this pack contain :
- 1x M1A1 Bazooka
- 4x M6A1 Rocket
The M1 bazooka is a rocket launcher created by Edward Uhl in 1942. It fire 60mm M6 rocket that could pierce approximtely 75mm armor. The M1A1 is an improved version as the same as it's ammunition, the more reliable M6A1 rocket, the front hand drip and the contact box have been removed.
The name bazooka have been gived by the Major General Gladeon M. Barnes who was impressed by the performance of the weapon and he commented : "it sure look like
Bob Burnes' bazooka".
The first bazooka have been secretly introduced on the Africa theater and the Eastern front, these weapon were hastily supplied to troops with no training on it and the inreliable M6 rocket. With no training on it, the US troop can't use it for it main purpose. And the German capture some M1 bazooka in North Africa and against the Russian, they developped their own version : the Panzerscherk, fring 88mm rocket.
The M1A1 bazooka was effective against early german tank when attacked by less protected area as the side, the rear, the bottom or the top. Late German tank have better design and thicker armor, and the
Schurzen armor skirts/spaced armor were introduced, the effectiveness of the bazooka decreased alarmingly.
"the purpose of the bazooka is not to hunt tanks offensively, but to be used as a last resort in keeping tanks from overrunning infantry. To insure this, the range should be held to around 30 yards" Gen. George S. Patton
In the Pacific, the bazooka was mainly used against some fixed Japanese infantry emplacements such as small concrete bunkers and pill boxe but not really against softer structure build with sand of coconut trees, the warhead's force was reduced enough to prevent it explosion. Later in Pacific war, the M2 Flamehrower were often used to attack these emplacement. The bazooka was quite effective against japanese tank that was protected by thin armor plate which was penetrated by the rocket and the vehicle was destroyed.
Overall, the bazooka series (M1, M1A1, M9, M9A1) was primarily employed against ennemy emplacement and fixed fortification, not as anti-tank weapon.
General Dwight Eisenhower described it later as one of the four "Tool of Victory" of the Allies with the Jeep, the C-47 Skytrain and the Atom bomb