The Panzerfaust(s): From PzF 30 to 250
In this video Jens Wehner and I will show you the Evolution of the Panzerfaust from the early Faustpatrone / Panzerfaust 30 (klein) to the Panzerfaust 150 and 250. Furthermore, we explain the Munroe Effect, how the range of the Panzerfaust was continuously increased and other information about the Panzerfausts development. Finally, I will address (real and imaginary) errors in my previous video on the Panzerfaust effectiveness.
Cover: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-672-7634-13 / Hoepner / CC-BY-SA 3.0, creativecommons.org/licenses/...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Colorization by vonKickass.
Disclaimer: I was invited by Militärhistorische Museum der Bundeswehr Dresden in 2021. www.mhmbw.de/
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» SOURCES «
Fleischer, Wolfgang: Deutsche Nahkampfmittel Munition, Granaten und Kampfmittel bis 1945. Motorbuch Verlag: Stuttgart, Germany, 2018.
Merkblatt für die Handhabung der Faustpatrone 1 (klein).
D 560/2: Merkblatt für die Handhabung der Faustpatrone 2. Berlin, 1.9.1943.
D 560/1: Die Panzerfaust. Pzf (klein) - 30 m. 7. 1944.
D 560/4: Die Panzerfaust. Pzf - 100 m. 1944. 27.10.1944.
Hahn, Fritz: Waffen und Geheimwaffen des deutschen Heeres: 1933 - 1945. Bd. 1: Infanteriewaffen, Pionierwaffen, Artilleriewaffen, Pulver, Spreng- und Kampfstoffe. Dörfler Verlag: Eggolsheim, Germany, 1995.
Rottman, Gordon L.: Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck. Osprey Publishing: Oxford, UK, 2014.
Zaloga, Steven J.: Panzerfaust vs Sherman. European Theater 1944-45. Osprey Publishing: London, UK, 2019.
Jungenfels, Ernst Freiherr von: So kämpfen Panzer! Erlebnisse eines Panzer-Regiments im Westen. Deutscher Verlag: Berlin, Germany, 1941.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiserne...)
00:00 Introduction
00:15 Origin of the Panzerfaust / Faustpatrone
02:04 Variants of the Panzerfaust: Early prototypes, Panzerfaust 30 to Panzerfaust 250
04:18 How a Panzerfaust works
05:07 How to Panzerfaust (featuring Jens Wehner)
07:25 Evolution of the Panzerfaust 30 to 100 (featuring Jens Wehner)
11:22 How the Range of the Panzerfaust was increased (featuring Jens Wehner)
13:36 Cutaway Model of the Panzerfaust 100
14:43 Past Errors in my previous Panzerfaust Video
16:56 Summary
#Panzerfaust,#PanzerfaustEvolution,#Wehrmacht
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You did not talk about the panzerfausts that was used after WW2 by west germany like the panzerfaust 3
The german Word Panzer means amour or amoured because the meaned vehicle is amoured. (Amoured Fist is a direct Translation). The english Word Tank means the project Name for the Mark (Tank), the first real amoured vehicle in Battle. (Tank Fist, I prefer it too) I hope you can read it, my english isnt very well But i hope i Could help you
Late war joke of the german army west: Soon the use of the Panzerfaust will be forbidden since the backblast will hit our eastern front comrades ^^
Oooh! Not a bad one :-D
@@dallesamllhals9161 Yeah, had a good laugh when I first heard it. Came from a veteran, was my patient a few years back, told a bunch of war stories. 92 years old that dude was but mentally still really well put together. He said of the joke that younger soldiers didn't think it was very funny whereas older veterans thought it highly amusing.
@@hothoploink1509 Almost killed my medic in Iraq(DANCON) early 2004 - with a CG. 84mm!...ALMOST = Why i'm laughing!? (Dark/gallows-humour i guess?) PS. We're still in touch aka He's still alive!
many panzers where fausted by this joke
Hahahah I like it
"Looks really cheap and reason is it is really cheap"
In a modern anti-tank company, every person has a heavy rocket and platoons have missile teams. Jaegers have mines and Light AT Weapons. Basically, modern light infantry is equivalent to WW2 era "heavy" infrantry.
