| 8.8 cm Raketenwerfer 43 | |
|---|---|
 The8.8 cm Raketenwerfer 43 being inspected by Allied troops. Note the presence of the wrong ammunition[a] | |
| Type | Anti-tankrocket launcher |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943–45 |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| No. built | ~3000[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 143 kg (315 lb) |
| Length | 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) |
| Width | 1 m (3 ft 3 in) |
| Height | .89 m (2 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Cartridge | RPzB. Gr. 4312[2] |
| Caliber | 88 mm (3.5 in) |
| Action | breech loaded, fired from closed breech[2] |
| Muzzle velocity | 140 m/s (460 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 230 m (750 ft) (moving target) 500 m (1,600 ft) (stationary target)[2] |
| Maximum firing range | 750 m (2,460 ft) |
The8.8 cm Raketenwerfer 43 Puppchen[b][3][better source needed] was an 88 mmcalibre reusableanti-tank rocket launcher developed byNazi Germany duringWorld War II.
Raketenwerfer 43 was given toinfantry to bolster their anti-tank capability. The weapon was fired from a small two-wheeled gun carriage which fired a percussion-primed, rocket-propelled, fin-stabilizedgrenade RPzB. Gr. 4312[2] with ashaped chargewarhead. The grenade had a shorter tailboom of 490 mm (19 in) compared to the 650 mm (26 in) tailboom for the electrically-primed grenade RPzB. Gr. 4322 for thePanzerschreck.[2][4] Both grenades used identical warhead and fuzing.[2]
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Approximately 3,000 units were completed from 1943 to 1945. It was made in much smaller numbers than either thePanzerschreck, which was based on the Americanbazooka rocket launcher, or thePanzerfaust, which was a disposable anti tankrecoilless rifle. This is partly because it was realized that a simple hollow tube with an ignition device was all that was needed to launch the 88 mm rocket, rather than an elaborate miniature artillery piece with carriage and breech. Due to the carriage and better sights, the accuracy was better, and the range more than double that of thePanzerschreck. However,Raketenwerfer 43 was more expensive, heavier and had longer production time thanPanzerschreck or Panzerfaust.[2]
