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101-596: It replaced the 89 mm M20A1 Super Bazooka in French Army service. Through the use of fiberglass and plastic in the launcher it is over 2 kg (4.4 lb) lighter when loaded than the M20A1, while having a greater effective range. The LRAC F1 is sometimes referred to as the STRIM 89mm antitank rocket launcher from the abbreviations for the private firm Société technique de recherches en industries mécaniques that

202-1729: A KC-135 Stratotanker over Africa on 17 March 2013. Malian/French victory [REDACTED] France [REDACTED] Mali [REDACTED]   Chad [REDACTED]   Nigeria [REDACTED]   Burkina Faso [REDACTED]   Senegal [REDACTED]   Togo [REDACTED] MNLA (latter part of conflict) AFISMA Supported by: [REDACTED]   Belgium [REDACTED]   Canada [REDACTED]   Denmark [REDACTED]   Germany [REDACTED]   Netherlands [REDACTED]   Spain [REDACTED]   Sweden [REDACTED]   Poland [REDACTED]   Australia [REDACTED]   United Arab Emirates [REDACTED]   United Kingdom [REDACTED] Islamic militants [REDACTED] François Hollande [REDACTED] ADM. Édouard Guillaud [REDACTED] Dioncounda Traoré (until 4 Sept. 2013) [REDACTED] Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (from 4 Sept. 2013) [REDACTED] Mahamat Déby Itno 4,000 French troops deployed (5,100 involved in total), Elements of: [REDACTED] 9 killed 1 Gazelle helicopter lost [REDACTED] 82 killed [REDACTED] 38 killed [REDACTED] 17 killed, 60 wounded [REDACTED] 2 killed [REDACTED] 1 killed [REDACTED] 1 killed Tuareg rebellion (2012) : 2012 coup Internal conflict in Azawad : Foreign intervention : 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Operation Serval ( French : Opération Serval )

303-582: A blunt, rounded nose to lessen the chances of it ricocheting off angled armor. The M6A3 was meant to be fired from the M9, and later M9A1, launchers. Late in World War II, the M6A4 and M6A5 rockets with improved fuses were developed. These rockets arrived too late to see service during the war, but were used post-war. The 2.36 inch (60 mm) smoke rocket M10 and its improved subvariants (M10A1, M10A2, M10A4) used

404-584: A colleague that "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." In the Pacific campaign, as in North Africa, the original Bazookas sent to combat often had reliability issues. The battery-operated firing circuit was easily damaged during rough handling, and

505-614: A company of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment arrived in Bamako to provide security for the allied airhead . Ground operations are commanded by Brigadier General Bernard Barrera , commanding officer of the 3rd Mechanized Brigade . The following units of the French Army were involved in Mali during the first period of operation: At the end of May 2013, the French Army began to draw down its forces in Mali. For further combat operations,

606-500: A company of the 92nd Infantry Regiment, equipped with VBCI Infantry fighting vehicles , has been sent to Mali. An additional three companies equipped with VBCI and one squadron equipped with Leclerc main battle tanks could be sent on short notice if required. An armored company of the Marine Infantry Tank Regiment is being deployed to Mali as are CAESAR self-propelled howitzers . On 21 January,

707-452: A competitive trial of various types of spigot mortars at Aberdeen Proving Ground. On the morning of the trial Skinner and Uhl realised that the launcher had no sights, so they improvised some from a wire coathanger; despite this, it was the only weapon in the trial to be able to hit a moving tank. This led to the launcher being demonstrated to General George C. Marshall , the Chief of Staff of

808-412: A feller who'd cleave you to the bazooka for tuppence with his bloomin' falchion ." During World War II, "Bazooka" became the universally applied nickname of the new American anti-tank weapon , due to its vague resemblance to the musical instrument invented and popularized by 1930s American comedian Bob Burns . Shortly after the first prototype launcher and rockets had been tested by firing into

909-520: A few days earlier. French airstrikes appeared to stop the rebel advance to the south which prompted the intervention and destroyed an Ansar Dine command post near Konna. France asked the U.S. to speed up its contribution by sending drones to improve surveillance over the vast area of northern Mali. The Pentagon was reported to have studied the French request. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of

1010-460: A fuel depot and a customs house being used as a headquarters by the Islamist rebels. Dozens of Islamist fighters were killed. A Malian security source put the number of dead fighters at 60. On 15 January, the French defense minister confirmed that the Mali military had still not recaptured Konna from rebel forces, despite earlier claims that they did. On 15 January, French special forces entered

1111-512: A heavy Tiger I , with the latter being knocked out by an improbable hit through the driver's vision slot. When the existence of the Bazooka was revealed to the American public, official press releases for the first two years stated that it "packed the wallop of a 155 mm cannon"—a great exaggeration. In late 1942, numbers of early-production American M1 Bazookas were captured by German troops from Red Army forces who had been given quantities of