This is because modern infantry is heavily professionalized. If we were to draft massively for a great war, things would change
WW2 Troops dint have to wear plate carriers or the electronics we use today either. They just had to lug around massive balls while getting shot at with full length rifle cartridges.
@@zachariahmorris833 yes ofcourse, because todays soldiers are total pussies and the guns that they use are peashooters.. Any other dumb comments?
@@elogrejbjens4327 he aint wrong tho, they didnt have plates and were using much more powerful cartridges
@@sol2544 Actually, Panzerfausts were sometimes issued to "troops" which did not have even rifles of uniforms (various Volksturm units). Panzerfaust is easier to manufacture then a rifle.
Jens, a in glasses giving the Kubrik stare who looks like he's never told or laughed at a joke in his life holding a Panzerfaust; if he had been drinking a beer while giving his presentation he might have been the most German person possible.
The presentation of the presenter was satisfactory it would seem.
@@davidbrennan660 I thought he did a good job, just funny how many German stereotypes he fell into.
I got a different impression: professional in his job, hiding a very interesting person with a good sense of humor. Witness his smile while describing the cheap rope sling. I think he would at the very least be a good fun neighbor.
No mean to offend him, but the stare looks like a bit too much pervitin to me
@@kmit9191 There is nothing like "too much" pervitin.
Thoroughly enjoyed Jens explaining, and demonstrating.
Jens Spahn?
@@el-gamer2773 Jens Wehner, he works for the museum in Dresden, and appears often in those videos, to good effect.
@@dmcarpenter2470 Finally a good Jens.
@@el-gamer2773 Watch the vid. Jens often shows up, always to good result.
Agreed, he is thorough and always seems to find quick anecdotal ways to transition between the various specifications and actual details of the weapons themselves
Jens: How to shoot a panzerfaust while wearing a smoking jacket.
That how they put it on in the Ritzgrenadier Units
@@scockery :)
This reminds me of a story I read about a Lithuanian hivi and his misadventure with a Faustpatrone. They were training is Pskov area to use these new weapons, but Lithuanian translator mistranslated German instructions - that if the warhead is not armed the weapon will not fire, so someone dryfired it and he was just behind. He caught fire and was severely burnt in belly area. His life was saved by a German surgeon performing a skin graft(still a new and rare technique) that another German soldier volunteered. Later he recovered and was sent to Courland pocket.
13:45 the panzerfaust 250 looks just like the RPG-2 (not a surprise really)
Don't people argue the AK-47 looks similar to a STG-44 but its entirely different inside?
@@artificialintelligence8328 yeah but surely the panzerfaust inspired the RPG
@@artificialintelligence8328 Difference is, the RPG is based on the Panzerfaust, while the AK-47 and StG-44 are similar looking because an assault rifle tends toward a few general shapes as being most useful. And the actual firing mechanisms in the 47 and 44 are basically entirely different, while the RPG is truly just a further development of the same principles of the Panzerfaust.
@@parallel-knight Not just inspired, the Soviets based the RPG directly on it.
@@RaptorJesus I thought so
I swear the god, if I get another warpath advertisement that is claiming that warpath is “historically accurate”…
of course it is historically accurate in a fantasy universe's.
“Heavy tanks shoot powerful explosive grenades”
@@fluffyskunkboy4596 that will bounce off if 12 inches of battleship armor, Battleship main guns are 12 inch and up, destroy 4 inch armor of heavy tanks.
@@Delgen1951 What?
The worst ones are with the guy sitting by himself, talking to no one but himself going “you can’t fool me! I know that’s the German tanks were AKTSHOOOALLY the superior tanks. Stupid ass game thinks I don’t even fetishize German WWII military da fuck does it think this is”
A fascinating look into the details of a weapon everyone take for granted. Thank you.
