Panzerfaust help

[Visniewski]

Just found a nice scheme of the Pzf 60/100/150 trigger mechanism in - of all possible places - a SWEDISH small arms manual dated 1951. It really IS that simple and low-tech - just a strip of steel bolted through one end with firing pin 'cocked and released' by a simple cross pin in a lever's end.

[Visniewski]

Almost forgot - I promised the Oder defenders with Pzf 30 gr. Here they go.

This is some tricky very late model of Pzf 30 (gr.) with many features just like on Pzf 60m. First, it's the warhead decal - this is the only Pzf 30 photo showing a warhead decal I have seen (or at least - I remember). Also, note (this would take blowing up and sometimes looking at the photo from an angle) that the tube has all the warnings printed on decals, which are slightly different color to the background, and one can clearly see the rectangular areas with all warnings. Third - the goblets are painted dark, perhaps green, just like with so many Pzf 60 and 100. This photo is dated in late February, when the Soviet steamroller after starting in mid-January from Vistula, had reached the Oder and stopped there, waiting for sufficient forces to close in for the last push to Berlin, some 60 miles behind the Oder River. Note that the Volkssturm civilians photographed in Berlin just about that time were showing off the newest Pzf 100s, while these guys, carrying on their backs the brunt of keeping Soviets at bay, had to make do with a model whole two generations older !

[Visniewski]

Another period photo, showing a Pzf 60 m with its collar a bit closer - note the tab on the collar to facilitate unhooking the warhead retainer. Note also lacking warhead decal, and sight face painted white for whatever reason. The warnings on the tube are decals.

[Visniewski]

Panzerfaust 150 and 250
Traditionally, with the introduction of the Pzf 100, work intensified on its successor. This time the new Panzerfaust was to retain the launching tube of the Pzf 100 almost intact, and focus the modifications on the projectile, which escaped extensive changes since the introduction of the Pzf 30(gr.). The rectangular fins were back, and now the stem was made of steel, which made it sturdier – and heavier. But the most extensive modifications concerned the warhead itself. It was smaller in diameter, lighter, had a long conical ballistic cap, and was delivered battle-ready - meaning the need to arm before shooting was finally dispensed with after the Pzf 100 m "jumping-the-gun" fiasco.
The first Pzf 100 m with its improved FPZ8003umg fuze was tested as transport-proof enough to be delivered armed. After just a couple weeks the Army ordered to revert to the original procedure, after several incidents, where men newly re-trained with the new Pzf 100 m combat-ready launcher were issued older models, and neglected to arm them, assuming that all new Pzf are combat-ready - even if the NIB Pzfs were in fact Pzf 30 or 60. Now the new pointed projectile of the Pzf 150 m was so different from the earlier truncated cone ones, that it seemed no one could mistake one for another, and the weapons were delivered "combat-ready" again.
The recent scientific research into the shaped-charges resulted in the warhead making a quantum-leap increase in piercing capability – which almost doubled, to 360 mm – despite actual decreasing the amount of HE main charge. The elongated ballistic cone improved the aerodynamics greatly – with the Pzf 100’s tandem propelling charge intact, the recommended range extended by half, from 100 to 150 meters. These new weapons were fitted with the new fuze, which could be delivered ready for use and had a self-destruction feature. The Pzf 150 was probably the most advanced infantry antitank weapon ever used in WW2, but it was unable to divert the fate of the war at any rate. The mass-production started in March 1945, and although as many as 100 000 were made before the war ended, little – if any – made it to the front.
In the last months of the war, the Hasag designers were working on several other Panzerfaust modifications. One of these was the Pzf 250, coupling the Pzf 150 projectile with its own integral propelling charge, loaded into a totally new, multiple-use, muzzle-loading launcher, fitted with pistol grip containing electric trigger mechanism. This was an attempt to create a weapon merging two hitherto separately developed concepts: a single-use expendable launcher (Panzerfaust) with a user-reloadable Bazooka, but with recoilless-fired, not rocket-propelled warheads. This new contraption was able to shoot projectiles at the initial velocity reaching 150 m/sec., and with a range up to 250 meters. It was scheduled to be mass-manufactured as of August, 1945 – but never did for obvious reasons.
The Panzerfaust development center in Leipzig was captured by the Americans on Hitler’s birthday, April 20, 1945, but after Potsdam conference it became obvious that it was destined to be taken over by the Soviets. The Americans withdrew after several months of dragging feet, evacuating with them the entire Hasag Panzerfaust design team, with Langweiler, Eng. Dellori, Dr. Renneberg and Dr. Jahn, who continued their work on the Pzf 250 in America. The Americans were unimpressed with it, sticking with the Bazooka, but this research data was later to form foundation of the West German Pzf 44 Lanze, introduced in 1960.

