What does the word bazooka mean? Is this a weapon designation or can the term be used in another context? For many, the bazooka is associated with a small recoilless cannon or a large-caliber rifle of a special design. But the story of the name of the famous grenade launcher is associated with music.
Meaning of the word bazooka
So called the primitive wind instrument of the 30s of the XX century. We can say that the bazooka is a very simplified version of the trombone. At one time, he even became popular among narrow circles of jazz performers. Its inventor was the then-famous comedian Bob Burns. In his speeches, he used a direct telescopic sliding pipe with a bell at the end. Changing the total working length of the instrument (it could reach several feet), the comedian at the output received sounds of different keys, which he originally used in his shows.
The sliding part was controlled using a bracket fixed to the bell. The material for the tool was copper sheet. For convenience, it was possible to install a mouthpiece, which, like the instrument itself, was made using the artisanal method. The principle of action remotely resembled playing the trombone.
Bazuka: meaning and interpretation of the word
Bob Burns' invention was not in vain. American designers developing a new type of weapon noticed the similarity of a wind instrument with the prototype of their hand grenade launcher and gave it the working name "Bazooka". It was a device for launching rockets designed to defeat enemy armored vehicles. Basically, a bazooka is a hollow guide tube. That is how the word bazuin is translated from Dutch. In Turkish it is bazuka, and in Spanish it is bazuca.
The M1 grenade launcher of the 1942 model had a clear resemblance to the Bob Burns bazooka. It was 1.3 m long and weighed about 8 kg. A hollow cylindrical pipe with a diameter of 60 mm was steel, and at the rear end had a wire fence of a slightly larger diameter, vaguely reminiscent of a bell. But he had a completely different purpose. So it was more convenient to charge a grenade. The bell also served as an emphasis to stop the installation on the ground. With its use, clogging of the trunk was prevented.
History of invention
The prototype of the M1 Bazooka portable rocket launcher was developed by American designers to replace the grenades that existed at that time. They were fired using a muzzle device on a rifle. The high recoil of a high explosive charge negatively affected both the weapon and the shooter himself. During the experiments, a hollow tube model was proposed. And the charge itself was combined with a simplified version of the rocket engine.
Lieutenant E. Yul and Captain L. Skinner were among the inventors of the hand-held rocket launcher. The name "Bazooka" was taken due to the external similarity of the design with B. Burns' pipe. According to another version - the whistle of a grenade flying out when fired remotely resembled the sound of his instrument in a certain key.
Operating principle
What is a Bazooka in terms of structural features? A smoothbore pipe was needed to safely launch a grenade and set it in the right direction. The calculation of the launcher consisted of two people. One loaded the grenade, the second aimed, aimed and shot at the target. The launch feature was the need to control the territory behind the shooter. A jet of burnt gases could cause damage to people, equipment and ammunition. For the same reason it was impossible to fire from an ordinary trench.
To hold the grenade launcher, two handles and a shoulder rest were provided. In his cavity, batteries were originally placed for the electric ignition of the grenade charge. On the barrel there was an aiming frame and flies for different distances. A shield was also provided to protect the shooter from the flame of a grenade flying out. It was especially relevant in the cold season, when the charge did not have time to completely burn out in the pipe and, after departure, could cause serious harm.
Features of modifications in different countries
What is the difference between the "Bazooka" from the usual RPG (RPG)? In fact, these are different names for the same weapon class for launching shells without the use of a tripod or mount. RPG - this is the manual anti-tank grenade launcher. It was originally developed to counter enemy armored vehicles. But after some time, fragmented ammunition, as well as lighting and smoke grenades, began to be produced to him.
After the appearance of the American "Bazooka" M1 in the USSR, it was decided not to develop this direction of armament because of the impossibility of using a grenade launcher at low temperatures. In Germany, after familiarizing themselves with the captured M1 samples, the designers decided to improve the weapons and created a larger caliber grenade launcher.
The German bazooka is Ofenror and Pantsershrek. The first prototypes appeared in 1943 and had greater destructive ability. In the USSR, a grenade launcher of this type was nevertheless developed and adopted after the war. The RPG-2 barrel caliber was 40 mm, but the over-caliber head of its grenade was 80 mm in diameter. Subsequently, it was modified and a more advanced, simple in design and reliable RPG-7 installation appeared. Its grenades according to the principle of action were not like RPG-2 with a starting powder charge, but already with an active-jet engine.
