Anti-tank rifle

An anti-tank rifle is an anti-materiel rifle designed to

penetrate the armor of armored fighting vehicles,
most commonly tanks, armored personnel carriers,
and infantry fighting vehicles. The term is usually
used for weapons that can be carried and used by one
person, but is sometimes used for larger weapons.[1]
The usefulness of rifles for this purpose ran from the
introduction of tanks in World War I until the Korean
War. While medium and heavy tank armor became
too thick to be penetrated by rigid projectiles from
rifles that could be carried by a single soldier, anti- Soviet PTRS anti-tank rifle in a museum
tank rifles continued to be used against other "soft"
targets, though recoilless rifles and rocket-propelled
grenades such as the bazooka were also introduced for infantry close-layer defense against tanks.

History
The tug of war between armour and projectiles had been developing for a long while among naval
vessels, since the advent of the ironclad. It wasn't until soldiers met armoured vehicles that the conflict of
infantry firearms and armour began. The introduction of armoured cars and tanks resulted in the
development of the first anti-tank weapons, among the first of which were high-powered rifles. These had
appeared in the 19th century for big-game hunting. The anti-tank rifle followed the same route: a large
bullet with a high velocity and the ability to penetrate armour.

World War I
The first tanks, beginning with the British Mark I
launched against the German trenches in World War I,
were nearly impregnable to ordinary rifle fire. Most
armoured cars were similarly protected, but troops
rarely faced armoured cars, as they could not navigate
the landscape of trench warfare very well. Though
tanks and armoured cars were vulnerable to artillery,
mortars, and grenades, infantry was at a significant Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr 13.2 x 92 mm anti-tank
disadvantage when facing armoured fighting vehicles rifle at the Musée de l'Armée in Paris.
since they had no effective direct fire weapon, with
the exception of the ubiquitous trench mortar,
improvised on the spot. In the direct fire mode, this weapon was manhandled by German infantry over
the front of a trench wall and fired at low angles by eye at approaching enemy vehicles. Though
somewhat effective, these actions were obviously very hazardous to any desperate mortar crew as their
exposure could attract enemy fire.[2]
The first attempt at boosting penetrating power was the so-called 'reversed bullet'. This used the same
cartridge and bullet as the regular round, but the bullet was "reversed" and an increased propelling charge
was used. The next development was a special armour-piercing bullet, the K bullet (in German Patrone
SmK Kurz 7.92 mm), which could also be fired from the regular infantry rifle. It had an increased
propelling charge and a steel core bullet. This had about a 30% chance of penetrating the 8 mm armour of
contemporary tanks if it struck the armour at a perpendicular angle.

Both types had their specific advantages and disadvantages: for example, the K bullet was more
expensive to produce and therefore was generally only issued to snipers and other advanced marksmen
who could use it more effectively; the ordinary infantryman had to make do with reversed bullets, which
were far less effective and had to be used in closer proximity to the target. In addition, both types of
round damaged the rifles due to the higher propellant load and the resulting higher muzzle velocities and
pressures: firstly, service life of the rifle barrel was decreased significantly because of the increased wear.
Secondly, the higher pressure created in the chamber could jam the bolt, leading to the extractor claw
failing to extract the cartridge and only breaking off the cartridge rim, leaving it stuck in the chamber.
The strain of firing the increased charge could also burst the chamber of weaker and older rifles, at best
destroying the rifle and at worst injuring or killing the rifleman. For these reasons, the K bullet and
reversed bullet were not popular with the troops. Nevertheless, it gave the infantry a chance to stop a tank
in an emergency, or at least injure or kill some of the crew if a bullet penetrated.

Even as the rounds were introduced, tanks were being designed and built with thicker armour rendering
these rounds largely ineffective, though they remained in use against the older designs and armoured cars.
Hence, a purpose-built weapon was required to counter the newer tanks.

The first purposely-designed infantry anti-tank rifle was designed by Germany. The Mauser 1918 T-
Gewehr large-calibre (13.2 mm) rifle was capable of penetrating the armour of the newer generations of
tanks and allowed a chance at stopping them. The high recoil of the rifle was very hard on the firer,
sometimes breaking the collar bone or dislocating the shoulder. Although the rifle was unique to its role,
it was a development of the Mauser rifles and high-powered British sporting rifles that had preceded it.
The 13.2 x 92 mm (0.52 in) cartridge was not unusual either, as some 0.50-inch firearms had already been
fielded in land warfare with the relatively new and more powerful (as compared to black powder)
smokeless powders of the era.

At the same time, in the US, a half-inch high velocity round was being developed for use against aircraft.
It would be used with the Browning-designed .50 calibre machine gun. This round was upscaled from
current US .30-06 calibre infantry ammunition. When word of the German anti-tank shell spread, there
was some debate as to whether it should be copied and used as a base for the new machine gun cartridge.
However, after some analysis the German ammunition was ruled out, as its performance was inferior to
the modified Springfield .30-06 round and was semi-rimmed, making it difficult to feed into an automatic
weapon. The Browning M2 .50 cal machine gun would go on to function as an anti-armour machine gun.