The Swan Songs
With the most advanced Pzf 250 project, enabling to load the launcher with separate grenades, the question of diversity returned. At the same time when these separate ‘shots’ were experimented with, specialized loadings for the classic expendable Panzerfaust were also tried. These included a Splitterfaust (featuring a new warhead fitted with a pre-fragmented cast-iron sleeve and time-fuze to air-burst the thing 200-400 meters from the firing position), and a Brandfaust, with incendiary warhead. As much as 100 Splitterfausts are reported to be manufactured in April 1945 and delivered for front-line testing around Eberswalde. An interesting study from spring 1945 describes what can be deemed an early attempt at creating the thermobaric warhead, using HE charge generously laced with aluminum powder and barium peroxide to enhance its effect in urban warfare.
When in early 1945 intelligence reports announced the new Soviet super-heavy tank with enhanced armor (later to materialize as the JS-3), a corresponding project of the Super-Panzerfaust, called ‘grosser Panzerfaust’ was prepared. This Pzf 250-launched warhead was able to pierce as much as 400 mm of armor plate, but this ambitious program remained on paper, as well as other planned Pzf 250 warheads: incendiary, incendiary-HEAT, and a lachrymatory warhead to smoke out defenders in street fighting.

{Another quote from my article. And that's all, folks - as Porky the Pig announced at the end of the Looney Tunes}

[Glenn66]

Fantastic information! Thank you!

[Grimebox]

Very informative - I had never heard of the Pzf 150 /250 or splitterfaust

[Glenn66]

There was also the prototype Fleigerfaust, a type of mini Nebelwerfer intended to fire a spread of rockets at low-flying Jabos. I don't know if any of these ever entered service however.

[Visniewski]

But please consider that the Fliegerfaust had nothing in common with the Panzerfaust family of AT projectors but a part of the name (faust) and being a HASAG development as well. It was a mutlitube electric-ignited rocket launcher (like a bundle of 9 tubes of 20 mm diameter welded together), sort of unguided Stinger
It seems that some of them did in fact went into action, as there were both Soviet and American pilots reporting being shot at with them, and there's remnants of a Fliegerfaust excavated from Berlin on display in a German Ammunition Museum in Burg Stargard, in Meklemburg-Vorpommern, a stone throw west of the Polish-German border (and a stone throw south from Peenemunde, if you go visit von Braun's playground - really not much to see, though). That is a VERY good museum to visit, and the owner, Armin Bickel (aka Munimann) is a very knowledgeable person, and an avid collector and student of every aspect of ammunition with many years of experience. In his museum (still under construction, but yet showing signs of what a great place it would be when it's finished) you can see ammunition in every conceivable form and size, from 2 mm Kolibri up to (and including!) 800 mm Dora railway gun. Do you want to see some of the exhibits? Maybe I'll just start another thread, because somehow I think we have hijacked this Help Needed thread completely... Not that I think we had not extended the Help needed by showing the exact model of the weapon WWIIBUFF wants to restore, but technically speaking that was not only Panzerfaust porn, as Glenn66 pointed out, but also a prime example of thread kidnapping to boot.

[ekim199944]

I have just come across your thread on the panzerfaust 60, very, very interesting. I do have question do you have the fuze and fuze booster that was inserted into the head before firing? I so do your have photo's of them? I have been looking all over the net for some really good photo's of said items. If you do have photo's could you please post them, I would really appreciated it.

ekim199944

[Visniewski]

No, I don't have them - got rid of anything that goes kaboom: not healthy to have it by yourself these days. Sorry.