2 – Tiger Tanks and the Bazooka

Allied troops landed on the beaches of Algeria in April 1942. Prior to the landing, some American soldiers were issued a new weapon: A rocket-firing tube (Figure 1). The steel tube was about 55 inches long with a 2.36-inch inside diameter. The device weighed more than 16 pounds and had a crude wooden shoulder stock, a trigger, and a forward handle attached to it. The official U.S. Army name for the weapon was the 2.36-inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1, but the GIs called it “the bazooka.”¹

Instructions at Sea

American soldiers received their bazooka training on the decks of the troop transport ships during the arduous journey to the North African battle site. The GIs were taught a strict procedure to arm, aim, and fire the weapon. One soldier, “the shooter,” shouldered the bazooka and aimed it at a target. Another GI next to him, “the loader,” inserted a solid-fueled rocket into the end of the weapon (Figure 2). He then activated electrical connections to enable firing and quickly moved away.

Shooters were informed that enemy armored vehicles and tanks would be their primary targets. The best chance for destroying a tank was to aim the weapon at the side or rear of the vehicle. Training for the GIs included the directive to delay firing the bazooka until the target was about 100 yards from their position. This distance would improve the probability of a hit.

Fifty-Four Tons of Steel

One key location in the initial stages of the Algerian campaign was Hill 295 near a town called Mejez el-Bab.⁴ U.S. Army intelligence anticipated armored columns of the German Army would soon advance toward the American lines. GIs were told to prepare for the arrival of their main target: The German Tiger Tank (Figure 3).

At the time of the campaign, the U.S. Army had little information on the Tiger Tank. Even the monthly U.S. War Department publication Tactical and Technical Trends produced no information about the vehicle until its September 1943 issue.⁵ Rumors and speculation about the tank spread quickly among the U.S. soldiers at Hill 295. Their concern about stopping the Tiger Tank was high.

When the German assault began, GIs on Hill 295 must have been stunned when a Tiger Tank appeared. The 54-ton steel juggernaut would seem to be unstoppable. Its 3.9-inch thick frontal armor could stop almost all shells fired at it. The 88-millimeter gun in the turret could hit a 16 by 18-inch target at a range of 1,100 meters. Smoke would belch out of the tank’s exhaust as its V-12 Maybach engine moved the behemoth at a speed that enabled the accompanying German infantry to walk cautiously behind it.

Shooting at a Tiger

When the GI shooter estimated that the Tiger Tank had moved to a 100-yard distance, he would squeeze the trigger on the weapon. This action completed an electrical circuit powered by two batteries in the trigger assembly. The current ran to the connection at the rear of the bazooka and ignited the rocket’s fuel. The burning fuel suddenly shot a hot stream of gas and burning particles out the rear of the weapon. In a fraction of a second the fuel was exhausted, and the rocket rushed out toward the target.

The rocket travelled 100 yards in only a few seconds. If the shooter aimed well, the rocket would impact the tank, triggering a fuse at the base of the warhead. In less than a microsecond, a small booster charge would explode, detonating a cylinder of high explosives that surrounded a thin steel cone. The blast would generate a powerful detonation wave that travelled over the cone, compressing it.

The cone, now a 1-inch diameter, 6-inch long jet stream of metal particles, raced at a speed of 30,000 ft/sec toward the tank. When the particles hit the tank’s steel, they generated a pressure of more than 15 million pounds per square inch (psi). The jet stream easily pushed aside the molecules of the tank’s steel wall and penetrated the vehicle.

If the jet stream entered the crew compartment, it could strike a shell in a storage rack. This would detonate the ordnance and destroy the tank. If the stream entered the engine housing, it would cause considerable damage and stop the vehicle. Rocket hits in the tank’s wheels might dislodge a track, which would immobilize the tank but not harm the crew.

Time to Retreat

After firing their weapon, though, the flash and sound of the rocket revealed the GI’s position to the German soldiers. The shooter and the loader would then quickly retreat to the safety of their own lines.

The GIs did not know exactly how the bazooka worked. They also did not know they were using a technology that would soon enable access to millions of barrels of oil. The technology was the shaped charge, and understanding how to use it in the oilfield could lead to substantial revenue.

References

1. U.S. War Department Technical Manual 9-294, 2.36-Inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1A1, September 27, 1943.↑
2. Skinner, L. A. et al. Rocket Projector, U.S. Patent number 2,496,316. Filed September 22, 1943.↑
3. Uhl, E. G. et al. Electrically Fired Rocket Projectile, U.S. Patent number 2,466,752. Filed September 22, 1943.↑
4. Rottman, Gordon L., The Bazooka, Osprey Publishing Ltd., Long Island, New York, 2012. p. 4.↑
5. “Detailed Report on the German ‘Tiger’ PzKw 6”, Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 34, September 23, 1943. p. 4. Collection: www.LoneSentry.com.↑

Join the Discussion!

• What part of the story about the bazooka and shaped charge technology did you find most interesting or surprising?
• Have you encountered any historical records or personal stories about people who played a key role in bringing shaped charge technology to the oilfield?
• Is there any specific aspect of this technology’s development or impact that you would like to comment on?

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