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1212-714: A mixed combat group named GTIA Désert (Groupement tactique interarmes Désert) was activated in Gao, on 20 May 2013. Only this combat group will remain in the area for further combat operations and to support the MISMA , MINUSMA and EUTM Mali missions, as well as the Malian Army . The GTIA Désert is composed of the following units: The French Navy deployed five Breguet Atlantic long-range reconnaissance aircraft operating from Dakar in Senegal and transported two companies of

1313-590: A new, more powerful anti-tank rocket launcher, the 3.5-inch (90 mm) M20. However, the weapon's design was not completed until after the war and saw no action against an enemy until the Korean War. In 1945, the U.S. Army's Chemical Warfare Service standardized improved chemical warfare rockets intended for the new M9 and M9A1 launchers, the Army adopted the M26 gas rocket, a cyanogen chloride (CK)-filled warhead for

1414-405: A newly acquired Bell HTL-4 helicopter to test if a Bazooka could be fired from a helicopter in flight. One of the larger, 3.5 inch, models of the Bazooka was chosen, and was mounted ahead and to the right of the helicopter to allow the door to remain clear. The Bazooka was successfully tested, although it was discovered that it would require shielding for the engine compartment, which was exposed in

1515-540: A number of North Korean tanks that entered the city on July 20. As a result, the U.S. Army rushed to secure more M20 rockets and was able to hold more than 900 Super Bazookas during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter . The South Korean military also began receiving the M20 in early August, and successfully destroyed four tanks with M20s during their first usage on 9 August. Large numbers of 2.36-inch bazookas that were captured during

1616-631: A part-time consultant to the U.S. government at Indian Head, Maryland , until 1923, but turned his focus to other projects involving rocket propulsion. Hickman completed the development of the Bazooka after becoming head of the National Defense Research Committee in the 1940s, where he guided rocket development for the war effort. Shaped charge technology was developed in the U.S. into a shaped charge anti-tank grenade for use by infantry, effective at defeating up to 60 mm (2.4 in) of vehicle armor . The grenade

1717-487: A position some one-hundred kilometers south of the Malian border. On 25 January, it was reported that a combined force of French and Malian troops captured the town of Hombori, about 100 miles south of Gao . French forces also bombed Islamist troops and their supply stores around Gao. This resulted in the destruction of two Islamist bases with fuel stocks and weapon dumps. On the morning 26 January, French forces captured

1818-520: A relatively light, handy, and disposable weapon, the final M9A1 launcher had become a heavy, clumsy, and relatively complex piece of equipment. In October 1944, after receiving reports of inadequate combat effect of the M1A1 and M9 launchers and their M6A1 rockets, and after examining captured examples of the German 8.8 cm RPzB 43 and RPzB 54 Panzerschreck , the U.S. Ordnance Corps began development on

1919-532: A reporter that his idea of fighting a war was to "attack, attack and then attack again". During the critical late-September Battle of Arracourt , Carpenter managed to achieve disabling hits on several German armored cars and two Panther tanks , along with killing or wounding a dozen or more enemy soldiers. In the opening months of the Korean War , in August 1950, a joint U.S. Navy and Marine Corps test used

2020-666: A rifle. This resulted in the creation of a series of rifle grenade launchers, the M1 ( Springfield M1903 ), the M2 ( Enfield M1917 ), the M7 ( M1 Garand ), and the M8 ( M1 carbine ). However, a truly capable anti-tank weapon had yet to be found, and following the lead of other countries at the time, the U.S. Army prepared to evaluate competing designs for a more effective man-portable anti-tank weapon. The combination of rocket motor and shaped charge warhead led to

2121-483: A standard thrown grenade or mine . The universally applied nickname arose from the weapon's M1 variant's vague resemblance to the musical instrument called a bazooka invented and popularized by 1930s American comedian Bob Burns . During World War II , the German armed forces captured several Bazookas in early North African and Eastern Front encounters and soon reverse engineered their own version, increasing

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2222-556: A subordinate that none of his troops had received any instruction in the use of the Bazooka. Initially supplied with the highly unreliable M6 rocket and without training for its operators, the M1 did not play a significant armed role in combat in the North African fighting, but did provide a German intelligence coup when some were captured by the Germans in early encounters with inexperienced U.S. troops. A U.S. general visiting

2323-488: A superficial resemblance to the Panzerschreck , the M20 had a greater effective range, penetrating capability and was nearly 20% lighter than its German counterpart. The M20 weighed 14.3 pounds (6.5 kg) and fired a hollow shaped-charge 9 lb (4 kg) M28A2 HEAT rocket when used in an anti-tank role. It was also operated by a two-man team and had a rate of fire of six shots per minute. As with its predecessor,

2424-407: A total of 22 shots on the side and rear at about 10 meters in distance, but survived the attack. On July 8, Colonel Robert R. Martin , commander of the 34th Regiment of the U.S. 24th Infantry Division , was killed while operating a 2.36-inch rocket launcher to prevent North Korean tanks from advancing. Additionally, ordnance authorities received numerous combat reports regarding the failure of

