Panzerbüchse 39: The German ‘Tank Hunting Rifle’ That Saw Action In Poland and the USSR.H
The Panzerbüchse 39 (PzB 39) was an anti-tank rifle operated by Wehrmacht during the Second World War. The PzB 39 saw use during the invasion of Poland and Operation Barbarossa, and it was developed as an improvement upon the earlier Panzerbüchse 38 (PzB 38). However, by the end of the conflict, it had become ineffective against newer developments in tank armor.
Panzerbüchse 38 (PzB 38)
Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)
The German anti-tank rifle was first developed during the First World War. Dubbed the Tankgewehr M1918, it was the world’s first anti-tank rifle and the only one to see service during the conflict, as a response to developments made by Britain with the tank. The Tankgewehr M1918 used an armor-piercing hardened steel core 13.2 mm TuF semi-ridged cartridge, which made it a success.
In the 1930s, Germany looked to develop a new anti-tank rifle that was lightweight and easy for infantrymen to carry. B. Brauer, an engineer at Gustloff Werke, responded by designing the Panzerbüchse 38. The PzB 38 was manually-loaded, and it chambered a 7.92 mm cartridge. When fired, the barrel recoiled 3.5 inches, dispensed the used cartridge and left the breech in an open position. The operator then inserted a single round and closed the breech to fire again.
The PzB 38’s firing mechanism was rather complicated and known to jam, especially after becoming dirty in the field. It also made the rifle difficult to produce, with only 1,408 manufactured between 1939-40. Roughly 62 were used by German soldiers during the invasion of Poland, which commenced on September 1, 1939.
Panzerbüchse 39 (PzB 39)
The Panzerbüchse 39 (PzB 39) was the next German anti-tank rifle. B. Brauer, again, designed this newer model, which was very similar to its predecessor in that it used the same breech system and cartridges.
The overall length of the rifle was increased slightly, while the weapon’s weight was decreased from 35 to 28 pounds. The PzB 39 had a muzzle velocity of 1,210 meters per second, a rate of fire of 10 RPM and an effective firing range of up to 300 meters, which allowed for penetration of armor that was up to 25 mm thick.
The performance of the PzB 39 was virtually identical to the PzB 38. In an attempt to increase the PzB 39’s rate of fire
The PzB 39 was produced between 1938-41, with 39,232 built. During the invasion of Poland, 568 were equipped by German troops. At the start of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, the Wehrmacht advanced into the Soviet Union with 25,298. The Germans equipped the PzB 39 until 1944, when it became clear it was only effective against lightly-armored vehicles, due to increased use of heavier and thicker armor.
Granatbüchse Modell 39 (GrB 39)
The Granatbüchse Modell 39 (GrB 39) was a variant of the Panzerbüchse 39 that was equipped by the Wehrmacht between 1942 and the end of the Second World War. A number of PzB 39s were modified with a shorter barrel and with a Schiessbecher (firing cup), which attached to the end of the barrel and allowed the GrB 39 to fire grenades.
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The reasoning for the modifications was to make the PzB 39 more effective against armor. The GrB 39 fired three different types of grenades: light anti-tank, anti-personnel and large-diameter anti-tank. A cartridge with a wooden bullet was used to fire them. New sights were also added, allowing for effective firing up to 150 meters.
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Laid down in the middle of World War II, the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34) didn’t see action until after the conflict. She was deployed to Korea and saw combat in Vietnam, with her success affording her and her crew 12 battle stars. Following her decommissioning, the vessel w as sold for scrap and subsequently repossessed, with the decision made to turn her into an artificial reef.
The lateness with which the USS Oriskany was commissioned meant she featured a different design than her sister ships, with a reinforced flight deck, a new arresting gear and stronger hydraulic catapults. Following a shakedown voyage and transits across Europe, she was deployed to Korea, to serve alongside the United Nations (UN) coalition forces.
Serving as part of Task Force 77 (TF 77), her aircraft bombed and strafed enemy positions, and two pilots downed enemy-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s. Upon departing Korea, Oriskany remained in Asia, before returning to the United States, where she conducted coastal operations. She also filled in for the USS Salvo Island (CVE-78) in the production of 1954’s The Bridge of Toko-Ri, starring Mickey Rooney, Grace Kelly and William Holden.
Fast-forward to the Vietnam War, Oriskany operated out of various Japanese ports, before undergoing an overhaul and traveling to Vietnam to support the American and South Vietnamese forces. Over the course of just seven months, her aircraft performed over 12,000 sorties and dropped nearly 10,000 tons of explosives on the North Vietnamese. Most interesting, perhaps, was that the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) flew Douglas A-4 Skyhawks from the aircraft carrier.
Despite her success, Oriskany suffered two notable onboard incidents. The first occurred on March 6, 1953, when a general-purpose bomb from one of the vessel’s Vought F4U Corsairs came loose and detonated, killing three crewmen and injuring an additional 13. The second, on October 26, 1966, saw a fire break out after a lit flare was placed in a flare locker. Starting in the forward hangar, the blaze quickly spread, killing 44.
In 1976, Oriskany was decommissioned and laid up in Bremerton, Washington. Some 19 years later, she was sold for scrap to a start-up based out of California. While under their purview, the aircraft carrier appeared in a second film, Robin Williams‘ What Dreams May Come (1998).
When it became apparent the company didn’t intend to scrap Oriskany, she was repossessed by the Navy and eventually sent off the coast of Florida, where she was sunk to create an artificial reef. She initially sat at 135 feet below the surface, until Hurricane Gustav, in 2008, moved her 10 feet deeper.
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The USS Oriskany has since been nicknamed the “Great Carrier Reef” by divers, who have made the vessel’s remnants one of the most popular wreck diving sites in the world.
