The Antitank Encyclopedia

Antitank Missiles

Antitank Rockets

Rockets until 1918

A definition: Rockets had been around since medieval times, these contraptions were used notably by Genghis Khan armies, by the Koreans and the Chinese, by the and by British in the XIXth Century. From "bamboo flame sticks" to proper Congreve rockets, we will not go through this early rabbit hole and see military use aganist tanks from WWI. In this war, rockets were mass-manufactured, but not for ground use, rather for air use: Allied Fighters were equipped with Le Prieur rockets as an efficient balloon-busting method. The British however developed one ordnance known under the name "Vickers-Crayford rocket gun". In reality this infantry support gun developed in 1917 to deal with fortifications was a light, portable limited recoil gun capable of firing Incendiary, AP, and HE cartridges. Offically name the 1.59-inch breech-loading Vickers Q.F. gun, Mk II this was merely a close support, close range weapon to deal with fortified positions and in no way, shape of form fired rockets.

In the past, rockets had been effective for their psychological effect and extra range. However in WW2, trench mortars and artillery were just better, with an even greater psychological effect, destruction range and unmatched precision. As the war became static, hitting a trench with rockets was just ludicrous. Even when Tanks appeared, the Germans learned to deal with them with K-bullets, antitank rifles and light guns. Not rockets. As for note, Robert Goddard patented the liquid fuel rocket in 1914, the same year WWI started, and his research on rocket design wouldn’t be published until 1919. If that would have been known earlier, perhaps the German command might have been interested to develop early ballistic missiles instead of risking squadrons of heavy bombers and zeppelins over London and Paris. But the war stopped in 1918.

A belligerent however might had a head start in 1917, when the same Goddard presented its models of rockets to the two branches, Army and Navy after April 1917. He even reworked his concepts to present a precursor to the bazooka on November 6th 1918. Interested by the Le Preieur Rockets they also used, they British developed rocket guidance systems during the war, both wired and radio controlled, but the was ended before any realistic prototype.

From Interwar Developments to WW2

The Russian Case

In the Interwar, there might have been some proposals, and indeed Soviet Russia, of all future belligerents, very much embraced the idea of rocket artillery. It needed for that to develop solid fuel, and thanks to specialists such as Nikolai Tikhomirov at the Soviet Gas Dynamics Laboratory (GDL), the first ancestors of 1942 Katyusha were tested in March 1928. I however only flew to 1800 m and was not accurate. Thus, their first appplication was to assist take-off of aircraft (JATO). In 1930s Georgy Langemak tested firing rockets from aircraft and the ground but it wait until June 1938 to have a workable military rocket designed by the RNII, with prototype launchers for the modified 132 mm M-132 rockets.

It was test launched from a ZIS-5 truck but this proved unstable, so V.N. Galkovskiy proposed a new launching system with longitudinally mounted rails and by August 1939, the result was the BM-13. However until 1945, the "Kayusha" whic existed in many variants were used as mobile mass artillery until 1945. It was perfect over an enem over open terrain and accuracy matched less than the fire concentration and psychological effect. It was never intended to destroy tanks concentrations, being only an anti-personal weapon first and foremost. The Russians uses a variety of anti-tank non-gun/rifle weapons during the war, like the RPG-43 grenade, which used a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge for good effet. Also of note, the Llyushin LL-2 Sturmovik, the famous mass-produced attack aircraft, carried the RS-82 and RS-132 rockets, both designed to destroy armored vehicles with a single hit. However they were so inaccurate that experienced Il-2 pilots used their 30mm cannons with AP shells instead each time. They were still efficient against concrete pillboxes and other fortified fixed targets. On tank concentrations they also used HEAT shaped charge bomblets as well.

However the closest to home were the start of the RGP family of course. The RPG-1 (Ручной противотанковый гранатомёт, Ruchnoy Protivotankovy Granatomyot; or "hand-held antitank grenade launcher") succeeded to the failed RPG-1 designed in 1944 by G.P. Lominskiy, from the Main Artillery Directorate, Small Arms and Mortar Research Range. It was ana adapted pistol and tube firing a mass-made 1.6 kgs shaped charge warhead for 3.6 kgs total. Max range was barely better than the Panzerfaust despite being more complex, up to 75 m (246 ft). The RPG-1 was deigned as smaller, lighter than the Panzerfaust but reusable like the Bazooka. It was never adopted for production, having issues of firing cap, and propellant and could only penetrate 140 millimetres (5.5 in). Postwar, the RPG-2 improved on it and ultimately this led to the cold war legendary RPG-7 (1954). No ATGM-like prototype was started before the end of the war, but in the Soviet equivalent of Operation Paperclip, plans and prototypes of the X7 (see below) and its replacements were seized.

