PzF 44
| PzF 44 2A1 | |
|---|---|
| 300px
PzF 44
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| Type | Anti-tank rocket launcher |
| Place of origin | West Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1960s–1990s |
| Used by | Germany |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Dynamit Nobel |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 7.8 kg (17 lb 3 oz) |
| Length | 880.0 mm (2 ft 10.65 in) |
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| Caliber | 44 mm (1.7 in) barrel, 67 mm (2.6 in) warhead |
| Muzzle velocity | 168.0 m/s (551 ft/s) (muzzle) 210.0 m/s (689 ft/s) (max) |
| Maximum firing range | ~ 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Sights | Telescope |
The PzF 44 2A1 (also called Lanze, Leichte Panzerfaust, or Panzerfaust 2) is a recoilless anti-tank weapon.
History
The anti-tank grenade launcher was originally developed around 1960 and put into service by the Bundeswehr shortly thereafter. It was developed to provide West German infantry with a modern replacement for the Bazooka that they had previously used. As such, it was the first German antitank rocket developed after World War II, a conflict in which German hand-held antitank weapons such as the Panzerfaust played a prominent role during 1944–45. The Lanze was a product of a period in which the German army was re-equipped with locally-developed arms and equipment and retired the aging U.S. gear that had formed their initial arsenal. The full designation name by the German Army is Panzerfaust 44mm DM2 Ausführung 1 Lanze.
Specifications
The Lanze's 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) high explosive antitank (HEAT) DM-32 projectile could penetrate 370 mm (15 in) of rolled homogeneous armor and hit moving targets at a range of 300 m (980 ft). The Lanze could also fire a multi-purpose warhead. Starting in 1992, the PzF 44 was replaced by the Panzerfaust 3.
| Performance of PzF 44 and contemporary weapons | ||
| Effectiveness against rolled homogeneous armor | ||
| Weapon | Armor penetration in mm | Max range to hit a moving target in meters |
| PzF 44 | 370 | 300 |
| RPG-7V | 320 | 300 |
| M72 LAW | 305 | 150 |
| Data source for weapons performance is Jane's Infantry Weapons 1984-85. | ||
See also
External links
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