The 2.36 inch rocket launcher was developed at the beginning of World War II and distributed to units in 1942. The launcher was essentially a tube, about 60 inches long, with a rocket propelled shaped charge in the back. A magneto sends an electrical current that ignites the rocket motor and the projectile is propelled out the tube. The launcher was nicknamed the "bazooka" after a musical instrument used by the entertainer Bob Burns. The bazooka was advantageous in that it was light in weight, yet had plenty of punch for armor and other hard targets such as bunkers. Lightly armed infantry significantly increased their fire power using the bazooka. |