I don't think anyone takes it for granted. Hell, if anything, it's the other way around. The US Bazooka was the first shaped-charge anti-armor weapon (not necessarily counting hand-thrown grenades) fielded by infantry, and it directly inspired the Panzershrek.
I Love your work. It is deeply appreciated. If I ever feel anxious or down I just watch one of your videos and it’s always helpful haha.
Awesome! Thank you!
“Deeply appreciated” isn’t a complete sentence. Please try harder next time; or else I’ll become anxious.
I have to agree. When I feel an anxiety attack coming on, putting on a MHV or forgotten weapons video can keep my mind distracted long enough for it to pass. It doesn't always work, but I am quite thankful for the times that it does.
@@johnqpublic2718 It is. "It is" is implied.
@@johnqpublic2718 Ask your english teacher.
6:55 thru 7:22 For those curious, the 1959 West German film mentioned by Jens Wehner is called _Die Brücke_ ( _The Bridge_ ). The aforementioned scene demonstrating the dangers of the Panzerfaust's backblast can be seen in the 0:15 to 0:25 mark of the following KZhead clip: kzhead.info/sun/ac6qmphojaKefnA/bejne.html .
Would have been nice to see the aiming & firing mechanisms "unfolded" and the device held in the ready to shoot position.
He is handeling those panzerfausts with the white gloves for a reason. These are 70 year old throw away weapons. If not handled carefully they will probably fall apart.
I always enjoy your videos, and the fact that you are constantly trying to better yourself by error checking etc, excellent work 👍🏻
I came and stayed because of our seeming similar interests but have come to really enjoy you wry German sense of humor. Thank you for what you do.
wie immer, Sehr tolle Videos. Danke dir für deine Bemühungen.
Awesome so great to have this channel available , Thanks keep up the great work
Great video! I loved the response/correction segment.
"Guys, this isn't Highlander..." OMG, I wish I could subscribe twice!
timestamp?
@@karlhans6678 16:45 to 16:57
Your the best.a historian that corrects his mistakes.that is why you are so creditable.you have dispelled so many myths I grew up learning.ie guderian. Thank you Bernhard
I personally found this very interesting. I found an aiming head in Hungary a number of years back (still had its original paint when I pulled it out of the ground!) and the top most aiming cut out has *80* on it ... now I know it was a panzerfaust 60 thanks!
Really nice video. The cutaway at 11:45 is excellent for showing how it works.
YES another thing that I find so interesting but can’t find much video content on! You’re just smashing out these really interesting videos. Keep up this work you’re a savour.
Outstanding, informational,and attention to detail was excellent, Danke!
Thank you for posting this. Learned a lot about the weapon. : )
First the suit, now the pro blue sliding name insert. This channel ooks more and more like a das erste news cut ^^ Thanks for the upload, great video !
Good video, I always enjoy when Jens is contributing.
thank you!
Great presentation! The only thing I can add is that paratroop general James Gavin mentioned several truckloads of Panzerfausts were captured and put to immediate use by the 82d Airborne. The 'troopers were VERY impressed and liked them, a lot!
Great video! Such detail and information on the panzerfaust
Given the similarity of these things and the Soviet RPG, one has to wonder if they were developed independently, or if the soviets saw these and decided to make something similar.
Well the RPG could be reloaded, so it's more like the Bazooka or Panzerschreck, only with an oversized warhead. I'm sure there was plenty of influence going around in all directions though.
@@Betrix5060 pzf250 was intended to be reloaded too, lik max 10 times
All Panzerfausts could be reloaded iirc, but it had to be done by an armourer, so couldn't be done in the field. Both the 250 and RPG 7 seem like amalgamations of Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck/bazooka, reducing the bulk of the weapon while sporting a decently sized warhead.