2525-475: A tube-fired rocket for military use. He and his co-worker Clarence N. Hickman successfully demonstrated his rocket to the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Aberdeen Proving Ground , Maryland, on November 6, 1918, but as the Compiègne Armistice was signed only five days later, development was discontinued. The project was also interrupted by Goddard's serious bout with tuberculosis . He continued to be

2626-402: Is 626 mm (24.6 in) long and weighs approximately 3.2 kg (7.1 lb). On the left side of the launcher is a 3× APX M 309 optical sight, which is graduated between 100 and 1,000 m (110 and 1,090 yd). The launcher has a shoulder rest and left hand forward grip, both of which may be adjusted to suit the firer. The right hand pistol grip contains a mechanical safety switch and

2727-615: Is a man-portable recoilless anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, widely deployed by the United States Army , especially during World War II . Also referred to as the "stovepipe", the innovative Bazooka was among the first generation of rocket-propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat. Featuring a solid-propellant rocket for propulsion, it allowed for high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge warheads to be delivered against armored vehicles , machine gun nests, and fortified bunkers at ranges beyond that of

2828-473: Is discarded. The optical sight can then be fitted to a fresh launcher. A number of other rockets were developed for the launcher, including a dual purpose anti-personnel-anti-vehicle rocket with a warhead containing 1,600 steel balls along with a smaller HEAT antiarmour warhead. The steel balls have a lethal radius of approximately 20 m (22 yd) and the shaped charge is capable of penetrating up to 100 mm (3.9 in) of steel plating. A smoke round

2929-470: Is slang for "mouth" or "boastful talk", and which ultimately probably stems from the Dutch bazuin ( buisine , a medieval trumpet). The word bazooka appears in the 1909 novel The Swoop, or how Clarence Saved England by P. G. Wodehouse , describing the character Grand Duke Vodkakoff and a musical instrument used in music halls: "I shouldn't 'arf wonder, from the look of him, if he wasn't the 'aughty kind of

3030-845: The Chinese Civil War were also employed by the Chinese forces against the American Sherman and Patton tanks, and the Chinese later reverse engineered and produced a copy of the M20 designated the Type 51 . It is considered that the Communist-used bazookas destroyed more tanks than the UN Bazookas did. The M20 was used in the early stages of the war in Vietnam by the U.S. Marines before gradually being phased out by

3131-668: The Falklands War . An optical reflector sight replaced the iron sights beginning in September 1944. The M9A1 supplanted the M9 in production beginning in June 1944. It has an improved coupling mechanism for the launch tube; the overall length is 61.1 in (1.55 m) and 31.5 in (800 mm) when folded. Unloaded weight is 15.87 lb (7.20 kg). Operation Serval [REDACTED] (Top) A French Dassault Rafale of squadron 2/92 "Aquitaine" refuels from

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3232-877: The Libyan Civil War , Tuareg tribesmen of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) began a rebellion against Mali's central government. In April, the MNLA said it had accomplished its goals and called off its offensive against the government, proclaiming the independence of Azawad . In June 2012, the MNLA came into conflict with the Islamist groups Ansar Dine and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), after

3333-605: The Potomac River , U.S. Army colonel Leslie Skinner , and Lieutenant Colonel Edward Uhl took the new system to a competitive trial of various types of spigot mortar (at that time seen as the most promising way to deliver a shaped charge), which was held at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in May 1942. The new rocket launcher scored several hits on a moving tank while the five different mortars achieved none; this

3434-594: The Saint-Dizier Airbase in France to attack targets in the city of Gao . The Rafale planes then proceeded to N'Djamena and would remain based there for the duration of the conflict. By 16 January, the French Air Force dispatched two additional KC-135 Stratotanker planes and two Harfang UAVs from the 1/33 Belfort Reconnaissance Squadron to N'Djamena. To transport Army troops to Bamako,

3535-587: The 2.36-in rocket launcher. CK, a deadly blood agent, was capable of penetrating the protective filter barriers in some gas masks, and was seen as an effective agent against Japanese forces (particularly those hiding in caves or bunkers), whose gas masks lacked the impregnants that would provide protection against the chemical reaction of CK. While stockpiled in US inventory, the CK rocket was never deployed or issued to combat personnel. Following Operation Overlord in 1944,

3636-547: The 2/33 Savoie Reconnaissance Squadron and six Mirage 2000D fighter jets, which were already part of the French military Opération Épervier in Chad . Additionally, the Air Force deployed three KC-135 Stratotanker planes, as well as one C-130 Hercules and one Transall C-160 transport planes from the French airbase in N'Djamena . On 13 January, four Rafale fighter jets of the 1/7 Provence Fighter Squadron flew from

3737-482: The 3/61 Poitou Transport Squadron flew reinforcements to the airport of Gao . French Army forces deployed included one company of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment , an Armored Cavalry platoon of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment and one company of the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment . On 14 January, the French Army Light Aviation transported Eurocopter Tiger HAP attack helicopters from

