The Panzerfaust (lit. 'tank fist', plural: Panzerfäuste) was a disposable, single-shot, man-portable anti-tankweapon developed by Germany during World War II.
Developed in 1942 as a lighter, shorter-range, cheaper alternative to the Panzerschreck that could be easily used by a single person. The Panzerfaust consisted of a 60 mm caliber launch tube and a simple flip-up leaf-type iron sight. The weapon weighed 6.5 kilograms, and fired a High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) grenade. Its effective range were initially 30 meters and capable of penetrating 200 mm-thick armor. Late WWII models had a effective range of 150 meters and could penetrate 280 mm or more of armor. They were often deployed to rifle squads or Volksgrenadier. Several examples of the Panzerfäuste were captured by the Soviets towards the end of WWII and they were often credited with having inspired their rocket-propelled grenade weapons.
It should be noted that the Panzerfaust and its derivative, the RPG-2, were technically not rocket launchers for being closer to grenade launchers, as the projectiles they fired did not use rocket motors and the propellant detonated to launch the warhead burned entirely within the tube at launch. Its mechanism was based on that of a recoilless gun.
