We're looking to revitalize this wiki! For more information, click here. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was among the first generation of rocket-propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat. Featuring a solid-propellant rocket for propulsion, it allowed for high-explosive anti-tank HEAT warheads to be delivered against armored vehicles , machine gun nests, and fortified bunkers at ranges beyond that of a standard thrown grenade or mine.
The universally-applied nickname arose from the M1 variant's vague resemblance to the musical instrument called a " bazooka " invented and popularized by s U. During World War II , German armed forces captured several bazookas in early North Africa [9] [10] and Eastern Front encounters and soon reverse engineered their own version, [9] increasing the warhead diameter to 8.
The term "bazooka" still sees informal use as a generic term referring to any ground-to-ground shoulder-fired missile weapon mainly rocket propelled grenade launchers or recoilless rifles. The development of the bazooka involved the development of two specific lines of technology: the rocket-powered weapon, and the shaped-charge warhead.
It was also designed for easy maneuverability and access. The rocket-powered weapon was the brainchild of Dr. Robert H. Goddard as a side project under Army contract of his work on rocket propulsion. Goddard, during his tenure at Clark University , and while working at Worcester Polytechnic Institute 's magnetic lab and Mount Wilson Observatory for security reasons , designed a tube-fired rocket for military use during World War I.
He and his co-worker, Dr. Clarence N. The delay in the development of the bazooka was as a result of Goddard's serious bout with tuberculosis. Goddard continued to be a part-time consultant to the US government at Indian Head, Maryland , until , but soon turned his focus to other projects involving rocket propulsion.