3838-589: The 5 Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat to Mali. A company from the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment and soldiers from the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment and the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment , which are all currently deployed as part of Opération Licorne in Ivory Coast , left Abidjan in a convoy of 60 vehicles for the Malian capital of Bamako . The Commander of the French Land Forces, General Bertrand Clément-Bollée, announced that

3939-501: The 92nd Infantry Regiment along with their equipment and military materiel on the Mistral -class amphibious assault ship Dixmude from Toulon to Dakar in Senegal . Dixmude was escorted on her journey by the D'Estienne d'Orves -class corvette Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff . The French National Gendarmerie deployed two platoons of gendarmes to Mali in the military police role: DGSE Service Action These are

4040-556: The Air Force used the Airbus A310 and A340 of the 3/60 Estérel Transport Squadron. On 23 January, a detachment of Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air was deployed to the airport in Bamako to provide security for the French Air Force assets stationed there and to execute combat search and rescue missions if necessary. Along with the Fusiliers, the Air Force deployed two Puma helicopters of the 1/67 Pyrénées Helicopter Squadron in

4141-527: The American Bazooka": 'I was so favorably impressed [by the Panzerschreck ] I was ready to take after the Krauts with their own weapon.' The M1 Bazooka fared much better on the rare occasions when it could be used against the much thinner armor typically fitted to the lower sides, undersides, and tops of enemy tanks. To hit the bottom of an enemy tank, the Bazooka operator had to wait until the tank

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4242-476: The Army's development of light antitank weapons. In 1942, U.S. Army Colonel Leslie Skinner received the M10 shaped-charge grenade which was capable of stopping German tanks. He gave Lieutenant Edward Uhl the task of creating a delivery system for the grenade. Uhl created a small rocket, but needed to protect the operator from the rocket motor's exhaust. According to Uhl: I was walking by this scrap pile, and there

4343-543: The Bazooka involved the development of two specific lines of technology: the rocket-powered weapon and the shaped charge warhead. It was also designed for easy maneuverability and access. This rocket-powered weapon was the brainchild of Robert H. Goddard as a side project (under U.S. Army contract during World War I) of his work on rocket propulsion. Goddard, during his tenure at Clark University , and while working at Worcester Polytechnic Institute 's magnetic lab and Mount Wilson Observatory (for security reasons), designed

4444-541: The Bazooka under lend-lease . There were also examples captured during the Operation Torch invasions in the North African Campaign. The Germans promptly developed their own version of the weapon called the Panzerschreck , increasing the diameter of the warhead from 60 mm to 88 mm (2.4 to 3.5 in), which as a result, gave it significantly greater armor penetration. During U.S. trials of

4545-748: The Islamists began imposing Sharia in Azawad. By 17 July, MOJWA and Ansar Dine had pushed the MNLA out of all the major cities. On 1 September 2012, the town of Douentza in the Mopti Region , until then controlled by the Ganda Iso militia, was taken by the MOJWA, and on 28 November 2012, the MNLA was pushed out of Léré , Timbuktu Region , by Ansar Dine. Initially, the French Air Force deployed two Mirage F1 CR Reconnaissance from

4646-474: The Korean military had secured in sufficient quantities. The South Korean military actively operated rocket launchers against North Korean armor. However, the 2.36-inch rocket launcher failed to show its power against the front armor of T-34-85 , which was the biggest threat. The South Korean military responded by firing rockets into the side, rear, or track through ambushes, but they did not have much effect. At

4747-479: The M1, calls for a larger-diameter warhead had also been raised by some ordnance officers but were rejected. Later in the war, after participating in an armor penetration test involving a German Panther tank using both the Raketenpanzerbüchse , or RPzB 54 Panzerschreck and the U.S. M9 Bazooka, Corporal Donald E. Lewis of the U.S. Army informed his superiors that the Panzerschreck was "far superior to

4848-555: The M1A1, M9, and M9A1 rocket launchers were viewed as useful and effective weapons during World War II, though they had been primarily employed against enemy emplacements and fixed fortifications, not as anti-tank weapons. General Dwight Eisenhower later described it as one of the four "tools of victory" which won World War II for the Allies (together with the atom bomb , Jeep and the C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft). During

4949-471: The M20 could also fire rockets with either practice (M29A2) or WP smoke (T127E3/M30) warheads. Having learned from experience of the sensitivity of the Bazooka and its ammunition to moisture and harsh environments, the ammunition for the new weapon was packaged in moisture-resistant packaging, and the M20's field manual contained extensive instructions on launcher lubrication and maintenance, as well as storage of rocket ammunition. When prepared for shipment from

5050-419: The M20A1 based on the higher penetration ability of its antitank ammunition and the much lower overall manufacturing costs compared to the 80 mm ACL-APX system. The launcher is normally operated by a crew of two, a loader and a gunner. The launcher is loaded by attaching a rocket container to the rear of the launcher. When the container is attached, the electrical firing circuit is connected. The rocket container

