German grenade launcher: Panzerknacke.1944

[klem]

In September 1944, the Soviet secret service succeeded in arresting two German agents, a man and a woman in Soviet army uniforms, whose mission was to travel to Moscow and eliminate Stalin. Without going into the details of Operation Zeppelin, weapons were found : A miniature grenade launcher "Panzerknacke" and pistols, whose ammunition included ammunition with bursting bullets, an electromagnetic mine that was operated remotely by a radio transmitter. The weapon is currently preserved in the F.E.Dzerzhinsky Museum in Belokamennaya (including three single shots left after the tests of the Soviets). Panzerknacke 20 cm long with a diameter of 5 cm. The tube is fixed to the forearm, hidden under the outer clothes whose right sleeve had to be a little wider for the hidden transport.
A single shot with an electric igniter remotely wired to a switch button and powered by an electrolytic battery, caliber-30mm. 9 rockets of 30mm caliber were also seized by the Soviet counter-intelligence. Despite its small size, one of these ammunition could penetrate a 30 mm armor at a distance of 30 m, which was quite sufficient against Stalin's armored car. At the same time, it was adapted to a relatively silent shooting. The grenade was activated by a special electric fuse. To operate it, there was a battery placed on the belt, and on the left hand a contact closure. To fire, it was enough to send Panzerknacke to the target and press the button with the left hand. After that, the electric charge activated the grenade. During the interrogations, the German agents stated that the use of the grenade launcher had to be done in the street. The pistol was to be used in case of proximity. Despite the originality of the "Panzerknacke", after being studied by the Soviet designers, they concluded that it was ineffective, which was unlikely because in order to carry out an operation to eliminate Stalin, the Germans had to be sure of their little weapon.
(http://www.dogswar.ru/forum/viewtop...niatyurnyj-granatomet-panzerknacke-germaniya/).

 

[Wurger]

Very interesting information. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Orionblamblam]

Seems more like a Really Cool Idea than a Really Practical Device.

 

[Dilandu]

In September 1944, the Soviet secret service succeeded in arresting two German agents, a man and a woman in Soviet army uniforms, whose mission was to travel to Moscow and eliminate Stalin.

Their capture was an example of Nazi utter idiocy; after very carefully preparing all parts of the operations, they brushed off such "small" detail as weather. The NKVD officer they meet on road immediately became suspicious after he noticed that they are in completely dry clothes despite it was raining all night. Without revealing any suspicions, he suggested to ride with them to local militsya post - ostensibly to make a routine document check, required for everyone exiting combat zone - and saboteurs, not suspecting anything, readily agreed. Of course, as soon as they entered militsya post, NKVD officers ordered them arrested immediately. Their documents and radio equipment were used with great effect to lure other German agents out of hiding (operation "Tuman", run by SMERSH and NKVD in 1944-1945)

Both saboteurs were hold in captivity after war, in hopes to use them to identify other possible German infiltrators. In 1951, they were trialed, convicted in high treason (both confirmed that voluntary joined Nazi side, without being forced), and were executed by firing squad in 1952.

 

[Bottleship]

The NKVD officer they meet on road immediately became suspicious after he noticed that they are in completely dry clothes despite it was raining all night

The Nazis had many such strange mistakes. For example, writing all signatures in documents in the same underscore, despite the fact that they must be filled in by different people in different places. Or, the use of boots with square nails instead of round ones, or the elementary inability of the "agent" to use other people's household items, disgust for local food, wrong cigarettes, wrong manners, wrong pronunciation of words! Or the story when they tried to use an acoustic weapon by recording "dangerous" sounds on gramophone records, delivering them to Britain, distributing, and... forgetting that an ordinary gramophone is physically incapable of reproducing these "dangerous" sounds. It looks funniest against the backdrop of the notorious "German pedantry."