"Ofenrohen"-Tank Destroyers

[Antonio Pena]

The Raketenpazerbuchse 43 was the first rocket launcher in service in the Wehrmacht and was a simple copy of the M1 Launcher (Bazooka) changing only the calibre from the 6.0 cm., of the Bazooka to the 8.8 cm., of the RPzB 43. After this one called the Ofenrohr the Wehrmacht made use of the RPzB 54, only a refinement of the RPzB 43 and fitted witha protective shield, and RPzB 54/1 that is the RPzB 54 with shorter barrel.

Data RPzB 43 RPzB 54 RPzB 54/1

Calibre 8.8 cm. 8.8 cm. 8.8 cm.
Lenght of barrel 1638 mm. 1640 mm. 1350 mm.
Weight 9.5 Kg. 11 Kg. 9.5 Kg.
Velocity (Initial) 110 m/s 110 m/s 110 m/s
Range (max) 150 m. 150 m. 180 m.

The 8.8 cm. Raketenwerfer 43 (Puppchen) is a wheeled rocket launcher (could be dismantled into seven loads for easier transport) and with the shape of a light recoilles gun. This equipment was not produced in large numbers because later RPzB 43-54 proved to be cheaper and easier to use

Data

Calibre 8.8 cm.
Lenght of barrel 1600 mm.
Weight in action 100 Kg.
Weight travelling 146 Kg.
Velocity (Initial) 150 m/s
Range (max.) 700 m. (antitank: 230 m)

Greetings

[Logan Hartke]

I found some model pics of the Puppchen...







http://www.flash.net/~eklyps/puppchen.htm

A couple of real pics...





Logan Hartke

[Andy H]

Thanks Logan for the pics

Andy from the Shire

[Panzerrat]

Yes anything to do with the Raketenwerfer 43 is hard to find on the net, i am having much trouble finding technical Data on the lenght,width & height of the carrige (the carrige & Breech devise is in fact the Obsolete 28mm Schweres Panzerbuchse 41 according to Ian V. Hogg's book The Encyclopedia of Infantry Weapons of WW2, it is surmised that possibly not more than a hundred were in use by ground forces by wars end....
Does anyone have a line Drawing of the weapon?
Regards Panzerrat

[Toomas]

Great site about carried AT weapons of WWII

http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust.htm