5151-518: The M6A3 warhead to properly detonate upon impact, eventually traced to inventories of rocket ammunition that had deteriorated from numerous years of storage in humid or salt air environments. Therefore, the U.S. Army immediately airlifted a small number of available M20 Super Bazookas from the U.S. mainland after learning that it needed more powerful rockets. The rockets were deployed during the Battle of Taejon on July 18, and proved their power by destroying

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5252-722: The M9A1 and M20A1 launchers in various campaigns in Indochina , Korea , and Algeria . The M20A1 was replaced in the 1970s by the LRAC F1 . Commonwealth armies also used the M20 and M20A1 under the name M20 Mk I and M20 Mk II . They were used until their replacement by the Carl Gustav L14A1 . For instance, British Army used Super Bazookas during the Operation Vantage . The Argentine Army fielded M20s during

5353-545: The Swedish AT4 -CS (confined space) individual antitank weapon and the 600 m range Eryx wire-guided anti-tank missile have been replacing the LRAC F1 as the standard French military's short range and ultra-short range anti-tank and assault weapon. However, a few LRACs were used during Operation Serval in 2013. Bazooka#Rocket Launcher.2C M20 .22Super Bazooka.22 The Bazooka ( / b ə ˈ z uː k ə / )

5454-416: The Tunisian front in 1943 after the close of combat operations could not find any soldiers who could report that the weapon had actually stopped an enemy tank. Further issue of the Bazooka was suspended in May 1943. During the Allied invasion of Sicily, small numbers of the M1A1 Bazooka (using an improved rocket, the M6A1) were used in combat by U.S. forces. The M1A1 accounted for four medium German tanks and

5555-457: The U.S. Army began to be experimentally field-armed, and were already flying with pairs or quartets of the American ordnance —and most notably used during the Battle of Arracourt —Major Charles "Bazooka Charlie" Carpenter mounted a battery of three M9 Bazookas on the wing-to-fuselage struts on each side of his L-4 Grasshopper aircraft to attack enemy armor , and was credited with destroying six enemy tanks, including two Tiger I heavy tanks. In

5656-449: The U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, various metal collars and wire wrapping were used on the sheet metal launch tube in an effort to reinforce it. However, reports of premature detonation continued until the development of bore slug test gauges to ensure that the rocket did not catch inside the launch tube. The original M6 and M6A1 rockets used in the M1 and M1A1 launchers had pointed noses, which were found to cause deflection from

5757-402: The United Kingdom announced that his country would lend logistical support to the operation. ECOWAS troops preparing to deploy to Mali also decided to move up their arrival date to 14 January at the latest. According to Human Rights Watch , 10 civilians were killed when Malian forces fought to recapture Konna. On 13 January, French planes bombed rebels' positions in Gao . Air strikes hit

5858-403: The United States Army , who ordered 5,000 units on the spot. By late 1942, the improved Rocket launcher, M1A1 was introduced. The forward hand grip was deleted, and the design simplified. The production M1A1 was 55 inches (1.37 m) long and weighed 12.75 pounds (5.8 kg). The ammunition for the original M1 launcher was the M6 ("trials" code: T1), which was notoriously unreliable. The M6

5959-443: The airport at Gao and seized the main Wabary bridge over the Niger River into Gao. French special forces were also in action against rebels that had melted into the local population. During the next few hours, the French-Malian forces assaulted the town of Gao, backed by French warplanes and helicopters. The Islamists lost a dozen fighters, while the French suffered no losses or injuries. A Malian army spokesman said on 27 January that

6060-409: The armour plating, and is capable of penetrating NATO single heavy, double medium and double heavy targets while still having enough energy to penetrate multiple 10 mm (0.011 yd) thick steel witness plates. After firing, the rocket container is removed, and a fresh one is inserted. The launcher has a life of approximately 130 firings, after which the optical sight is removed and the launcher

6161-405: The arsenal, the weapon was protected by antifungal coatings over all electrical contacts, in addition to a cosmoline coating in the hand-operated magneto that ignited the rocket. Upon issue, these coatings were removed with solvent to ready the M20 for actual firing. However, budget cutbacks initiated by Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson in the years following World War II effectively canceled

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6262-514: The combat search and rescue role to Bamako. On 25 January, the Air Force deployed two additional Rafale fighter jets and two additional KC-135 Stratotanker planes to N'Djamena , bringing the total to six Rafale jets and 5 KC-135's in the theater of operations. Transall C-160 transport planes from the 1/64 Béarn and 2/64 Anjou squadrons and C-130H Hercules transport planes from the 2/61 Franche Comté squadrons were used to ferry materiel to Bamako, while Transall C-160 transport planes from

6363-415: The desert terrain lacked the concealment required for such a short range weapon and it was not deployed in that theater. In November 1942 during Operation Torch , early production versions of the M1 launcher and M6 rocket were hastily supplied to some of the U.S. invasion forces during the landings in North Africa . On the night before the landings, General Dwight D. Eisenhower was shocked to discover from

