BACKGROUND: Development of an effective, personal, anti-tank weapon was started, at the request of the Heereswaffenamt, (Army Ordnance Office), by the Hugo Schneider Aktiengesellschaft-Metalwarenfabrik firm of Leipzig in November 1942. Originally an employee of the Schneider firm, Dr. H. Langweiler, developed the Faustpatrone 1, (Fist Cartridge 1), nicknamed "Gretchen", followed by the "Faustpatrone 2", also referred to as the "Panzerfaust 30", (Armored Fist 30). In July 1943 the Faustpatrone 1 was field tested and the first five thousand Faustpatrone 1's were issued to personnel in the field in August that year. Both of these weapons were found to have insufficient penetrating power so further developments lead to the introduction of the longer range, higher velocity, Panzerfaust 60 in August 1944 and the Panzerfaust 100 in November 1944. Further models, Panzerfaust 150 and 200, were in development when the war ended. Of all the Panzerfaust models the Panzerfaust 60's were the most effective and by October 1944, roughly 400,000 Panzerfaust 60's were being produced and issued on monthly basis. All models of Panzerfaust were basically of the same design and consisted of assorted sized, sheet metal, hollow charged, tapered warheads, with stabilizing tail fins, which was inserted into a steel firing tube. The Panzerfaust 60, had an initial velocity of forty-five meters per second and was capable of penetrating two hundred millimeters of armor at an effective range of sixty to eighty meters. Of Note: Interestingly the main manufacturer of the Panzerfaust firing tubes was the Volkswagen-Werke at Fallersleben by Wolfsburg in Lower Saxony.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Tail fin section for Panzerfaust 60. On of the four fins is now missing.