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M1 Rocket Launcher "Bazooka": Difference between revisions
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Today the term is often used by the general public as a generic term for any tube-like rocket launcher; this cannot ''exactly'' be called incorrect, since "Bazooka" was only ever a nickname for the original weapon, but on this site it should only be used to refer to this particular series of launchers. | Today the term is often used by the general public as a generic term for any tube-like rocket launcher; this cannot ''exactly'' be called incorrect, since "Bazooka" was only ever a nickname for the original weapon, but on this site it should only be used to refer to this particular series of launchers. | ||
Bazooka rockets are often depicted with burning engines and smoke trails in fiction, which is incorrect: the rocket motor burns out while the projectile is still inside the launch tube. | Bazooka rockets are often depicted with burning engines and smoke trails in fiction, which is incorrect: the rocket motor burns out while the projectile is still inside the launch tube, except for early-production rockets at extremely cold temperatures where it may still be burning for a short time on exit. Later rockets used a new propellant, Blastless Bazooka Propellant (BBP) that eliminated temperature-related burn time issues. | ||
'''The following weapons are in the M1 Series of Rocket Launchers:''' | '''The following weapons are in the M1 Series of Rocket Launchers:''' | ||
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* 18 lbs unloaded weight. | * 18 lbs unloaded weight. | ||
* Introduced in June 1942, used until August 1943 when replaced by the M1A1 variant. | * Introduced in June 1942, used until August 1943 when replaced by the M1A1 variant. | ||
* Not particularly popular due to the unreliable M6 rocket, use of substandard steel for production expediency rendering tubes prone to rupturing on hot days, and lack of a bore gauge for launch tube production, resulting in tubes with very poor dimensional tolerances: frequent accidents involving rockets getting stuck in the tube and exploding: these issues were compounded by US troops in Operation Torch having received little or no instruction in the use of the weapon. Issuing of the M1 was suspended in May 1943. | * Not particularly popular due to the unreliable M6 rocket, use of substandard steel for production expediency rendering tubes prone to rupturing on hot days when the rocket propellant would burn extremely quickly, and lack of a bore gauge for launch tube production, resulting in tubes with very poor dimensional tolerances: frequent accidents involving rockets getting stuck in the tube and exploding: these issues were compounded by US troops in Operation Torch having received little or no instruction in the use of the weapon. Issuing of the M1 was suspended in May 1943. | ||
=== Film === | === Film === | ||
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[[Image:M1A1 Bazooka.jpg|thumb|right|400px|M1A1 Bazooka - 2.36 inch]] | [[Image:M1A1 Bazooka.jpg|thumb|right|400px|M1A1 Bazooka - 2.36 inch]] | ||
* Fully introduced in August 1943, with small numbers issued in July. First used during the invasion of Sicily in July-August 1943 | * Fully introduced in August 1943, with small numbers issued in July. First used during the invasion of Sicily in July-August 1943 | ||
* Replaced "On/Off" switch with the 'ready' light | * Replaced "On/Off" switch with the 'ready' light | ||
* Removed second pistol grip | * Removed second pistol grip | ||
* | * Rear section of the launch tube wrapped with 0.5 in steel wire to prevent ruptures on hot days. | ||
* Wire wrapping required reworked electrical system and redesigned rocket: instead of the top-mounted contact box that created a connection to a brass ring on the rocket's nose, a wire was stowed in the tailfin of the rocket and connected to a contact clip at the rear of the launcher. | |||
* Unloaded weight 13.26 lbs | * Unloaded weight 13.26 lbs | ||
* Added optional blast shield in front | * Added optional wire blast shield in front for cold weather use. Not particularly effective and largely ignored by troops: later a more effective solid cone was developed. | ||
* Optional solid blast cone in back to replace wired cone. | * Optional solid blast cone in back to replace wired cone. | ||
* Improved M6A1 rocket | * Improved M6A1 rocket | ||
| Line 174: | Line 174: | ||
[[Image:M9bazooka.jpg|thumb|right|400px|M9 "Bazooka" - 2.36 inch]] | [[Image:M9bazooka.jpg|thumb|right|400px|M9 "Bazooka" - 2.36 inch]] | ||
