The Anti-Tank Rifle

The Anti-Tank Rifle PDF

Author: Steven J. Zaloga

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2018-01-25

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13: 1472817249

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The emergence of the tank in World War I led to the development of the first infantry weapons to defend against tanks. Anti-tank rifles became commonplace in the inter-war years and in the early campaigns of World War II in Poland and the Battle of France, which saw renewed use in the form of the British .55in Boys anti-tank rifle - also used by the US Marine Corps in the Pacific. The French campaign made it clear that the day of the anti-tank rifle was ending due to the increasing thickness of tank armour. Nevertheless, anti-tank rifles continued to be used by the Soviets on the Eastern Front with two rifles, the 14.5mm PTRS and PTRD, and were still in widespread use in 1945. They served again with Korean and Chinese forces in the Korean War, and some have even appeared in Ukraine in 2014–15. Fully illustrated and drawing upon a range of sources, this is the absorbing story of the anti-tank rifle, the infantryman's anti-armour weapon during the world wars.

The Anti-Tank Rifle

The Anti-Tank Rifle PDF

Author: Steven J. Zaloga

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2018-01-25

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13: 1472817230

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The emergence of the tank in World War I led to the development of the first infantry weapons to defend against tanks. Anti-tank rifles became commonplace in the inter-war years and in the early campaigns of World War II in Poland and the Battle of France, which saw renewed use in the form of the British .55in Boys anti-tank rifle - also used by the US Marine Corps in the Pacific. The French campaign made it clear that the day of the anti-tank rifle was ending due to the increasing thickness of tank armour. Nevertheless, anti-tank rifles continued to be used by the Soviets on the Eastern Front with two rifles, the 14.5mm PTRS and PTRD, and were still in widespread use in 1945. They served again with Korean and Chinese forces in the Korean War, and some have even appeared in Ukraine in 2014–15. Fully illustrated and drawing upon a range of sources, this is the absorbing story of the anti-tank rifle, the infantryman's anti-armour weapon during the world wars.

The PIAT

The PIAT PDF

Author: Matthew Moss

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-08-20

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13: 1472838149

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Designed in 1942, Britain's innovative Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT) provided British and Commonwealth troops with a much-needed means of taking on Germany's formidable Panzers. Replacing the inadequate Boys anti-tank rifle, it was conceived in the top-secret World War II research and development organization known colloquially as 'Churchill's Toyshop', alongside other ingenious weapons such as the sticky bomb, the limpet mine and the time-pencil fuse. Unlike the more famous US bazooka, the PIAT had its roots in something simpler than rocket science. Operated from the shoulder, the PIAT was a spigot mortar which fired a heavy high-explosive bomb, with its main spring soaking up the recoil. The PIAT had a limited effective range. Troops required nerves of steel to get close enough to an enemy tank to ensure a direct hit, often approaching to within 50ft of the target, and no fewer than six Victoria Crosses were won during World War II by soldiers operating PIATs. A front-line weapon in every theatre of the conflict in which Commonwealth troops fought, from Europe to the Far East, the PIAT remained in service after 1945, seeing action during the Greek Civil War, the Arab–Israeli conflict and the Korean War. This illustrated study combines detailed research with expert analysis to reveal the full story of the design, development and deployment of this revolutionary weapon.

US Anti-tank Artillery 1941–45

US Anti-tank Artillery 1941–45 PDF

Author: Steven J. Zaloga

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-08-20

Total Pages: 109

ISBN-13: 1782002138

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The US Army's development of the 37mm anti-tank gun began in response to needs identified during the Spanish Civil War. By the time it entered service in Tunisia in 1943, the gun was already obsolete, and the US began the licensed manufacture of the British 6-pdr in the hope of finding a quick solution to its artillery requirements. This in turn proved unequal to the demands of warfare in France in 1944, and further anti-tank measures were developed – rocket propelled grenades for infantry use, and weapons designed specifically for use by the Tank Destroyer Force.

Hitler's Anti-Tank Weapons 1939–1945

Hitler's Anti-Tank Weapons 1939–1945 PDF

Author: Hans Seidler

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2020-05-30

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 152674984X

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This illustrated WWII history captures the evolution of Nazi Germany’s anti-armor weaponry through rare archival wartime photos. Hitler’s Wehrmacht and SS units will be remembered for their aggressive Blitzkrieg tactics. But, as the war progressed, the Germans developed an impressive range of anti-tank warfare weaponry and munitions. Using many rare unpublished images, this Images of War book covers the full Nazi anti-armor capability. Also featured are the half-tracks and converted Panzers that pulled or mounted these weapons and carried observers and reconnaissance elements forward. Later hand-held anti-tank weapons came into service and were effective against Allied armor. The Panzerfaust, with its shaped charge warhead, became the first disposable anti-tank weapon in history. This comprehensive book shows this formidable range of weapons in action from Poland in 1939, through North Africa and the Eastern Front to the final collapse of the Third Reich in 1945.

Boys Anti-Tank Rifle Mark I

Boys Anti-Tank Rifle Mark I PDF

Author: Anon

Publisher:

Published: 2009-02-01

Total Pages: 48

ISBN-13: 9781847348197

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The name of this weapon is something of a misnomer, since, as the authors stress, it was never designed to stop tanks - as members of the BEF found to their cost when they tried to do so during the 1940 Battle of France. It was, rather, produced as a weapon to combat light armoured vehicles - and was intended for the Home Guard to deal with such air- and sea-borne vehicles in the early stages of an invasion. This wartime booklet, published in 1944, and illustrated with a dozen photographs, is a guide to all aspects of the weapon including its mechanism, magazine, firing, loading and unloading, sight-setting, aiming, firing positions, maintenance and cleaning.

US Anti-tank Artillery 1941–45

US Anti-tank Artillery 1941–45 PDF

Author: Steven J. Zaloga

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-08-20

Total Pages: 50

ISBN-13: 1782002049

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The US Army's development of the 37mm anti-tank gun began in response to needs identified during the Spanish Civil War. By the time it entered service in Tunisia in 1943, the gun was already obsolete, and the US began the licensed manufacture of the British 6-pdr in the hope of finding a quick solution to its artillery requirements. This in turn proved unequal to the demands of warfare in France in 1944, and further anti-tank measures were developed – rocket propelled grenades for infantry use, and weapons designed specifically for use by the Tank Destroyer Force.

Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck

Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck PDF

Author: Gordon L. Rottman

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2014-08-20

Total Pages: 171

ISBN-13: 1782007903

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Two of World War II's most distinctive weapons, the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck offered German and other infantrymen the ability to destroy enemy tanks singlehandedly at close ranges. While the Panzerschreck owed its origins largely to the US bazooka, the Panzerfaust was a revolutionary design that was unlike any previous weapon, and went on to influence anti-tank technology and tactics for decades after World War II. Allied troops, notably Soviet forces, made widespread use of captured Panzerfäuste, and they were also supplied to German allies such as Finland, Hungary and Bulgaria. Written by an expert on anti-tank warfare, this book reveals the fascinating development history of these two feared weapons and assesses the tactics that were employed by the soldiers using them.