army Signal Corps
Specifications
Length	1.37 m (54 in.)

The bazooka is a man-portable anti-armor rocket launcher, made famous during World War II, where it was one of the primary infantry anti-tank weapons used by the United States Armed Forces. It was one of the first weapons based on the High explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shell to enter service. It was nicknamed "bazooka" from a vague resemblance to the musical instrument of the same name invented and used by Bob Burns. It saw widespread use throughout WWII. Image File history File links Bazookas_Korea. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Present redirects here. ... Look up bazooka in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... A HEAT round. ... EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ... The bazooka is a folk musical instrument, a primitive version of a trombone, usually with a lower but less wide range. ... For other persons named Bob Burns, see Bob Burns (disambiguation). ...

The German armed forces copied the design, increasing the caliber to 88 mm, as well as other changes, and issued it as the Raketenpanzerbüchse "Panzerschreck". Panzerschreck (German: tank terrorizer; lit. ...

The word "bazooka" is often informally used to refer to any shoulder-launched missile weapon. Shoulder-launched weapons avoid the problem of recoil by directing all exhaust out the rear of the launch tube A shoulder-launched missile weapon is a weapon that fires a projectile at a target, yet is small enough to be carried by one person, and fired while held on one...

Development

U.S. soldiers fire a bazooka at a German machine gun nest, Lucca 1944.

The development of the bazooka involved the development of two specific lines of technology: the rocket-powered (recoilless) weapon, and the shaped-charge warhead. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 755 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 1016 pixel, file size: 719 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: This African-American combat patrol advanced three miles north of Lucca (furthermost point occupied by American troops) to contact an enemy machine gun nest. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 755 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 1016 pixel, file size: 719 KB, MIME type: image/png) Description: This African-American combat patrol advanced three miles north of Lucca (furthermost point occupied by American troops) to contact an enemy machine gun nest. ... For the Chrono Trigger character, see Lucca (Chrono Trigger). ... Sectioned HEAT round with the inner shaped charge visible 1:Aerodynamic cover 2: Empty room 3: Conical liner 4: Detonator 5: Explosive 6: Piezo-electric sensor A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosives energy. ...

The development of the Rocket Powered Recoilless Weapon was the brainchild of Dr. Robert H. Goddard as a side project of his work on rocket propulsion. Goddard, during his tenure at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Clark University, and at Mount Wilson Observatory, devised a tube rocket for military use during World War I. He successfully demonstrated his tube-fired rocket to the US Army Signal Corps at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, on November 6, 1918, but the end of the war only five days later killed interest in the weapon. Goddard continued to be a part-time consultant to the US Government at Indian Head, Maryland, until 1923, but he then ceased all work on the project, and others picked up where he left off. Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882-1945) Robert Hutchings Goddard (October 5, 1882 – August 10, 1945), U.S. professor and scientist, was a pioneer of controlled, liquid-fueled rocketry. ... Look up tenure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States. ... Statue at the center of campus of Sigmund Freud, commemorating his 1909 visit to the University Front Entrance to Clark Universitys Jonas Clark Hall, the main academic facility for undergraduate students For the university in Atlanta, see Clark Atlanta University. ... The Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO) is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California. ... Aberdeen Proving Ground is a United States Army facility located at Aberdeen, Maryland (in Harford county). ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Indian Head can refer to: The town of Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada The town of Indian Head, Maryland, United States The Indian head cent In television, the Indian Head test card This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N...

The explosive shaped charge dates back to the work of American physicist Charles Edward Munroe, who did the first practical work on the subject in 1880. This work was built on in the 1930s by Henry Mohaupt, a Swiss immigrant who worked on the idea for the War Department (the predecessor of the Department of Defense). Not to be confused with physician, a person who practices medicine. ... Charles Edward Munroe (24 May 1849 - 1938) was a U.S. chemist, and discoverer of the Munroe effect. ...

Mohaupt developed a shaped-charge hand grenade for anti-tank use that was effective at defeating up to 100 mm (4 in) of armor, by far the best such weapon in the world at the time. However, the M10 grenade weighed 3.5 lb (1.6 kg) and was difficult to throw and too heavy to function as a rifle grenade. The only practical way to use it was to place it directly on the tank. A smaller version of the M10, the M9, was developed, which could be fired from a rifle. This resulted in the creation of the M1 (Springfield M-1903), M2 (Enfield M-1917) and the M7 and M8 for the M1 Rifle, and the M9A1 Grenade which was still Standard A. Sectioned HEAT round with the inner shaped charge visible 1:Aerodynamic cover 2: Empty room 3: Conical liner 4: Detonator 5: Explosive 6: Piezo-electric sensor A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosives energy. ... Grenade redirects here. ... A rifle grenade is a form of grenade that utilizes a rifle as a launch mechanism to increase the effective range of the grenade. ...

Things changed when U.S. Army Lieutenant Edward G. Uhl, under the command of Colonel Leslie A. Skinner, suggested placing the grenade on the front of the experimental rocket launcher he had developed. Development took place in Corcoran Hall at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. By late 1942, the Rocket Launcher, M1A1 was introduced. This consisted of a 54-inch-long (1.37 m) tube with a simple wooden stock and wooden sights (replaced by metal in the production models), into which the 60.07 mm (designated 2.36-inch to avoid confusion with rounds for the 60 mm mortar) rocket grenades were inserted at the rear. A two-cell dry battery in the buttstock provided a charge to ignite the rocket when the trigger was pulled. The main drawback to the weapon was the large backblast and smoke trail which gave away the position of the shooter (compare to the British PIAT). The original models were not reinforced for bore-safety, and they added a ring basket at the breech and a deflector at the muzzle of developmental models to control the backblast. For other uses, see Colonel (disambiguation). ... Shoulder-launched weapons avoid the problem of recoil by directing all exhaust out the rear of the launch tube A shoulder-launched missile weapon is a weapon that fires a projectile at a target, yet is small enough to be carried by one person, and fired while held on one... The George Washington University (GW) is a private, coeducational university located in Washington, D.C., United States. ... ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank, was one of the earlier anti-tank weapons using a high explosive anti-tank projectile. ...