* Introduced in October 1943 and replaced the M1A1 in production, operating alongside it in the field | * Introduced in October 1943 and replaced the M1A1 in production, operating alongside it in the field | ||
* Battery ignition replaced by trigger magneto | * Battery ignition (which had proved unreliable in wet weather and caused many complaints about life and availability of batteries in the field) replaced by Magnavox T6 trigger magneto | ||
* Wooden furnishings replaced with metal and plastic | * Wooden furnishings replaced with metal and plastic | ||
* Used improved M6A3 HEAT rocket and M10 Bursting Smoke (WP) rocket. M6A3 had a blunt, rounded nose rather than the pointed nose of earlier rockets, which had been found to deflect off sloped tank armor | * Used improved M6A3 HEAT rocket and M10 Bursting Smoke (WP) rocket. M6A3 had a blunt, rounded nose rather than the pointed nose of earlier rockets, which had been found to deflect off sloped tank armor | ||
Revision as of 18:37, 23 August 2017
"Bazooka" is a term commonly applied to a series of recoilless launchers used by the US military during WW2 and the Korean War. It was a slang term adopted by the GIs based on the device's resemblance to a comedy 'instrument' popularized by Radio Comedian Bob Burns in the 1930s & 1940s.
Today the term is often used by the general public as a generic term for any tube-like rocket launcher; this cannot exactly be called incorrect, since "Bazooka" was only ever a nickname for the original weapon, but on this site it should only be used to refer to this particular series of launchers.
Bazooka rockets are often depicted with burning engines and smoke trails in fiction, which is incorrect: the rocket motor burns out while the projectile is still inside the launch tube, except for early-production rockets at extremely cold temperatures where it may still be burning for a short time on exit. Later rockets used a new propellant, Blastless Bazooka Propellant (BBP) that eliminated temperature-related burn time issues.
The following weapons are in the M1 Series of Rocket Launchers:
M1 "Bazooka" (2.36" Rocket)
- 1941 first model adopted from Capt. L.A. Skinner's prototype rocket launcher. First used in combat in 1942, on the Russian Front via lend-lease and by American forces during Operation Torch in November 1942.
- Had two pistol grips (one with trigger) and a shoulder step which contained the battery.
- 18 lbs unloaded weight.
- Introduced in June 1942, used until August 1943 when replaced by the M1A1 variant.
- Not particularly popular due to the unreliable M6 rocket, use of substandard steel for production expediency rendering tubes prone to rupturing on hot days when the rocket propellant would burn extremely quickly, and lack of a bore gauge for launch tube production, resulting in tubes with very poor dimensional tolerances: frequent accidents involving rockets getting stuck in the tube and exploding: these issues were compounded by US troops in Operation Torch having received little or no instruction in the use of the weapon. Issuing of the M1 was suspended in May 1943.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windtalkers | Christian Slater | Sgt. Pete "Ox" Anderson | 2002 | |
| Windtalkers | Marines | 2002 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The A-Team | Dwight Schultz | H. M. Murdock | Ep. "Where's The Monster When You Need Him?" | 1983 - 1987 |
| The A-Team | The henchmen | Ep. "The Island" | 1983 - 1987 | |
| The A-Team | U.S. Army soldiers | Ep. "The Sound of Thunder" | 1983 - 1987 | |
| The A-Team | Revolutionaries | Ep. "The Theory Of Revolution" | 1983 - 1987 | |
| Mail Call | Season 1 | 2002-2009 |
Video Games
| Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time Crisis | Unusable, incorrectly shown as fired continuously | 1995 | ||
| Medal of Honor (1999) | 1999 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Underground | 2000 | |||
| Battlefield: 1942 | 2002 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Allied Assault | 2002 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Infiltrator | 2003 | |||
| 7554 | "Bazooka"; "Vietnamese Bazooka" | 2011 | ||
| Project Reality: Normandy | As the "Bazooka" | 2013 |
M1A1 "Bazooka" (2.36" Rocket)
- Fully introduced in August 1943, with small numbers issued in July. First used during the invasion of Sicily in July-August 1943
- Replaced "On/Off" switch with the 'ready' light
- Removed second pistol grip
- Rear section of the launch tube wrapped with 0.5 in steel wire to prevent ruptures on hot days.