@@Betrix5060 M72 LAW was inspired by Panzerfaust, but it became a support weapon for infantry.
They reverse engineered it from the 150 version
Sehr interessant und gut erklärt, Danke! 🙂
Ein wirklich sehr gutes Video. Ich muss für den tollen Inhalt danken. Beste Grüße
Caution: Panzerfaust punches both ways :3
That is exactly what the label should say
Remember reading in a book by the Doctors Hart and Hughes, describing the consequences of one three-week course of training with Panzerfaust for a unit of 150 men : four dead, twenty wounded. These were actual infantry recruits too, not Volksturm, so they were trained by professional instructors with proper supervision. Sort of explains why many of the Volksturm never actually fired a Panzerfaust before going into action: it was not to save ammunition so much as save the users from dying before they fought!
Men interpret the name whichever way suits them.
Thank you for your hard work in producing these videos and sharing them with us. As for your comment near the end of the video regarding some peoples lack of life's experience - I will have you know that many of your detractors have played hundreds and hundreds of hours of Call of Duty - so there! 🤣😁 Thanks again and Stay Safe!
One of my top picks for history channels on KZhead !
Love your channel,very interesting
Thank you, the next time i see a T-34 i now know what to do with my panzerfaust
Thank you, not only for this episode but for the corrections. Yet even I know that in a high stress situation, there are far too many things that occur that are too difficult to explain. If I may, when I was in Anti-Tank Assault, we were trained that there are three measurements to a successful mission. There is complete destruction, a mobility kill, and crew abandonment.
Very interesting video. Also thanks for the helpful visuals.
The one dead giveaway for determining if it's a 60m or a 100m variant is the little screw on the underside. If it sits under the trigger assembly it's for the 60m single powder charge. If it is positioned behind the trigger assembly towards the rear it is for fixing the 100m double charge into place. Most 100m barrels seem to have it on the unserside but appearently there are also legit barrels with said screw placed on the top side.
Love that the title sounds like a early 90's sitcom family. "Quickly, change the channel, The Panzerfausts is on!"
Outstanding video and Presentation.
Die Qualität ist echt erstaunlich. Mit nem Produktionsteam könnte das im Fernsehen laufen.
Another Excellent Video by the Blues Brothers :)
7:00min. Sehr schön das sie den Film auch kennen und erwähnen
Ahhh yes, the Floridian's favorite weekend garage project.
I love everything you just said.
what do you mean?
@@alexbeau348 With that one guy releasing the full build plans of the panzerfaust, I'm willing to bet more than a few Floridians have or will soon be building some homemade panzerfausts to arm themselves and their neighbors against tyranny and to just plain have fun with.
@@salty_armorer4027 Why exactly Floridians?
@@alexbeau348 I live here. Believe me, people here ain't afraid to break the NFA on a whim.
Thank you . Great video. Good information.
Jens explaining and describing weapons would make some very fun educational ASMR videos
Great episode - thank you
Excellent presentation.
Aloha; well done! Outstanding presentation! Mahalo
Thank you! Cheers!
Thank you and well done.
You’re the best of all time Bernhard!!!
Fun fact: in Soviet documents and literature there are almost every time word "фаустпатрон" (Faustpatrone) and "Panzerfaust" rarely used. This influenced culture and mass knowledge of this weapon and still actual until this day. I think, first find of Faustpatrone and informing about this weapon "overshadowed" name Panzerfaust.
Once again, in English this time, please.
@@ymishaus2266 the whole comment in English, what do you want?
I thoroughly enjoy your videos and appreciate your attempt to be as accurate as possible. The individuals who insist on nit picking the smallest details and arguing they are right or more frequently that you are wrong and thus your video is somehow not worthy, are just small minded individuals. I have learned over the years to simply absorb all the information presented by various sources, and then you can really begin piecing together all of these things and getting a fairly accurate picture of what was. So thank you and please continue your valuable work.