The German Case

The Germans too, developed rockets early on in the interwar, notably with pioneer Fritz Van Ohain (1911–1998), and started playing with jet engines after testing rocketry. The Nebelwerfer, German rocket artillery, was treaty already in the artillery section. Whatever the model, these rockets were not intended for anti-tank use. Rather, they were used by Chemical troops. If they hit anything armoured and defeated it, this was by pure luck. But when targeting tank concentrations this was less to destroy them than their crews, resting, maintaining or supplying their vehicles out in the open... However unlike the Soviets, the Nazis were keen on testing self-propelled ammunitions to defeat tanks. In addition to a range of anti-tank grenades, the development of shape-charges already renewed interest for traditional artillery, as practically any field gun, whatever its muzzle velocity just had to be precise enough to hit its target at short range with one of these. Hollow charges created an incandescent jet inside any armoured vehicle, though any steel thickness, transforming the inside of the target into an hoven.

Thus, using an infantry launcher for such warheads seemed a cheap and efficient way to deal with allied tank superiority. This took several forms: The first of these was the Panzerschreck. It appeared a bit later than the US Bazooka and operated the same way so many authors postwar stated that it was a straight-out copy. However its development long predated the use of bazookas and if it was deployed from 1943 instead f 1942 for the US Bazooka, the base principle was worked on earlier. In addition to light recoiless guns also firing HEAT charges, the Raketenpanzerbüchse 54 became a favorite until 1945, but with 300,000 made it was still costly to make. In the meantime, many older guns, no longer sufficient to deal with the latest eastern front medium and heavy tanks, in particular the infamous 3.7cm PAK 36 "door knocker" could be reconverted by having a supply of Stielgranate 41 shaped charge. The latter was mass produced from early 1942, to some 630,000. They coud defeat 180 mm (7.1 in) of plate thickness, officially. The confidential 4.2 cm Pak 41 was not so lucky.

Of course the Panzerschreck was the "regular" weapon but there were never enough of them. So by 1942 it was asked to develop a much simpler, rudimentary weapon able to fire a shaped charge. This became the "tank fist" or "panzerfaust". A whole family was derived of these singe-use protectors. It had a simple tube with percussion, and see as just a replacement for thrown grenades, albeit it had a small range still, max 60m (197 ft). The immense advantage was its simplicity and low cost (15-20 RM), with as much as 8,254,300 maufactured in all variants, Panzerfaust 30, 60, 100, 150, and 250. From 1944 onwards, it made tanks very much easy and conspicuous targets in urban combat, a lesson for the future.

Hower at the other high end of this, some estimated the Panzerschreck was too short range so someone had a bright idea to adapt to anti-tank use the airborne X4 anti-aircraft semi-guided rocket, carried by Me262s and Ta 183 in 1945. This was the Ruhrstahl X-7 "Rottkapchen" or "little red riding hood" from the fairytale. It had a conventional HE warhead exchanged for a 2.5 kg shaped charge. About 300 were only made due to the lack of engines, but it was deployed in combat, proved able to defeat most Russian tanks at 1200 m, including the IS-I. It's importance could not be underestimated as it was really the first ATGM used in combat.

The British Case

Defeating German tanks was also an issue as the latter became better protected. Current AT guns such as the 2-pdr sooon fond their limited and other models only regained pertinence, alongside the fantastic 17-Pdr, by the use of shaped charges, invented independently in Britain by Henry Hans Mohaupt. They perfected the hollow charge concept that already existed and developed the first effective lined cavity shaped-charge penetrator. Mohaupt was the best counterpart of German engineer Franz Rudolf Thomanek in that in 1938. Mohaupt concept was created in 1939 and desmonstrated in 1940 to British officials, which rejected it, and later to the US.

However the infantry anti-tank weapon that was to replace the famous BOYS rifle, now considered too weak, heavy and unwieldy for practucal use in 1941, was the PIAT for "Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank". Designed by Major Millis Jefferis in 1942 it entered service in 1943 and was adopted for mass production. It was derived by the spigot mortar system (later used in the Navy as the hedgehog) and designed to fire a 2.5 pound (1.1 kg) shaped charge bomb using a cartridge in the tail of the projectile for a range of approx. 115 yards (105 m). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIAT

The US Case

HEAY projectiles were the first link in the road that led to the development of the most famous US infantry weapon against tanks, the Bazooka. This came essentially back to British engineer Mohaupt desmonstration to allied officials in 1940. The price is asked for however was denied by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department, however long story short in 1941 all patents were acquired and classified, leading to the 2.36-in high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) and machine gun grenade and the 75- and 105-mm HEAT artillery projectiles in 1941.

The Japanese Case

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_4_70_mm_AT_rocket_launcher https://forum.enlisted.net/t/8cm-navy-anti-tank-rocket-launcher/172021

Antitank RPGs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket-propelled_grenade https://www.russianspaceweb.com/rockets_wwII_germany.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_rocket_propelled_bombs_of_World_War_II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerschreck https://groups.google.com/g/rec.aviation.military/c/yrQsP7IR1Zs?pli=1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bazooka

Antitank Missiles:

TOW Missile



The TOW (Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided) missile is a versatile anti-tank missile system used by various armed forces around the world. The TOW missile can be launched from a variety of platforms including ground vehicles, helicopters, and tripods. It is Optically tracked and wire-guided. The operator tracks the target using an optical sight, and the missile is guided to the target via wires that trail behind it. The range varies by model but typically ranges from 3,000 to 4,500 meters. It is equipped with a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead capable of penetrating heavy armor.