The original model was equipped with a hinged rear sight and fixed front sights. These were followed by a peep rear sight and a front sight in the form of a rectangular frame at the muzzle of the launcher. The vertical sides of the frame carried graduations for ranges of 100, 200 and 300 yards. In the production models, these sights were replaced by an optical ring sight hinged to fold against the tube when not in use, and protected by a cover. It had an adjustable range scale that provided graduations from 50 to 700 yards (46 to 640 meters) in 50 yard increments. The final major changes were the division of the tube into two pieces with bayonet joints for airborne deployment. This changed the weapon specifications to a tube length of 55 inches (1.4 meter) and a weight of 14 lb (6.35 kg), the replacement of the battery with a magneto operated through the trigger, and a trigger safety that isolated the magneto to prevent a misfire when the trigger was released and the storage of a charge that would prematurely fire the next round. This article is about the engine component. ...

The ammunition for the original M9 Launcher was the M6 Series, which finalized as the M6A3 that was 19.4 inches (49.28 cm) long, and weighed 3.38 lb (1.53 kg).

A 3.5 inch bazooka rocket.

Secretly introduced in Operation Torch, it was highly effective, though inherently inaccurate at all but very close ranges. Its impact was such that General Dwight D. Eisenhower later described it as (together with the atom bomb, jeep and the C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft) one of the weapons which won World War II for the allies [1][2][3]. The Germans immediately copied it from captured weapons, to produce their own much larger version known as the Panzerschreck. It was the success of the Panzerschreck that caused the original bazooka to be reworked after the war to the larger 3.5-inch (88.9 mm) model that was identical in size and power to the German weapon. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1608x369, 69 KB) A 3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1608x369, 69 KB) A 3. ... Combatants United States United Kingdom Free French Forces Vichy France Commanders Dwight Eisenhower Andrew Cunningham François Darlan Strength 73,500 60,000 Casualties 479+ dead 720 wounded 1,346+ dead 1,997 wounded Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast) was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in... Dwight David Eisenhower, born David Dwight Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969), nicknamed Ike, was a five-star General in the United States Army and U.S. politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953–1961). ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ... For other uses, see Jeep (disambiguation). ... The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. ... Panzerschreck (German: tank terrorizer; lit. ...

The weapon's use in the Pacific theater, however, was not as effective. Japanese pill boxes, made from coconut and sand, proved too shock-absorbing to activate the explosive charge.

Variants

Rocket Launcher, M1 and M1A1 "Bazooka"

The M1A1

• First issued June 14, 1942 by Capt. L.A. Skinner.
• A1 addressed reliability issues with an improved electrical system.

Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...

Rocket Launcher, M9 "Bazooka"

• Improved model
• Supplanted M1A1 in 1945.

Rocket Launcher, M9A1 "Bazooka"

• Could be disassembled into two halves for easier carrying.
• Battery ignition replaced by trigger magneto.

This article is about the engine component. ...

Rocket Launcher, M20 "Super Bazooka"

• Larger 3.5 in (89 mm) diameter warhead.
• Could penetrate up to 200 mm of armor.
• Extended range by about 150 m.
• Entered service at start of Korean War

Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung Il-kwon Paik Sun-yup Douglas...

Rocket Launcher, M20B1 "Super Bazooka"

• Lightweight version with barrels made of cast aluminum, and other components simplified
• Used as a supplement to the M20

Rocket Launcher, M20A1/A1B1 "Super Bazooka"

• Product improved variant with improved connector latch assembly, entering production in 1952^[1]
• Improved versions of the M20 and M20B1 respectively

Specifications

M1A1

• Length: 50 in (137 cm)
• Caliber: 60 mm (2.36 in)
• Weight: 15 lb (6.8 kg)
• Warhead: M6A1 shaped charge (3.5 lb, 1.59 kg)
• Range
  • Maximum: 400 yards (365 m)
  • Effective: 150 yards (135 m)
• Crew: 2, operator and loader

M9A1

• Length: 61 in (1,550 mm)
• Caliber: 60 mm (2.36 in)
• Weight: 15.95 lb
• Warhead: M6A3/C shaped charge (3.5 lb)
• Range
  • Maximum: 400–500 yards (350–450 m)
  • Effective: 120 yards (110 m)
• Crew: 2, operator and loader(M9) or 1, operator+loader(M9A1)

M20A1/A1B1

• Length (when assembled for firing): 60 in (1,524 mm)
• Caliber: 89 mm (3.5 in)
• Weight (Unloaded): M20A1: 14 lb (6.4 kg); M20A1B1: 13 lb (5.9 kg)
• Warhead: M28A2 HEAT (9 lb) or T127E3/M30 WP (8.96 lb)
• Range
  • Maximum: 999 yds (823 m)
  • Effective (Stationary Target/Moving Target): 300 yd (275 m) /200 yd (185 m)
• Crew: 2, operator and loader)

References

• Anti-Tank Rocket M6 Bazooka

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Bazooka

• Rocket propelled grenade

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... An RPG-7 captured by the US Army RPG, or Rocket propelled grenade is a loose term describing hand-held, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead. ...

External links

• 90th Infantry Division Preservation Group page on Bazookas and Equipment