Bazooka

Bazooka, weapon consisting of a launching tube for military rockets, used by infantry personnel against armored vehicles such as tanks. During 1941, American scientists developed an explosive projectile that, using a shaped charge, was able to penetrate armor without the high velocity that only a cannon could produce. The projectile was a 2.36-in. finned rocket that weighed 3.4 lb and had a range of 700 yd. The launching tube, called the bazooka, was put into production in 1942 and was first used during the invasion of North Africa in World War II at the end of that year. Its introduction revolutionized antitank warfare. A 3.5-in. rocket launcher superseded the bazooka in the Korean War. The rocket launcher fired an 8.9-lb rocket a distance of 800 yd; the rocket could penetrate 11 in. of armor plate. The launcher was subsequently replaced by a 66-mm rocket preloaded in a disposable container.