Panzerfaust 30 klein / Faustpatrone 1, Germany WW2

[PzGr40]

Cutaway model of a WW2 German Panzerfaust 30 klein.The panzerfaust is a single shot, disposable anti tank weapon, used by the infantery for close range anti armour combat.
Development of the so-called Faustpatrone ("Fist-Cartridge") started in the summer of 1942 at the german company HASAG with the development of the smaller forerunner-prototype called "Gretchen" ("little Gretel") by a team headed by Dr. Langweiler in Leipzig. The basic concept of a recoilless anti tank weapon was used here for the first time.
The following first weapon model of the Panzerfaust-family, the so-called Faustpatrone klein, 30m ("Fist-Cartridge small") had a total weight of 3.2 kg (7.05lb) and a total length of 98.5 cm (38.78 in.); it's projectile had a length of 36cm (14.17 in.) and a warhead diameter of 10cm (3.94 in.); it carried a shaped charge of 400g (14.11oz.) of a 50:50 mix of TNT and Hexogen.
The propellant consisted of 54g (1.9 oz.) of black powder, the metal launch tube had a length of 80cm (31.5 in.) and a diameter of 3.3cm (1.3 in.) (early models reportedly 2.8cm(1.1in.). Fitted to the warhead was a wooden shaft with folded stabilizing fins (made of 0.25mm (0.01 in.) thick spring metal). These bent blades straightened into position by themselves as soon as they left the launch tube. The warhead was accelerated to a speed of 28 m/s (92 fps), had a range of about 30m (100 ft.) and an armor penetration of up to 140mm (5.5 in.) of plain steel. A crude aiming device similar was added to the design; it was fixed at a range of 30m (100 ft.).
Other designations of this weapon were Faustpatrone 1 or Panzerfaust 30 klein; however, it was common to refer to this weapon simply as the Faustpatrone. 20,000 were ordered and the first 500 Faustpatronen were delivered by the manufacturer, HASAG Hugo Schneider AG, Werk Schlieben, in August 1943. Two main problems had already surfaced much earlier in the weapon's trials: First, the original model did not have a sighting device. Second, due to the odd shape of the warhead (see pictures) it tended to ricochet off or explode with less effect on sloped armor, especially on the russian T-34. Since these problems surfaced already early in testing, the development and production of it's successor, the Panzerfaust 30, had already begun by the time of the first deliveries. Still, the small and simple Faustpatrone klein was kept in production well into 1945.

Function of arming and triggering mechanism:
The arming and firing mechanism consists of a pressed steel pipe, welded to the barrel by means of a small lonitudal strip on the lower part of the pressed pipe.
It houses the arming mechanism -which also houses the firing cap and the safety mechanism-, the firing pin and it’s spring and the trigger mechanism. On the front end of this pipe, a simple sight is mounted.
The arming mechanism consists of a small piece of pressed sheet metal pipe, containing the firing cap and a small perpendicular channel placed behind the firing cap to guide the flame of the firing cap into the propulsion charge. The front end of this pipe has two opposite placed slots, two long and two short slots, at a 90 degree angle. The back end of this pipe houses the cocking spring and a small red button on the outside of the end cap, used to set the panzerfaust from safe to armed.
The firing pin consists of a sheet metal plate -1.5mm thick- wide on th back where it fits in the long or short slots, thin over the rest of the length. A small square indention is made in the front end of the firing pin which hooks in the trigger mechanism after cocking. A small spring inside the trigger button hooks the firing pin into the slot of the trigger button.

Making the Panzerfaust ready for use:
-Screw off the projectile from the tail and place the Fpz8001 –with the flame hole upward- in the tail. Place the Kl.Zdlg.34 with the wooden block over the fuze –hole downward.
Screw back the projectile
-Set the sight in upward position.
-Push the arming mechanism inward (firing pin rest in short slots) until the trigger button pops up (A).The spring inside the arming mechanism will push the mechanism back(B).
-Turn the arming mechanism 90 degrees anti clockwise (C). This will set the channel of the firing cap in line with the flash channel of the propulsion charge. It will also rotate the long slots in front of the firing pin, enabeling it to reach the firing cap.
-The panzerfaust is now ready to fire. Pushing the red firing button will fire the panzerfaust.