6464-474: The early Bazookas eventually resulted in replacement of the battery-powered ignition system with a magneto sparker system operated through the trigger. A trigger safety was incorporated into the design that isolated the magneto, preventing misfires that could occur when the trigger was released and the stored charge prematurely fired the rocket. The final major change was the division of the launch tube into two discrete sections, with bayonet-joint attachments. This

6565-445: The firing mechanism. When the safety is off, pulling the trigger generates a charge which fires the rocket. The watertight rear plug of the rocket container is removed just before firing, which closes the firing circuit and allows the rocket to be fired. The rocket is propelled by a large number of long sticks of tubular propellant that produce a constant pressure while burning, providing constant acceleration. The engine burns out before

6666-416: The force of the warhead's impact enough to prevent detonation of the explosive charge. Later in the Pacific war, Army and Marine units often used the M2 flamethrower to attack such emplacements. In the few instances in the Pacific where the Bazooka was used against tanks and armored vehicles, the rocket's warhead easily penetrated the thin armor plate used by the Japanese and destroyed the vehicle. Overall,

6767-407: The forces committed by the countries that support France (in alphabetical order): The operation began on 11 January 2013, with French Army Gazelle helicopters armed with 20 mm cannons from the 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment attacking a rebel column near Sévaré . French forces suffered one casualty when a Gazelle attack helicopter came under small arms fire and one of the two pilots

6868-405: The hands of American infantry the Bazooka still enjoyed rare successes against heavy Nazi armored fighting vehicles. In 1945, during the failed Operation Nordwind offensive, a Bazooka team managed the unlikely achievement of destroying a Jagdtiger heavy tank destroyer, the most heavily armored fighting vehicle in World War Two. The team managed to do this by positioning themselves to get a shot at

6969-430: The intended widespread issue of the M20, and initial U.S. forces deploying to Korea were armed solely with the M9/M9A1 2.36-in. launcher and old stockpiled World War II inventories of M6A3 rocket ammunition. At the outbreak of the Korean War , the South Korean military had 1,958 M9A1 rocket launchers that were given from the U.S. Forces Korea during withdrawal in 1948 to 1949, and they were the only anti-tank firearms that

7070-400: The lift struts as other L-4s had done. Within a few weeks, Carpenter was credited with knocking out a German armored car and four tanks. Carpenter's plane was known as "Rosie the Rocketer", and his exploits were soon featured in many press accounts, including Stars and Stripes , the Associated Press , Popular Science , The New York Sun , and Liberty magazine. Carpenter once told

7171-409: The management of Tran Dai Nghia . It was successfully test-fired in 1947. The anti-French Viet Minh received Chinese Type 51 bazookas. They were used by the Viet Cong as late as 1964. The Portuguese Armed Forces used quantities of M9A1 and M20 rocket launchers in their overseas provinces in Africa against Marxist guerrilla forces during the Portuguese Overseas War . The French Army also used

7272-408: The massive vehicle's thinner side armor, scoring a direct hit on the ammunition bustle and causing a catastrophic kill . This incident shows that when correctly aimed at vulnerable points on vehicles the Bazooka could still be effective against even the largest of armored vehicles, though it required significant skill to accomplish. In a letter dated May 20, 1944, General George S. Patton stated to

7373-548: The mid-1960s in favor of the M67 recoilless rifle and later, the M72 LAW rocket. The U.S. Army also used it in lesser quantity. While occasions to destroy enemy armored vehicles proved exceedingly rare, it was employed against enemy fortifications and emplacements with success. The M20 remained in service with South Vietnamese and indigenous forces until the late 1960s. The Vietnam People's Army also developed their own Bazooka under

7474-603: The military version of the Piper J-3 Cub, the L-4 Grasshopper, was issued a new L-4H version during the concluding stages of "Overlord", taking this "light attack" role against German armor by himself. With a 150-pound pilot and no radio aboard, the L-4H had a combined cargo and passenger weight capacity of approximately 232 pounds. This margin allowed him to eventually mount a total of six Bazookas, three per side on

7575-493: The military version of the slow-flying Piper J-3 Cub high-wing civilian monoplane, the L-4 Grasshopper, began to be used in a light anti-armor role by a few U.S. Army artillery spotter units over France; these aircraft were field-outfitted with either two or four Bazookas attached to the lift struts , against German armored fighting vehicles. Upon arriving in France in 1944 , U.S. Army major, Charles Carpenter , an Army aviator flying liaison and artillery-spotting lightplanes like

7676-524: The model 47 and other early helicopters. The helicopter itself belonged to HMX-1, a marine experimental helicopter squadron. In September 1942, a consignment of 600 M1 Bazookas was shipped to Egypt for use by the British Army in the Western Desert campaign . In a demonstration to British commanders, a Bazooka penetrated the frontal armor of a captured Panzer III ; however it was decided that

