What do you think the best tank killer was for the infantry? we are talikg hand held here.

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Thoughts on Military History
Cornish Scale Modellers
Ross' Military Modelling and Art

Well my vote goes to the panzerfaust, effective, easily produced and cheap. just what you want to blow holes in tanks and good for using on bunkers too!!!

After that then the bazooka/panzerschrek good reusable weapon, but i prefer the Korean war bazooka as it has more stopping power.

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"Watch that Fu*ker, he'll 'ave someones eye out!" King Harold at Hastings 1066.

I agrre panzerfaust was very effective especially in the bacoage of normandy. but i still think for distance the panzerschrek.

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Thoughts on Military History
Cornish Scale Modellers
Ross' Military Modelling and Art

My only contention with the shreck is the large cloud that it kicks up and the fact that it could blind you without the shield due to the rockets exhaust when it exited the tube, by the way I have some great footage of a guy firing a panzerfaust in the Bulge, it makes a hell of a explosion!

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"Watch that Fu*ker, he'll 'ave someones eye out!" King Harold at Hastings 1066.

Yup the shreck has my vote.

Jet

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And when he gets to heaven
To Saint Peter he will tell
One more soldier reporting sir
I have served my time in hell

Just remembered a German joke from the end of the WW2 when the front lines were closing each other. I think it shows how people have "dark" humour even close to the bitter end...

While aiming with the schreck the other soldier might say " Watch out how you´re aiming! You might hit the comrade in the back with the exhaust gases...!"

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I'm a big fan of the Panzerwurfmeine (L). It's one of the neatest infantry anti-tank weapons of the war. For a picture of a reproduction one, Panzerwurfmeine

Langemann

Comparing cost and efficiency the Molotov cocktail is definitely No 1!But definitely requires shelter by buildings or other...

We have discussed this in an earlier thread but one thing that sure drove the tank crew crazy was the smell of flammable liquid dripping in...That´s how the Finns caught some Russian tanks in Winter War at least as they "cheated" the russian tank men by dropping some liquid inside, waited and as the crew rushed out, shot them, and voilá, you got yourself a tank.

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yeah for chepness the molotov was good but like the PIAT you had to damm close to get a good hit. have to admire the guys who did though.

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Thoughts on Military History
Cornish Scale Modellers
Ross' Military Modelling and Art

i should say mines but the're in fact engeneer weapons....
when you create a "mobile kill"
tanks are easily to destroy!!!!!!!

Definitely the panzerfaust...cost-effectively it was like the T-34 tank for the Russians.

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"If your gonna buy the angel s**t, you might as well go for the zombie package as well."
-George Carlin

I also voted for the Panzerfaust. Cheap, easy to use, and in the hands of a determined user, it could destroy any tank in existence in those days. One wonders how many Soviet tanks it killed in, say, the Battle of Berlin; James P. O'Donnell, in a footnote on page 174 (paperback edition) of The Bunker, says as many as 500 could've been knocked out by Panzerfausts in the hands of civilians.

Yours,
Paul

One problem with all of these except the bazooka is range. The panzerfaust has a 30 - 60 meter range. The panzerschrek about 120 meters. The PIAT about 100. The bazooka reaches out to over 500 meters. This is a very important consideration. As most of these weapons were employed against the side or rear of the vehicle being attacked the lower penetration of the bazooka makes little difference. The Panzerfaust and panzerschrek add overkill, that is all. Both were effective weapons and in determined hands very dangerous. Certainly, all three were winning designs. It comes down to a matter of preference. I would think most soldiers would prefer tanks being knocked out as far from their position as possible, hence my choice of the bazooka.
The poor PIAT lacked accuracy due to the low velocity of its bomb. I also think that most users would universally agree cocking it was an experiance best avoided all-together. On top of that few soldiers were pleased having to lug the 14.4 (32 lb) PIAT with its odd projections anywhere.
Two weapons not mentioned here are rifle grenades and the panzerwürfmine. The former was very popular with US soldiers and the M9A1 HEAT anti-tank grenade was as effective as a bazooka round. It also meant that there was one less thing (the bazooka) to lug around. The later was one of the top choices of German panzerknackers. It could be thrown 20+ meters and since it usually landed on top of the target it attacked through the thin roof armor. An added advantage was its total lack of flash and noise when used.

You're wrong Kai, this was NOT a joke, but reality.
In fact, the exhaust gases were so hot and dangerous that any reflecting obstacle within 10 meters was suitable to hurt the shooter himself.

This is the reason I can't vote for the Panzerschreck. I go for the Bazooka, T. A.'s arguing is very convincing. I think German soldiers would have preferred it, too.

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If someone tries to remove the speck in your right eye, will you turn to him the other also?

Knowing a vet personally for some 28 years it would be the Panzerfaust over the Panzerschreck. the heavier weapon was ideal and destroyed many a Stalin/T-34 but it was the smaller close in Panzerfaust produced in many numbers that bolstered the moral of the Landser especially on the Ost frontin 45. As my friend Helmuth told me repeatedly that a Panzerfuast was better in the hands than a karabiner.

Panzerfaust.. i mena look at it.. its so uggly it just have to be the best

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"Don't send me any more Lithuanians ... my Russian soldiers keep shooting them"
Sturmbannführer Magill
Staff officer, SS-Regiment Dirlewanger, in correspondence to the SS main office.

"Ugly is as ugly does", eh, Fenrir?

Yours,
Paul

something like that Paul [img]smile.gif[/img]

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"Don't send me any more Lithuanians ... my Russian soldiers keep shooting them"
Sturmbannführer Magill
Staff officer, SS-Regiment Dirlewanger, in correspondence to the SS main office.

I voted the Panzerfaust because of its easy use and production.

The Bazooka has one severe flaw, though. The need of two men to operate it succesfully. But for range it was very good.

However, nothing can be cheaper and easier to use than a Molotov cocktail! Very effective too.

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Of course the Molotov cocktail is easy to counter - the tank must only be "dense" enough. Of course, all very well to say that!

Btw, did the Finns use Molotov cocktails in the Winter War? Or was it too cold to use them effectively?

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If someone tries to remove the speck in your right eye, will you turn to him the other also?

The Molotoc cocktail was used in many occasions during Winter War- we actually did not have many other AT weapons...

One of the tricks as well was to drop some fuel into the tank compartment and out come the tank crew....Open Sesame!

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Agreed on the bazooka thing Generale, however reloads of the bazooka were a damnsight easier to carry round than reloads of panzerfausts!

Does anyone know of any comparisons (kill effectiveness-wise) of the Bazooka, Piat, and Panzerfaust? Which was the best? I keep hearing the Piat, and this from Panzer crew, even though it was a Bi*ch to operate and often misfired.

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Der große Stoß Büstenhalter auf Ihrem Kopf!!

Well then, possibly this is some kind of lionization of enemy weapon that applied to many German weapons, too (King Tiger, Me 262...).

If you saw the damage this thingy did, you feared it, even though its disadvantages (complex handling, low reliability...) preponderated.

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If someone tries to remove the speck in your right eye, will you turn to him the other also?