A simple safety mechanism on the panzerfaust is formed by the sight. As long as the sight is not placed in upward position , it cannot be armed.

Functioning of Fpz 8001:
The fuze consists of a fuze housing (1), the firing pin housing (2) the firing pin (3) and the distance piece (4) which are riveted together (2,3,4) to form one part. Around the lower part of the distance piece , a hexagonal wire spring (6) is placed. The setback sleeve (5) is held in upper position by a creep spring (7). Inside the setback sleeve a rolled up foil spring (9) prevents the firing pin from reaching the firing cap (8 ).

On firing the panzerfaust the setback sleeve moves back, overcomming the creep spring.
When the sleeve passes the hegagonal spring, it expands , preventing the setback sleeve from moving back upward. The rolled up foil spring expands in diameter, enabeling the firing pin to reach the firing cap on impact, setting off the firing cap, the Kl.Zdlg. 34 (detonator/booster) and the main charge.

Regards DJH

Ps: a part of my text , starting with "Development of the so called", ending with "production well into 1945", is borrowed from this site: http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust.htm
(reason: saving time +8q )

[PzGr40]

further pictures.

A short German movie showing the usage of the Panzerfaust 30 klein (from minute 1:00 onward) can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9elp...elated&search=

Regards DJH

[ballistarius]

Excellent work, as ever! 8)
Do you plan to add the cardboard cap to the back end of the tube?
Could you, please, tell me the dimensions of the tail fins?
Did you notice if your wooden tail has a reinforcing metal tube inside? I've been lately discussing that matter with przemek off-line and it seems that that feature appear undoubtedly on 60 and 100 tails. Notwithstanding, there is the blueprint from HASAG published on the book "German Anti-Tank Weapons: Panzerbüchse, Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck" by De Vries and Martens (2005, Arnhem, NL), page 29, showing a tube inside the Gretchen's tail... :?
The blueprint is dated 1944 and perhaps the tube only appeared on late production Gretchens...


Aitor

[PzGr40]

Hello Aitor, thanks.

That was exactly the kind of drawing I was looking for. I would have preferred to have it some weeks before -7q , it would have made my job a lot easier.
As far as I can observe the tail is fully wood, but I have no way to check that.
If there is a pipe, it is shurely meant to prevent the wooden tail of being crushed by the 29mtrs/sec2 acceleration on launch, and so to provide some longitudal strength to the tailpiece

I could later on add the cap, although I am not shure they all had one. Maybe someone knows for shure.

Regards DJH

[ballistarius]

Oh, I'm sorry! I supposed that the book was widely known. I can e-mail you a better resolution scan if you want.
Most Panzerfausts I've seen on old photos had their back caps glued on. Some of them hadn't. Maybe the caps had become removed by rough handling or maybe the tubes were re-used, I don't know. Anyway, those cardboard caps were useful because they prevented (only to some extent, of course) the water and moisture running down the tube and spoiling the black powder propellent charge.

[marty_01]

Very nice Pzgr40. Thanks for posting the images.

[marty_01]

Hi pzgr40:

I may have missed it in your post, but what material was the cone constructed from. Was it a steel or iron cone, aluminum cone...?

Thanks
marty

[PzGr40]

Hi Marty, you're welcome .
The cone is made from soft steel, in fact I have not ever seen a German cone made from cupper or other materials.

Regards DJH

[ballistarius]

Looking for more info. :wink:

Is the propelling charge FP10001 U10 housing made of cardboard? Do you have any specs about it? 8)
What is exactly the feature FP10001-7, a metal stopper? :?
Many thanks!

[PzGr40]

Hi Aitor, in both cases I was TOLD the following:
Packaging black powder : cartboard container
Disc: a hard rubber disc.
However I have no papers that support that.
Regards DJH