- Wire wrapping required reworked electrical system and redesigned rocket: instead of the top-mounted contact box that created a connection to a brass ring on the rocket's nose, a wire was stowed in the tailfin of the rocket and connected to a contact clip at the rear of the launcher.
- Unloaded weight 13.26 lbs
- Added optional wire blast shield in front for cold weather use. Not particularly effective and largely ignored by troops: later a more effective solid cone was developed.
- Optional solid blast cone in back to replace wired cone.
- Improved M6A1 rocket
- Many original production M1s were upgraded to the A1 standard
- Later issued with a larger battery, and after complaints of it getting stuck inside the shoulder rest, were re-reamed to better accommodate it
The M1 series of Rocket Launcher can be seen in the following films, TV series, anime, and video games used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Story of G.I. Joe | U.S. Army soldier | 1945 | ||
| A Walk In The Sun | U.S. Army soldiers | 1945 | ||
| Saving Private Ryan | Matt Damon | Pvt. James F. Ryan | 1998 | |
| Saving Private Ryan | Tom Sizemore | Sgt. Mike Horvath | 1998 | |
| Saving Private Ryan | U.S. Army soldiers | 1998 | ||
| The Great Raid | Clayne Crawford | PFC Aldridge | 2005 | |
| The Great Raid | Sam Worthington | PFC Lucas | 2005 | |
| Hacksaw Ridge | US Army soldiers | 2016 | ||
| Hacksaw Ridge | Vince Vaughn | Sergeant Howell | 2016 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band of Brothers | Nolan Hemmings | Sgt. Charles E. "Chuck" Grant | Ep. "Replacements" | 2001 |
| Band of Brothers | Stephen Walters | John McGrath | Ep. "Carentan" | 2001 |
| Band of Brothers | Rick Warden | Lt. Harry Welsh | Ep. "Carentan" | 2001 |
| Band of Brothers | Bart Ruspoli | Pvt. Ed Tipper | Ep. "Carentan" | 2001 |
| Mail Call | Season 1 | 2002-2009 | ||
| The Pacific | Dylan Young | PFC Jay De L'Eau | 2010 | |
| The Pacific | Karl Cottee | Cpl. Pegg | 2010 | |
| Parer's War | US Marines | 2014 |
Video Games
| Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day of Defeat: Source | 2005 | |||
| Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 | Can be reloaded by teammate | 2006 | ||
| Enemy Front | BAZOOKA | 2014 | ||
| Heroes & Generals | Bazooka M1A1 | 2016 |
M9 "Bazooka" (2.36" Rocket)
- Introduced in October 1943 and replaced the M1A1 in production, operating alongside it in the field
- Battery ignition (which had proved unreliable in wet weather and caused many complaints about life and availability of batteries in the field) replaced by Magnavox T6 trigger magneto
- Wooden furnishings replaced with metal and plastic
- Used improved M6A3 HEAT rocket and M10 Bursting Smoke (WP) rocket. M6A3 had a blunt, rounded nose rather than the pointed nose of earlier rockets, which had been found to deflect off sloped tank armor
- Early production used T43 folding bar sight, later replaced by T90 optical reflex sight
- Could be disassembled into two halves for easier carrying.
- Unloaded weight 15.14 lbs
- Forward blast cone added.
Film
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat Patrol | Justin Tarr | Pvt. Tully Pettigrew | Ep. "The Kill at Koorlea Raid" | 1966-1968 |
| Band of Brothers | Nolan Hemmings | Sgt. Charles E. "Chuck" Grant | Ep. "Points" | 2001 |
Video Games
| Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World War II Online: Battleground Europe | 2001-2012 | |||
| Hidden & Dangerous 2 | "M1 Bazooka" | 2003 |
M9A1 "Bazooka" (2.36" Rocket)
- Introduced in September 1944 replacing the M9
- Improved coupling mechanism for the two-part launch tube
- T90 optical reflex sight
- Unloaded weight 15.87 lbs
Video Games
| Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medal of Honor (1999) | 1999 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Underground | Multiplayer Only | 2000 | ||
| Medal of Honor: Frontline | 2002 | |||
| Medal of Honor: Rising Sun | 2003 | |||
| Call of Duty: United Offensive | 2004 | |||
| Call of Duty 3 | 2006 | |||
| Call of Duty: World at War | 2008 |
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When Trumpets Fade | Frank Whaley | Chamberlain | 1998 |
M20 "Super Bazooka" (3.5" Rocket)
- Larger warhead for greater armor penetration
- Usable range was extended by an additional 150 meters.
