RPG-43

History of RPG-43

In June 1941, German troops invaded the Soviet Union through "Operation Barbarossa", starting the Eastern Front that would later become Adolf Hitler's key blunder in the World War One I 2. Believing that his Blitz-Rollers could overtake vast areas of the Soviet Empire in time, Hitler made huge strides in an open turn of the offensive that completely caught the Soviets off guard. The Red Army was not without hope, however, as it possessed a range of weapons that could be used to aid in self-defense and hopefully avoid total annihilation by the Germans.

The most important of these weapons is the anti-tank system, designed to hit armored vehicles head-on.

Although these weapons - including the RPG-40 anti-tank grenade of 1940 - proved effective against early German tanks - mainly the Panzer I and Panzer II light tank series - they were not as effective as in Germany The Army first introduced their Panzer III and Panzer IV line of medium tanks. The Soviet need for improved anti-tank weapons became apparent when the Germans delivered new Panther (Panzer V) and Tiger I medium tanks to the Eastern Front.

This prompted the Soviet authorities to ask their manufacturing districts to drastically improve their weapons, resulting in the RPG-43 series of anti-tank grenades - vastly improved versions of the original RPG-40 series. In addition to the obvious external differences from the RPG-40, the RPG-43 also features a HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) shaped charge warhead instead of the HE (High Explosive) variant of the previous RPG-40 series.

As the name suggests, the RPG-43 entered service with the Soviet Army in 1943, directly replacing the RPG-40 that served as the Red Army's standard anti-tank grenade during the war.

The design of the RPG-43 follows the same guidelines as the RPG-40. It is based on the relatively convenient "stick" grenade concept, and its design features a long wooden handle covered by a canister containing explosives. The handle and canister are separated by a conical housing. The weapon weighs 1.24 kg and has a diameter of 95 mm. The warhead is loaded with a TNT shaped charge weighing 0.61 kg and is designed to cause maximum damage to the armored surface.

Detonation is via an inertial fuze that detonates upon contact with the target or target area.

The operator activates the RPG-43 by pulling a safety ring from the wooden grip. From there, the operator started throwing grenades at the intended target. So the range of a grenade is really just what the user can throw.

This often means that the operator must be relatively close to the target, unnecessarily exposing himself to enemy fire. Additionally, the weight of the grenade has a detrimental effect on the thrower, as it is much heavier than a standard infantry grenade - so the throwing range is about half that of lighter and smaller grenades. Regardless, the bulky system is effective against armor up to 75mm thick at a 90 degree angle.

This type was also easy to operate, required little training, and - perhaps more importantly - was mass-produced for the Soviet Union during the war at low cost.

The RPG-43 proved so efficient and effective that it immediately replaced the RPG-40 as the Soviet Army's standard anti-tank grenade. An improved version of the RPG-43 - the cone-sealed, air-stabilized "RPG-6" - appeared in late 1943 and served for the remainder of the war.

Both the RPG-43 and RPG-6 played a role in the postwar and throughout the Cold War decades, finding a home in the inventories of several countries and states in the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. In addition to fighting during World War II, the RPG-43 served in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, the subsequent Six-Day War, and the upcoming Yom Kippur War.

Specification

BASIC

Year of Service

1943

Origins

Soviet Union

Categories

Anti-tank grenade

Manufacturer

National Factory - USSR

Operator

Albania; Algeria; Bulgaria; Czechoslovakia; East Germany; Egypt; Syria; Hungary; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Libya; Morocco; Poland; Romania; Saudi Arabia; former Soviet Union; Sudan; Tunisia; Yemen

Roles

Fire Support

Ability to suppress enemy elements at a distance using direct or indirect fire.

Anti-tank/anti-tank/anti-material

Designed for long-range engagement and defeating armored/enemy tanks.

Dimensions and Weights

Curb Weight

2. 75 lbs

1.25 kg

Attractions

Not applicable

Action

To touch explosives; to throw

Cartridges and Paper Feeds

Caliber*

95mm

Circle/Feed

Single use

VARIANTS

RPG-43 - Name of Base Series