Less known weapons (or "weapons"...)

Panzerwurfmine - a German antitank hand grenade

Quoted from: http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/panzerwurfmine/index.html

An antitank hand grenade has been developed by the Germans for use by infantry troops in close combat against tanks. Known as the Panzerwurfmine, this weapon is capable of penetrating 3 inches of homogeneous armor plate, and may be thrown as easily as an ordinary stick grenade.

The Panzerwurfmine, which weighs about 3 pounds, consists of a cone-shaped body with a hemispherical end, and with the stick handle attached to the other, or point, end of the cone. The most novel feature of this weapon is a set of four collapsible cloth vanes which are folded against the handle. When the grenade is thrown, the vanes spring open and presumably guide the projectile head-on to the target.

The conical head of the grenade is filled with a hollow charge designed to direct the force of explosion in one direction—against the armor plate of the target. Built to detonate on impact, the grenade fuze is located in the butt end of the hollow wooden handle, which is filled with an explosive booster charge. The fuze—a striker pin held back from a primer cap by a weak spring—detonates when the force of impact overcomes the weight of the spring and throws the striker against the cap. A safety pin which fits into the top of the fuze assembly keeps the fuze in an unarmed condition until the grenade is thrown. The fuze assembly is housed in a thin metal cylinder fitted over the end of the wooden handle.

The grenade is armed in flight when the loosely seated safety pin is pulled free by the drag of air on a short cloth tape, one end of which is fastened to the free end of the pin.

Near the cone end of the handle, four spring steel ribs are secured in grooves. When extended, umbrella-fashion, these ribs are the framework for the cloth vanes. When the vanes are collapsed, the ribs are held under tension flat against the handle, and are secured in position by a metal cap which fits over the end of the fuze assembly and the free ends of the folded ribs. This cap is held in place by a metal tongue on the fuze assembly. The tongue passes through a slit in the cover.

During transport the tape attached to the safety pin is secured under a horseshoe-shaped metal clip which snaps around the outside of the fuze assembly, thus holding the safety pin in place. A short piece of string is tied from the clip to the end of one of the folded steel ribs.

Although the Panzerwurfmine may seem easy to use, it requires a degree of caution upon the part of the thrower, who must be sure that the vanes remain closed—thus keeping the grenade unarmed—until the weapon leaves his hand.

Quite interesting, isn’t it? I never heard or read before about this “weapon”. :smiley: :smiley:

WoW :shock: Is there anything on the effectiveness of this weapon?

Nope. Anyway I suppose that the Germans developed it in late 44’s because this Intelligence Bulletin was issued in March 1945.

The Russians had a similar grenade.

Jan

Had they?? :shock:

Edited: They still had Molotov cocktail :lol: :lol:

Yep, the RPG-43.
http://www.inert-ord.net/russ02i/rpg43/

The picture comes from the following iste:
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/sovgrenades/

Jan

Weird grenades :smiley:

Nice photos. I cant confirm this, but i seem to remember reading that this was in the German inventory before 1944, I think that this was developed and implemented before then as obviously the Panzerfaust was a superior weapon which was introduced late 43/44. Might be wrong but makes sense.

It was introduced in May 1943.

The drawback of these grenades is obviously the limited throwing distance. The soldier will have to get very close to a tank, which probably will be protected by infantry. The Panzerfaust increases the distance required.

Jan

Russian anti-tank dogs!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tank_dog

not very succesfull eh? poor little things :!: :smiley:

Neither were the American suicide bats.

I can imagine:

Soviet tank driver: “Fido! go away! No, don’t come here! There is the Fritz! Be a good doggy! No, go away! AWAY I SAY! FIIIDOOO! NOOOOO!”
BANG!

Jan :lol:

:lol: :lol: .

really interesting topic,i think the mods should move it to General WWII Discussion.

move it to general so we can talk about those American suicide bats! :smiley:

Topic moved :!:

ah ha, verry good. Now what about those bats!!

About American bats I found only:
http://historynet.com/ahi/blbatnbirdbomber/index3.html

Quoted:
Although bats and pigeons were never used to bomb enemy targets, the test results show that they could have. It is interesting to speculate what the results might have been if they had actually gone to war.

Holy Guano - suicide Bats, well I never, you do indeed learn something every day.