Hafthohlladung
Hafthohlladung | |
---|---|
Museum display of mine | |
Place of origin | Germany |
Service history | |
In service | November 1942-May 1944 (some still used after this period) |
Wars | World War II |
Production history | |
No. built | 553,900 |
Variants | H3 (Conical) and H3.5 (Bottle shape) |
Specifications | |
Mass | Weight: 3 kg (H3 version) or 3.5 kg (H3.5 version) |
The Hafthohlladung (German, lit. "adhesive hollow charge"), also known as the "Panzerknacker" ("tank breaker", German connotation "safe cracker"), was a magnetically adhered, shaped charge anti-tank grenade used by German forces in World War II, and was sometimes described as a mine.
Details
The Hafthohlladung was primarily used by Wehrmacht tank killer squads. Designed with three magnets at the base, each with a pair of poles creating a strong magnetic field across their gap, an infantryman could attach it to an enemy's tank no matter the angle of the surface. As the blast axis should be flush and perpendicular to the plane of the armour at the point of placement, and armed by pulling the igniter on the rear of the mine, the degree of a tank's sloped armour was irrelevant for the device's penetration. However, since this required direct placement on an enemy tank by an infantryman, using the device was very dangerous, since the deploying infantryman placing it on an enemy fighting vehicle would be highly vulnerable to enemy fire.
The Hafthohlladung device was very effective against armour, able to penetrate 140 mm of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA). The H3 (3 kilogram) and H3.5 (3.5 kilogram) models are easily distinguishable; the H3 is conical and the H3.5 is bottle-shaped .
Specifications
- Weight: 3 kg (H3 version) or 3.5 kg (H3.5 version)
- First issued: November 1942
- Penetration: At 0°, 140 mm of RHA or 508 mm (20") of concrete
- Fuse: Friction ignited, 4.5 second delay, later 7.5 seconds in May 1943
- Number produced: 553,900
- Declared obsolete: May 1944 in favour of the Panzerfaust, but remaining stockpiles used until exhausted
See also
- Limpet mine, the anti-ship nautical "precursor" to the Hafthohlladung ordnance
- Zimmerit, plaster-like coating system applied on German combat vehicles to defeat any similar Allied magnetically adhered anti-tank ordnance
References
- German Hand and Rifle Grenades
- v
- t
- e
- Mauser C96
- Luger
- Walther P38
- Walther PP and PPK
- Sauer 38H
- Mauser HSc
- Sturmpistole
- Dreyse M1907 Pistol
- Volkspistole
- FG 42
- G 98/40
- Gewehr 41
- Gewehr 43/Karabiner 43
- Grossfuss Sturmgewehr
- Karabinek wz. 1929
- Karabiner 98k
- M30 Luftwaffe drilling
- MKb 42(W) / MKb 42(H)
- MP 43/MP 44/StG 44
- StG 45(M)
- VG 1-5
other larger weapons
- Blendkörper 1H
- Blendkörper 2H
- Fallschirm Leuchtpatrone
- Gewehr-Panzergranate
- Gross Gewehr-Panzergranate
- Gewehr-Granatpatrone 40
- Gross Panzergranate 46 & 61
- Gewehr-Sprenggranate
- Hafthohlladung
- Model 1924 Stielhandgranate
- Model 1939 Eihandgranate
- Model 1943 Stielhandgranate
- Multi-Star Signal Cartridge
- Nebelpatrone
- Panzerwurfkörper 42
- Panzerwurfmine
- Propaganda-Gewehrgranate
- Shaving Stick Grenade
- Splitterring
- Sprengpatrone
- Wurfgranate Patrone 326
- Wurfkörper 361
weapons
- Modele 1935A as Pistole 625(f)
- Kongsberg Colt as Pistole 657(n)
- Browning Hi-Power as Pistole 640(b)
- M1911 as Pistole 660(a)
- PPSh-41 as MP 717(r)
- Radom wz. 35 Vis as Pistole 645(p)
- Puška vz. 24 as Gewehr 24(t)
- Puška vz. 33 as Gewehr 33/40(t)
- Lewis gun as leMG 137(e)
- Bren light machine gun as leMG 138(e)
- Kulomet vz. 37 as leMG 148(j)/MG 37(t)
- Browning wz. 1928 (BAR) as leMG 154/2(p)
- Beretta Model 38/42 as MP 738(i)
- ZB vz. 26 as leMG 146/1(j)
- Sten MK I-III as MP 748-750(e)
- PPS-43 submachine gun as MP 719(r)
- SVT-40 as Sl.-Gewehr 259(r)
- M1 Garand as Sl.-Gewehr 251(a)
- Kb ppanc wz. 35 as PzB 770(p)
- Bazooka as RPzB 788(a)
- M1917 Enfield as Gewehr 250(a)
- M1903 Enfield as Gewehr 249(a)
- M1 carbine as Karabiner 455(a)
- Thompson Model 1928 as MP 760/2(r)
of the Wehrmacht