The bazooka is a man-portable anti-armor
rocket launcher, made famous during World
War II. It was one of the primary infantry anti-tank weapons used by the United
States Armed Forces, and was based on the principle of the High
explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shell. It was nicknamed
"bazooka" from a vague resemblance to the musical
instrument of the same name invented and used by Bob
Burns. The M1A1, M9, and M9A1 rocket launchers saw widespread use throughout
WWII.
During the war, German
armed forces copied the U.S. design, increasing the warhead diameter to 8.8 cm,
as well as other changes, and issued it as the Raketenpanzerbüchse
"Panzerschreck".
The word "Bazooka" is often informally used to refer to any shoulder-launched
missile weapon. |