World War II
At the start of World War II, only some European nations had an anti-tank rifle based on a high-velocity,
large-calibre round. The first combat use of anti-tank rifles took place during the Polish Campaign in
September 1939. The karabin przeciwpancerny wz. 35 was used extensively by Polish army and after the
campaign ended, captured rifles were put into service with several Axis armies. The wz. 35 using the
7.92×107mm DS anti-tank ammunition proved to be an effective weapon against all German tanks of the
period (the Panzer I, II and III, as well as the Czechoslovak-
made Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t)).[3] At up to 400 m
(1,300 ft), it was able to immobilize all lightly armoured
vehicles. It could penetrate 15 mm (0.59 in) of armour, sloped
at 30° at 300 m (980 ft) distance, or 33 mm (1.3 in) of armour
at 100 m (330 ft).

In later years of the war, as armour became thicker on newer Polish kb ppanc wz. 35 7.92 mm anti-
tanks, the effectiveness of a man-portable rifle lessened. This tank rifle was used extensively during the
was particularly true in Malaya, where the light Japanese Polish Campaign.
tanks specially configured for jungle conflict rode roughshod
over British forces supplied with the Boys anti-tank rifle. At
first small cannons up to 20mm calibre were used, but the anti-tank role soon required more powerful
weapons which were based on the application of chemical energy in the form of the shaped charge anti-
tank rifle grenade. To these were added rocket launchers such as the bazooka, recoilless rifles such as the
Panzerfaust, and rocket-propelled grenades — some anti-armour successes were achieved with heavy-
calibre autocannon by the Luftwaffe, especially with the Bordkanone BK 3,7 autocannon, mounted in
twin gun pods against Soviet armour on the Eastern Front. Some anti-tank rifles, like the Finnish L-39,
were still used by snipers to harass the enemy, like firing phosphorus bullets at tanks' open hatches, or to
smoke an enemy sniper out of his position.

Korean War
The Soviet PTRS-41 and PTRD of World War II vintage were used by North Korean and Chinese forces
during the Korean War as they lacked more modern infantry anti-tank weapons.

Cold War and modern day

Although retaining many of the technical characteristics of the anti-tank rifles, the Cold War era weapons
are only conceptual descendants of anti-tank weapons wielded by the Second World War infantry, and
both large-calibre sniper rifles and anti-materiel rifles owe only some part of their design heritage to
them.

Although no longer capable of penetrating even the side armour of modern main battle tanks, they are
capable of causing serious damage to their external fittings such as periscopes, optics, sensors, tank
treads, and machine guns. For example, the Croatian RT-20 was developed to destroy thermal sights on
Serbian tanks.[4] They are also useful in disabling or even destroying lesser armoured rear units and
support vehicles, helicopters, low-flying UAVs and personnel.

Selected anti-tank rifles

Some examples of anti-tank rifles include:

World War I

Mauser Gewehr 98 with K bullet

German Mauser Tankgewehr M1918
World War II

Finland
Lahti L-39
Japan
Type 97 20 mm AT Rifle
Germany
Panzerbüchse 38
Panzerbüchse 39
Panzerbüchse M.SS41 (made in Czechoslovakia under occupation)
Poland
Karabin przeciwpancerny wz. 35
Soviet Union
14.5 mm PTRS-41 (Simonov)
14.5 mm PTRD-41 (Degtyaryov)
Switzerland
20 mm Solothurn S-18/100
20 mm Solothurn S-18/1000
20 mm Solothurn S-18/1100
United Kingdom
Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55 in, Boys

See also
MANPATS
High Explosive Incendiary/Armor Piercing Ammunition
List of firearms
Raufoss Mk211
Sniper rifle
Marksman rifle
Category:20mm sniper rifles

References
1. Tom Murphy (17 September 2019). "The Swiss Army's First Mass Anti-Tank Rifle The
Tankbüchse (Tb) 41 24mm" (http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/the-swiss-armys-first-mas
s-anti-tank-rifle-the-tankbuchse-tb-41-24mm/). Small Arms Defense Journal. A 74 kg (163 lb)
"anti-tank rifle" requiring seven men to set it up.
2. "Men Against Tanks" John Weeks, Publisher: David & Charles PLC; 1st Edition. edition (28
Aug 1975) ISBN 0-7153-6909-1, ISBN 978-0-7153-6909-8
3. Zbigniew Gwóźdź, Piotr Zarzycki (1993). Polskie konstrukcje broni strzeleckiej (https://book
s.google.com/books?id=WJEkAAAACAAJ). SIGMA NOT. ISBN 83-85001-69-7. Retrieved
6 June 2013.
 4. Aleksandrov, Evgeny (December 2008). "«Ручная пушка» RT-20" (http://www.kalashnikov.r
u/upload/medialibrary/754/038_042.pdf) ["Hand cannon" RT-20] (PDF). Kalashnikov (in
Russian). pp. 38–42.

External links
kb ppanc wz. 35 (https://web.archive.org/web/20071026014038/http://hem.passagen.se/dad
kri/Wz35.htm)
German Anti-Tank Rifles - Panzerbüchse (https://web.archive.org/web/20041118090705/htt
p://members.rogers.com/georgeparada/articles/pzb.htm)
Hand Held Anti Tank Weapons (https://web.archive.org/web/20041113090406/http://www.re
memuseum.org.uk/arms/heavy/armhhat.htm)
L-39 (http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/AT_RIFLES1.htm)
Soviet ATR aces of WWII (http://wio.ru/galgrnd/ww2atr.htm)

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