How Germany’s 105 mm “Tank Destroyer” Launcher Became the Final Anti-Armor Gamble скачать в хорошем качестве

How Germany’s 105 mm “Tank Destroyer” Launcher Became the Final Anti-Armor Gamble

The untold story of Germany’s 105 mm “Panzertod” — the secret anti-tank weapon of World War II, designed to save a collapsing front. In the frozen winter of 1944–45, when Allied armor was breaking through the Ardennes and the Red Army was crossing the Oder, German engineers at Rheinmetall-Borsig received one last impossible order from the Heereswaffenamt: create a portable weapon powerful enough to stop a tank. The result was the Panzertod — literally, “Death to Tanks.” A tripod-mounted 105 mm anti-tank grenade launcher, firing a fin-stabilized shaped-charge round at over 1,475 ft/s (450 m/s), it promised to bridge the deadly gap between the Panzerfaust and the field gun. Its mission was simple but desperate: defend the cities of Germany street by street, from Cologne to Breslau, where every doorway could become a firing point. A three-man crew could assemble the weapon in minutes, aim through a fixed sight calibrated in yards, and fire a 7-pound HEAT projectile capable of penetrating more than 140 mm (5.5 inches) of armor. It was built for war that had already been lost — a weapon too late for the battlefield, but too advanced to be forgotten. From the smoke-filled factory floors of Rheinmetall-Borsig to the last proving grounds on the North German Plain, this is the untold story of a weapon born from precision and desperation. Tested under snow and artillery fire, it embodied the twilight of German engineering — an idea that would reappear decades later in recoilless and shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons across the world. Through rare technical reports, archival blueprints, and post-war analyses, this historical documentary uncovers the hidden legacy of the Panzertod, the last German attempt to reinvent infantry anti-tank warfare at the end of World War II. ⏳ Includes facts and analysis about: – The design and development of the Rheinmetall-Borsig 105 mm Panzertod, a tripod-mounted hybrid between a rocket launcher and a recoilless gun. – How the Heereswaffenamt initiated the project in late 1944 to counter Allied armor during the Ardennes Offensive and the Vistula–Oder campaign. – The engineering of its fin-stabilized HEAT grenade (approx. 3.2 kg / 7.1 lb) with a velocity of 450 m/s, and test penetration exceeding 140 mm of rolled armor. – Field trials showing accurate fire at 200–300 yards, reduced backblast compared to the Panzerschreck, and a compact tripod mount for urban combat. – Why the project never reached production — limited steel, collapsing logistics, and the loss of industrial infrastructure in early 1945. – How elements of the Panzertod’s design directly influenced post-war recoilless systems and anti-tank launchers developed in Europe and the United States. – Surviving documentation, technical sketches, and modern reconstructions based on Rheinmetall-Borsig and Heereswaffenamt archives. #ww2history #ww2 #worldwar2history #wwiihistory #militaryhistory