During the early 1930s, the U.S. Army began experimenting with a variety of close-range antitank weapons for use by the infantry. Initially, the hope was to develop an antitank rifle, but when these efforts proved unsatisfactory, weapons specialists at the Aberdeen (Maryland) Proving Grounds began working with shaped-charge warheads. This ammunition was developed and stockpiled on the eve of American entry into World War II, but what was still lacking was the actual weapon to fire these rounds. Early in 1942, conventional mortar tubes were modified to fire the shaped-charge projectile. The result was codified in the Rocket Launcher M1, which went into production later in the year. It was almost immediately christened the bazooka, because it resembled a folk musical instrument, a kind of primitive trombone, that had been popularized by 1930s radio comedian Bob Burns.

The bazooka is a very simple weapon that can be fired by a single soldier, although it is preferable to serve the weapon with two: a gunner (who aims and fires) and a loader (who prepares and loads the ammunition). The weapon is nothing more than a steel tube, 60 mm in diameter and open at both ends. The ammunition is a small, fin-stabilized, rocket-propelled grenade, which the loader inserts into the rear of the tube while the gunner rests the weapon on his shoulder. The trigger is an electric switch that closes a circuit, passing an electric current that ignites the ammunition's rocket stage.

The original M1 bazooka consisted of a one-piece tube and a trigger mechanism powered by two batteries located inside the wooden shoulder rest. A small lamp on the left side of the shoulder rest indicated the on-off status of the weapon. The weapon was fitted with a two-piece iron sight and fired a projectile 55 cm in length, capable of penetrating more than 100 mm of armor. In addition to the standard armor-piercing rounds, smoke and incendiary warheads were also available. Beginning in 1943, Bazooka M1A1 replaced the M1 model. Key improvements included a more accurate sight and a distinctive funnel-shaped muzzle, which protected the gunner from the backblast of the exiting projectile. The next year, Bazooka M9 replaced M1A1. The new weapon consisted of a two-piece tube manufactured out of light metal. Because it could be broken into its two constituent pieces, it was more conveniently portable. The batteries, which had proven to be somewhat unreliable, were replaced by a small generator, and the gunsight was greatly improved. The wooden shoulder stock was replaced by a metal one. The Germans captured a bazooka during the Tunisia Campaign in 1943 and used it as the basis for the design of their own infantry antitank weapon, the Raketenpanzerbuchse. . .

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