- Replaced the M9A1 in 1950.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Steel Helmet | Richard Loo | Sgt. “Buddha Head” Tanaka | 1951 | |
| War of the Worlds, The (1953) | U.S.Army soldiers and Marines | 1953 | ||
| Them! | U.S.Army soldiers | 1954 | ||
| To Hell and Back | U.S.Army soldier | anachronistic | 1955 | |
| Pork Chop Hill | U.S. Army soldiers | 1959 | ||
| Reptilicus | Carl Ottosen | Gen. Mark Grayson | 1961 | |
| The Longest Day | U.S.Army soldier | 1963 | ||
| The Devil's Brigade | U.S.Army soldier | anachronistic | 1968 | |
| The Conspiracy (Le complot) | Simón Andreu | Baudry | 1973 | |
| OAS fighters | ||||
| The Eagle Has Landed | Jeff Conaway | Lt. Frazier | anachronistic | 1976 |
| The Eagle Has Landed | U.S. Army Rangers | anachronistic | 1976 | |
| Code Name: Wild Geese | General Khan's soldiers | 1984 | ||
| Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah | American troops | Replica | 1991 | |
| Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth | JGSDF personnel | 1992 | ||
| The General's Daughter | 1999 | |||
| Tae Guk Gi | South Korean soldiers | 2004 | ||
| Sahara (2005) | Tuareg tribesmen | 2005 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viper | Vigilante gang leader | Ep. "Turf Wars" | 1996-1999 | |
| Sanctuary | U.S. Airborne soldier | Ep. "Normandy" | 2011 |
Video Games
| Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Reality: Falklands | 2012 | |||
| Project Reality: Vietnam | 2012 |
Anime
| Title | Characters | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyper Police | Naoko Kondo | 1997 |
Animation
| Title | Characters | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Iron Giant | U.S. Army soldiers | 1999 |
M20B1 "Super Bazooka" (3.5" Rocket)
- Lighter weight version - made of cast aluminum.
- Used as a supplement to the M20
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Them! | James Whitmore | Trooper Sgt. Ben Peterson | 1954 |
Anime
| Title | Characters | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mad Bull 34 | N.Y.P.D. S.W.A.T. officer | 1990 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Wings of Eagles | Revolutionary | 1986 |
M20A1/A1B1 "Super Bazooka" (3.5" Rocket)
- Entered production in 1952 - issued to troops after end of Korean War
- Improved connector latch assembly.
- Standard AT weapon until advent of light weapons (LAW) and heavier weapons (Dragon) for AT use in the 1960s.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSS 117: Mission for a Killer (Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117) | Brazilian soldiers | 1965 | ||
| Vigilante Force | Kris Kristofferson | Aaron Arnold | 1976 | |
| Vigilante Force | Shelly Novack | D.O. Viner | 1976 | |
| Black List (Liste noire) | Gang members | 1984 | ||
| Born on the Fourth of July | A US marine | 1989 | ||
| Cyber Tracker | A rebel | Visually modified | 1994 |
Anime
| Title | Characters | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kochikame, The UFO Movie |
Video Games
| Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Jones and The Infernal Machine | 1999 | |||
| Resident Evil Survivor | 2000 |
Spanish M-65 Rocket Launcher
- Spanish Upgrade of the Bazooka
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of the Bulge | Charles Bronson | Wolenski | 1965 | |
| Lost Command | Algerians | 1966 | ||
| From Hell to Victory | George Hamilton | Maurice Bernard | 1979 | |
| From Hell to Victory | US Army soldiers | 1979 |
See also
Panzerschreck (The German copy of the M1 Bazooka)
PIAT (British equivalent)