I believe the word you might be looking for during your explanation of how the hollow/shaped charge functions, would be - Plastic deformation. (?)
Great video. Thanks a lot!
Thank yo for an excellent presentation 😃👌👌👏👏👏👏
Hello, thanks for interesting Video. I play a WW2 game , and we also have Brandfaust, Flammfaust, Panzerfaust 250 (with fragmentation warhead) , and Faustpatrone 42 !
Very interesting. Thank you.
A good video. I learnt some things I did not know.
I appreciate these videos, where people that we wouldn't even meet if we were visiting the museum share their specific knowledge. This is great and really intersting. Danke Jens!
I'm glad Jens pointed out that it was a dummy black power charge in that cutaway!
Very intriguing, the Panzerfaust is a very cool weapon
Stumbled across your videos. Really excellent and well informed. Good job!
Fascinating
I love your work! However, when it comes to the effectiveness of this weapon and based on some of your other videos I would say that overall this likely had a significant effect when it came to the moral of the troops. The overall psychological aspect this would have when given to units in the field would likely mean they would fight harder and be less likely to retreat.
I always say, and I'm sure someone more learned has said it better, "everything changes with time and place"
Cool and interesting topic.
Excellent video!
A friend of mine's father fought in WW2. He had a story where he was riding in a halftrack and saw a Panzerfaust fired towards him. In the story, he stood up and used the rifle butt to hit the Panzerfaust out of the air, thus saving the lives of everyone on board. It sounds fantastic, but how fast did the shell of the Panzerfaust actually fly?
I think slow enough that that might actually be possible...? But it seems to me that the act of smashing a flying panzerfaust out of the air with a heavy wooden WWII rifle would cause it to detonate, no? I hate to call b.s. because hey, I wasn't there, I've never served, what the fuck do I know right? haha but Yeah, obviously that one smells a little... off. =)
@@ScumfuckMcDoucheface With a shaped charge that may not matter, unless you were directly in front of it when it went off. A common armor against RPGs for modern tanks is to simply string wires several inches away from the tank armor. The shaped charge hits the wire and goes off and sprays the outside of the armor with hot plasma from several inches away, which scorches the paint and not much else. Now, if YOU were several inches in front of it when it went off it would probably toast a nice hole right thru you. But even thin armor won't much care.
@@lwilton Mhmm, agree with all you've said... the charge would seemingly create a good amount of shrapnel in all directions, that would put some serious holes in any near by meat bag haha
148 ft per second, or 100 mph. Unless this guy later went on to be an All Star MLB batter, the story is total bullshit.
I once heard that a good "horse tale" is better than the boring truth. It's a story I'd love to believe, and some of the craziest sh*t happens in combat.
hah great topic always love the panzerfaust Well its always great to learn something new I never knew they were working on a Panzerfaust 250 thats very interesting I think I've mentioned it on this channel before but its probably been a few years. I had a Great Uncle who was just a mechanic but when his position was about to be overrun by Russian tanks he used panzerfausts to knockout a few tanks and stop the assault. He got an iron cross second class for this action. I've also mentioned this was the same poor fellow who got killed by the Night Witches because they dropped a bomb on him when he light a cigarette....poor guy.
These things are really neat, good examples of a simple but effective weapons. Do you plan on doing any videos about later German anti-tank weapons, such as the Panzerfaust 44 (PzF 44?) or Panzerfaust 3?
Vielen Dank!
I’m currently binge-watching videos on this channel.
thank you sirs !
Wow a Highlander reference. That was unexpected!
Movie story Jens mentions about somebody standing behind the Panzerfaust is also depicted in the Finnish movie Tali Ihantala 1944 (2007 film)
Tolles Video wie üblich👍🏻
I remember reading one (if not the) biggest problems of AT grenades outside of the range is that they rarely hit the tank at the right angle to detonate. This was a huge issue which meant that even in the case you're close enough to throw it, you're not sure it'll even do anything.
always enjoy your work! i have a somewhat indirectly related question.. the movie he mentioned of the panzerfaust firing in the room, what is it called?