Models and Variants:
-TOW 2A (BGM-71E): Features a tandem warhead to defeat reactive armor.
-TOW 2B (BGM-71F): Attacks the target from above, where armor is typically thinner.
-TOW 2B Aero: Extended range version of the TOW 2B.
-TOW Bunker Buster: Designed for use against fortifications and buildings. The TOW missile has been used in numerous conflicts since its introduction in the 1970s. Its effectiveness against armored vehicles has made it a staple in anti-tank warfare. It was notably used during the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and in various conflicts in the Middle East. On ground Vehicles it was mounted on Humvees and Bradley as well as the West German Jaguar 2 among others. On Helicopters it was used by the Apache, Cobra and MBB-105 among others. It was also man-portable on a tripod. In operations, the launcher is set up and the missile is loaded, target Acquisition is done when the operator identifies and locks onto the target using an optical sight. The missile is launched and the operator continues to track the target, the missile being guided by wire trailing behind it until impact.

Newer versions of the TOW featured improved targeting and tracking capabilities, increased range, enhanced warhead effectiveness.

Mines

Blast type Antitank Mines:

AC NM AE T1, ADWAT, AT-8 (Cuba), ATM-72/74/75/96, BLU-91, C-3-A/B, Cardoen AT, CC 48/42/2-42/3, DM-11, Flachmine, FMK-3/5, Hawkins grenade, LPZ, M/47, M1/M1A1, M4, M5, M6, M7, M15, M19, M51/52 MACI, M/71, M75, M/80, M453, M1935/1936, MAT/5/6, MAT-62B/76/84-F5, MATS/1.4, MATS/2, MATS/2.6, MGP-31, MI AC PR, Mk 2/3/4/5/7, MKT Mod 72, MKTBT, Model 41-47/47-52/67, Model 1948, MP-APVL 83-F4, MPP-B Wierzba, Na-Mi-Ba, No 6/8/25/26, NV-41, P2/P3 Mk2, Panssarimiina m/36/39/40/44, Pappmine, PDM-1/1M/2/2M/6, Pignone P-1/2, PM-60 mine (K-1), PMZ-40, PRB M3, PRB-111, PT-56, PT Mi-Ba, PT Mi-Ba-II, PT Mi-Ba-III, PP Mi-D, PT Mi-K, PTM-80P, SACI, SB-81, SBP-04/07, SH-55, T-IV, T-AB-1, TC/2.4/3.6/6, Tellermine 29/35/42/43, TM-46, TMM-1, TMA-1/2/3/4/5, TMB-1/2, TMN-46, TMSB, TM-35/38/41/44/46/57/62/65, TMD-1/2/40/44, TMD-B, TMM-1, Topfmine A/B/C, TQ-Mi, Type I bakelite, Type 2 AT, Type II bakelite, Type 3 mine, Type 9 wooden ATM, Type 63/72/93/96/99, Volcano mine system, VS-1.6/2.2/3.6, VS-AT4, YaM-5 box mine, YM-II/III mine.

Shaped charge/Misznay Schardin effect Antitank Mines:

Adrushy, ARGES, AT2, ATM 6/7/2000E, BAT/7, FFV 016/028, HAK-1, Hohl-Sprung, HPD-1/2/3, K441/442, Kasia 100/170, L14A1, KB-PTM, KRIZNA-D, M21/24, MC-71, MIACAH F1, MI AC Disp F1 Minotaur, MIFF, Mine Anti-Tank Non-detectable 1A/3A, MN-111/121/123, MPB, MSM MK2, MUSA/MUSPA, No 8 mine, Panzer stab 43, PARM 1/2, PD Mi-PK, PT Mi-D1, PT Mi-P, PT Mi-U, PTM-3, Pz Mi 88, SATM, SB-MV/1, SLAM, T-93, TM-72/83/89, TMK-2, TMRP-7, Type 84, UKA-63, VS-HCT/2/4, VS-SATM1 mine.

Full-width Antitank Mines:

Barmine, BAT/7, FFV 028 (Stridsvagnsmina 6), MSM MK2, Riegel mine 43, Riegel mine 44, V-3 (N5) mine, VS-HCT/HCT2/HCT4 mine.

Side-attack Antitank Mines:

Addermine, Anti-Transport, ARGES/MACPED, ATIS, ATM 6, ATM 7, AVC 100, AVC 195, FFV 018, L14A1, Kasia 100/170/200, M24, MON-100/200, MPB, PARM 1/2, PD Mi-PK, PMN-150/250, TEMP 30, TM-83, wide area M93 HORNET mine.