M1 Rocket Launcher "Bazooka"

Slide Bazooka Instrument

"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.

The following weapons are in the M1 Series of Rocket Launchers:

M1 "Bazooka" (2.36" Rocket)

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M1 Bazooka - 2.36 inch

• 1941 first model adopted from Capt. L.A. Skinner's prototype Rocket launcher
• Had two pistol grips (one with trigger) and a shoulder step.
• Introduced in June 1942 used until August 1943 when replaced by the M1A1 variant.

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
Medal of Honor: Underground				2000
Battlefield: 1942				2002
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault				2002
Silent Storm				2003
Medal of Honor: Infiltrator				2003
Medal of Honor: European Assault				2005
7554	"Bazooka"; "Vietnamese Bazooka"			2011
Project Reality: Normandy	As the "Bazooka"			2013

M1A1 "Bazooka" (2.36" Rocket)

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M1A1 Bazooka - 2.36 inch

• Introduced in August 1943
• Improved electrical system
• Removed "On/Off" Switch with the 'ready' light
• Removed 2nd pistol grip
• Added optional blast shield in front, but was rarely used by troops
• Optional solid blast cone in back to replace wired cone.

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
Equalizer 2000				1986
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

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

Video Games

Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Date
Day of Defeat: Source				2005
Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45			Can be reloaded by teammate	2006
Heroes & Generals	Bazooka M1A1			2012

M9 "Bazooka" (2.36" Rocket)

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M9 "Bazooka" - 2.36 inch

• Introduced in June 1943 and operated along side the M1A1
• Iron sights replaced by Optical Sights
• Could be disassembled into two halves for easier carrying.
• Forward blast cone added.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Mr. Freedom	Jean-Louis Trintignant	Clément Lesser		1962
	Pierre Asso	Serge
	Romy Schneider	Anne
20 Million Miles to Earth	William Hopper	Colonel William Calder		1957
20 Million Miles to Earth		Italian soldiers		1957
Pasha (Le Pacha)	Dominique Zardi	Horst Weiss		1968
Mr. Freedom	Delphine Seyrig	Marie-Madeleine	Seen in her apartement.	1969
		Freedom agent
We Were Soldiers		A Viet Minh soldier	With modifide rear sight	2002
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor		Chinese soldiers		2008
The Adventures of Tintin	Andy Serkis	Captain Haddock		2011

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
Call of Duty: United Offensive				2004
Call of Duty: Big Red One				2005

M9A1 "Bazooka" (2.36" Rocket)

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M9A1 "Bazooka" - 2.36 inch

• Introduced in September 1944 replacing the M9
• Battery ignition replaced by trigger magneto.

Video Games

Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Date
Medal of Honor: Frontline				2002
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun				2003
Medal of Honor: European Assault				2005
Call of Duty 3				2006
Call of Duty: World at War				2008

M20 "Super Bazooka" (3.5" Rocket)

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M20 "Super Bazooka" with rocket - 3.5"

• 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
The Longest Day		U.S.Army soldier		1963
The Devil's Brigade		U.S.Army soldier	anachronistic	1968
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
Born on the Fourth of July		A US Marine		1989
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
Silent Storm: Sentinels				2004
From Russia with Love (VG)	"Bazooka"			2004
Project Reality: Falklands				2012
Project Reality: Vietnam				2012

Animation

Title	Characters	Notation	Date
The Iron Giant	U.S. Army soldiers		1999

M20B1 "Super Bazooka" (3.5" Rocket)

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M20B1 "Super Bazooka" - 3.5"

• 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

M20A1/A1B1 "Super Bazooka" (3.5" Rocket)

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M20A1 "Super Bazooka" - 3.5" Rocket

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M20A1B1 "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

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
Dead to Rights	"M202A1"			2002

Spanish M-65 Rocket Launcher

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Spanish M65 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

See also

Panzerschreck (The German Copy of the M1 Bazooka)