US M1 AT Weapon

By Crusader1307

Known as The "Bazooka" or "Stovepipe", The M-1 Recoilless Anti-Tank Weapon was a first successful attempt to provide a hand-held rocket delivery system to The Infantry. Designed by Edward Uhl and produced in 1942, The M-1 was envisioned to be able to penetrate vehicle Armor, enemy bunkers/emplacements and small reinforced structures. The weapon was tube-like and 54-inches long. It weighed 13-pounds and was operated by either a one or two man team. The M-1 was capable of firing a variety of rockets. From the smallest - at 2.36-inches up to a 19-inch projectile, it used a HEAT round (High Explosive Anti-Tank), capable of penetrating up to 4-inches of armor. Other versions used a form of plastic explosive called HESH (High Explosive Squash Head). These rounds would impact on target and form a "blob" of irregular shaped explosive that would detonate seconds later. The M-1 had effective ranges from 300 to 700 meters. A common problem with The M-1 was it could not operate on extreme cold temperatures (-0), or heat in excess of 120 F. The story of it's nickname "Bazooka" is linked to the Comedian Bob Burns, who used a fantasy musical instrument he called a Bazooka. The M-1 looked very much the same and the name "stuck". There were several variants of The M-1. All of which would lead to many other rocket-based weapons, like Russia's RPG and the later US M-72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon (The LAW).