7777-824: The production of the M9A1, the T43 sight was replaced by the Polaroid T90 optical reflector sight, which used an etched reticle for aiming. The T43 and T90 sights were interchangeable. Various types of blast deflectors were tried, and an additional strap iron shoulder brace was fitted to the M9 launcher. The Bazooka required special care when used in tropical or arctic climates or in severe dust or sand conditions. Rockets were not to be fired at temperatures below 0 °F or above 120 °F (−18 °C to +49 °C). In 1943, field reports of rockets sticking and prematurely detonating in M1A1 launch tubes were received by Army Ordnance at Ogden Arsenal and other production facilities. At

7878-401: The rocket leaves the launcher at a velocity of approximately 300 m/s (980 ft/s). As soon as the rocket leaves the launcher, nine fins fold backwards from the rear. These fins provide stability for the rocket while it is in flight. There are two safeties. The first is a bore-riding pin located mid-body of the projectile that blocks the warhead firing circuit. After the projectile leaves

7979-454: The rocket motor and fin assembly of the M6A1, but replaced the anti-tank warhead with a white phosphorus (WP) smoke head. WP smoke not only acts as a visibility screen, but its burning particles can cause severe injuries to skin. The M10 was therefore used to mark targets, to blind enemy gunners or vehicle drivers, or to drive troops out of bunkers and dugouts. The 2.36-inch incendiary rocket T31

8080-426: The rocket motors often failed because of high temperatures and exposure to moisture, salt air, or humidity. With the introduction of the M1A1 and its more reliable rocket ammunition, the Bazooka was effective against some fixed Japanese infantry emplacements such as small concrete bunkers and pillboxes . Against coconut and sand emplacements, the weapon was not always effective, as these softer structures often reduced

8181-541: The same time, the U.S. military dispatched its first troops to the Korean Peninsula without trusting reports that a 2.36-inch rocket could not destroy North Korean tanks. On July 5, 1950, during the Battle of Osan , Task Force Smith tried to stop North Korean tanks with 2.36-inch rocket launchers and 75 mm recoilless rifles but was overrun by 33 T-34-85s. One of the North Korean T-34s received

8282-554: The strategically important central town of Markala , describing it as "secured" on 19 January. The French and Malian forces launched a major ground offensive into the North of the country for the first time on 16 January. Along with French help, Malian forces took back control of Konna on 18 January. On 21 January, the Malian military, with the aid of French air support, took possession of Diabaly. The next day, Chadian forces began moving from Niger's capital city, Niamey , to Ouallam ,

8383-484: The target at low impact angles. In late 1943, another 2.36-in rocket type was adopted, the M6A3, for use with the newly standardized M9 rocket launcher. The M6A3 was 19.4 inches (493 mm) long, and weighed 3.38 lb (1.53 kg). It had a blunted, more round nose to improve target effect at low angles, and a new circular fin assembly to improve flight stability. The M6A3 was capable of penetrating 3.5–4 inches (89–102 mm) of armor plate. Battery problems in

8484-530: The tube, the bore-riding pin falls out releasing the second safety which prevents detonation until the rocket has traveled at least 10 m (11 yd) from the launcher. The rocket reaches a range of 330 m (360 yd) in about 1.25 seconds, and 360 m (390 yd) in 1.36 seconds. The rocket itself weighs 2.2 kg (4.9 lb) and has an 89 mm (3.5 in) diameter shaped charge warhead . The warhead can penetrate 400 mm (16 in) of armour or one metre of concrete at 0 angle impact of

8585-491: The user elevating the Bazooka so the rear sight lined up with the selected "rung" on the front sight. On the M9, the ladder sight was replaced by the General Electric T43 aperture sight. Ranging was accomplished by looking through the rear sight's peep hole while rotating the assembly (which had graduations of 100, 200, and 300 yards) so it lined up with the blade positioned at the muzzle. In September 1944, during

8686-556: The war, Bazookas were lend-leased to the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, China, and Free French forces as well as the Soviet Union . Some were supplied to French maquis and Yugoslav partisans . The success of the more powerful German Panzerschreck caused the Bazooka to be completely redesigned at the close of World War II. A larger, 3.5 in (89 mm) model was adopted, the M20 "Super Bazooka". Though bearing

8787-461: The warhead diameter to 8.8 cm (among other minor changes) and widely issuing it as the Raketenpanzerbüchse " Panzerschreck " ("rocket anti-armor rifle 'tank terror ' "). Near the end of the war, the Japanese developed a similar weapon, the Type 4 70 mm AT rocket launcher , which featured a rocket-propelled grenade of a different design. During the Korean War , the M1 and M9 Bazooka series

8888-557: Was a French military operation in Mali . The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali. Operation Serval followed the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2085 of 20 December 2012 and an official request by the Malian interim government for French military assistance. The operation ended on 15 July 2014, and