Really interesting information, however your pronunciation is quite challenging, at least for me!, Thank you for excellent work
4:11 Very interesting to see the similarities with the later Soviet RPG-2 and RPG-7 designs.
WOW a well done video
He is just slaying this new suit look
Sehr gut
That's funny, as soon as he started talking about the backblast I thought about the scene in the movie. One of the best anti war movies ever made.
There CAN be only one⚡⚡😅Great video yet again.ThankQ.TkEZ>UK
Thanks for this interesting info. Just out of curiosity, what was the warhead's hollow charge cover made out of? Bakelite? Tin?
Lets be honest- Jens Wehner is one of the funniest men alive today..
As someone who has served in the military, even as an anti-gunner - [5:05] has got to be THE gentlest, most soft-spoken and almost-empathetic instruction on a weapon system I have EVER had... so soft in fact, that will begin to refer to the Panzerfaust as the... PanzerHUG... instead 🚀💘🐢 🤗
7:31 Years ago, I saw a World War II training film about anti-tank weapons used by German infantry and irregular forces. The first weapon used was a warhead that attached to the outside muzzle of a pistol, and was fired level at the target. (Was this the Fistpatrone?) Molotov cocktails, satchel charges, and even dug up land mines were thrown/placed on the "T-34's" rear/engine compartment. These were shown to be as dangerous to the soldiers as the tank since these were "point blank"/range zero weapons. The Panzerfaust was used sucessfully, and the soldier lived to fight another day.
Would be very interested to hear what training manuals (if any existed) said about hitting moving targets. I have to assume the effective ranges are given for stationary targets since whith such slow moving projetiles you have to lead the target alot. Also I wonder if it said anything about range estimation since that is also very important for such slow projectiles. Having a good range is still the most important part of hitting with more modern systems like the AT-4 or the Carl Gustav (original is from 1948, so not that much more modern). The sight-holes of the panzerfaust 100 has me a little stumped since it goes small-big-small as they go up in range. I would have excpected the sight big-small-smaller since you could use the "if the tank fills this hole in the sight you are at this range" method.
I thought the same, but would guess that the 100 meter one is the biggest because they wanted peopel to use it at its "optimum" range and not at the maximum. They were dealing with badly trained troops after all.
@@Sabelzahnmowe I'll buy that for a nickle. I think you nailed it.
Majestic
I now know more about man-portable anti-tank weaponry. What did you do in your Sunday?
Like that the museum has both colors for them as far too many people think these things only came in medium yellow. They came in that, the olive drab green and a sort of grey blue type paint, it really was dependent on when and where they was made for the paint they sported.
16:48 There can be only one! Great video!
I love all the safety warning written right on the weapon, its like they had to pass a OSHA review or something.
Don't know if my comment will be noticed or not this late but still here's my opinion the Panzerfaust 150 and the supposed Panzerfaust 250 have been captured and used extensively by Soviets and Yugoslavians who after the war went on to make 3 indirect Descendants of them, Namely 1)RPG-1 (Prototype) and RPG 2 (improvement over RPG-1) for the Soviet Union and 2)RB M57 and RB-M58 ( M58 is basically an M57 with RPG-2 rounds sort of ) 44mm Anti Tank Rocket Launchers for Yugoslavia SFR. Some Influences however are also taken from other AT weapons of that time like the M1 Bazooka ( Safety trigger and Grip for both RPG and RB series ) . and a trigger mechanism based on cocking the hammer placed behind the trigger and pulling the trigger to release the hammer which then will strike the pin in the tube that in place will ignite the primer that is highly sensitive to sudden rapid physical change (kinda percussion cap like). it is a combination from Panzerfaust trigger mechanism placed upside down along a PIAT trigger and designed on the basis of revolver hammer is to be cocked and released. sorry for my bad way of describing but I am not that expert when it comes into firearms.