8989-536: Was a considerable achievement since the launcher's sights had been fabricated that morning from a wire coat hanger bent with a broken nail. The trial was being watched by various senior officers, among them the chief of research and engineering in the Ordnance Department , Major General Gladeon M. Barnes . Barnes was delighted by the performance of the system and fired it himself, but commented: "It sure looks like Bob Burns' bazooka". The development of

9090-425: Was a tube that... happened to be the same size as the grenade that we were turning into a rocket. I said, That's the answer! Put the tube on a soldier's shoulder with the rocket inside, and away it goes. At the launcher's first firing test, Uhl wore a welding helmet , but discovered that there was not enough exhaust from the rocket to require protective equipment. The prototype launcher was demonstrated in May 1942 at

9191-434: Was an M10 variant with an incendiary warhead designed to ignite fires in enemy-held structures and unarmored vehicles, or to destroy combustible supplies, ammunition, and materiel ; it was not often utilized. The original M1 and M1A1 rocket launchers were equipped with simple fixed sights and used launch tubes without reinforcements. During the war, the M1A1 received a number of running modifications. The battery specification

9292-414: Was changed to a larger, standard battery cell size, resulting in complaints of batteries getting stuck in the wood shoulder rest (the compartment was later reamed out to accommodate the larger cells). The M1 and M1A1 used rear iron sights and front rectangular "ladder" sights positioned at the muzzles. The vertical sides of the ladder sight were inscribed with graduations of 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards, with

9393-536: Was contracted in 1964 by the French ministry of defence, to research a replacement for the M20A1 Super Bazooka. In the early 1970s, two antitank weapons were placed in production for evaluation by the French Army to replace the M20A1: the 80 mm ACL-APX, a recoilless cannon with a rocket-assisted projectile, and the 89 mm LRAC F1 STRIM rocket launcher. The STRIM design was chosen as the replacement for

9494-675: Was developed, that produces smoke for approximately 35 seconds; and an illumination round that produces 300,000 candela for 30 seconds. Besides the French Army and the Hellenic Army , numerous other armies have the LRAC F1 in service, especially former French colonies in Africa. During the French intervention in Lebanon in 1982-83, many journalists in error reported the LRAC F1 as being the MILAN wire guided antitank missile. Since 2008,

9595-470: Was done to make the weapon more convenient to carry, particularly for use by airborne forces. The final two-piece launcher was standardized as the M9A1. In September 1944, the fragile folding aperture sight was replaced by a Polaroid optical reflector sight. However, the long list of incorporated modifications increased the launcher's tube length to 61 inches (1.55 m), with an overall empty weight of 14.3 lb (6.5 kg). From its original conception as

9696-426: Was hit. The pilot, Lt. Damien Boiteux, later died of his injuries. The other pilot managed to fly the helicopter back to base, but the aircraft was written off as lost due to the damage sustained. By 12 January, hundreds of French troops were involved in the military operation in Mali, with special focus in the Battle of Konna . The Malian army claimed that, with their help, it had retaken Konna , which it had lost

9797-534: Was improved and designated M6A1 , and the new ammunition was issued with the improved M1A1 launcher. After the M6, several alternative warheads were introduced. Many older M1 launchers were modified to M1A1 standards in July and August 1943. Batches of M6 rockets designated M6A2 were overhauled with the latest ignition systems and had been modified to be able to be fired from the upgraded M1 launchers. The M6A3 rocket featured

9898-497: Was replaced by Operation Barkhane , launched on 1 August 2014 to fight Islamist fighters in the Sahel. Three of the five Islamic leaders, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid , Abdel Krim and Omar Ould Hamaha were killed, while Mokhtar Belmokhtar fled to Libya and Iyad ag Ghali fled to Algeria . The operation is named after the serval , a medium-sized African wild cat . In January 2012, following an influx of weapons that occurred after

9999-406: Was replaced by the larger caliber M20 Super Bazooka . The term "bazooka" still sees informal use as a generic term referring to any shoulder fired ground-to-ground/ ground-to-air missile weapon (mainly rocket-propelled grenade launchers or recoilless rifles ), and as an expression that heavy measures are being taken. The name "bazooka" comes from an extension of the word bazoo , which

10100-491: Was standardized as the M10. However, the M10 grenade weighed 3.5 lb (1.6 kg), proving difficult to throw by hand and too heavy to be launched as a rifle grenade . The only practical way to use the weapon was for an infantryman to place it directly on the tank, a dangerous and unlikely means of delivery in most combat situations. A smaller, less powerful, version of the M10, the M9 , was then developed, which could be fired from

10201-462: Was surmounting a steep hill or other obstruction, while hitting the top armor usually necessitated firing the rocket from the upper story of a building or a similar, elevated, position. Even the heavy King Tiger tank only possessed hull and turret top armor of 44 mm ( 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 in) thickness at best, able to be pierced by the Bazooka's shaped-charge rocket. During the 1944 Allied offensive in France, when some examples of liaison aircraft with

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