M9A1 Bazooka

The Rocket Launcher, M1A1 was a shoulder-mounted, man portable launcher designed and used by the USA, firing a 60MM rocket propelled projective with a shaped-charged warhead ignited by an electric trigger mechanism. The M1A1 earned a nickname from its likeness to a homemade instrument made by comedian Bob Burns; The Bazooka. It shares an Axis parallel in the Panzerschreck, which was based on captured M1A1 Rocket Launchers. It consisted of a simple steel tube with a wooden stock and wooden (later steel) sights. It was originally designed as an anti-fortification and anti-tank weapon. The weapon was typically manned by a two man crew of a gunner and a loader. The shaped-charges were loaded in from the rear of the weapon, which served as an exhaust tube for the gases produced by the rocket's ignition.

Design History
The Bazooka was a joint design project between Army Captain Leslie A. Skinner and Army Lieutenant Edward G. Uhl, although Uhl has been primarily credited with the invention. Uhl nicknamed the weapon for its vague resemblance to the musical instrument of the same name invented and used by Bob Burns. Originally, the idea came from the introduction of a shaped-charge hand-grenade that could penetrate 100MM of Armour Plating, which was at the time considered the best in the world. However, the weapon was considered impractical. A smaller grenade was then fitted to a specialized M1 Garand to be fired as a grenade launcher. However, Skinner and Uhl took this concept a step further. They took the Recoilless Rocket-Launcher prototype they had invented and married it to the concept of the shaped-charge warhead. The M1A1 Rocket Launcher was soon created.

Combat History
First introduced to the United States Army in 1942 but it was invented in Britain by a Scottish man, the M1A1 was secretly used during Operation Torch, the American Invasion of Tunisia. It was during this conflict that the U.S Army proved the combat worth of the M1A1. It was also during this time that examples of the M1A1 were captured by the Germans and reverse-engineered into the Panzerschreck. The M1A1 was used by American forces in all theaters then-on in WW2 as a weapon against fortifications, bunkers and most medium and light tanks. After WW2, the Bazooka was later upgraded to fire an 88mm round following a comparison to the German Panzerschreck. (Ironically, the Panzerschreck itself was a design based on earlier Bazooka models.)

Bazookas supplied by the United States were also used by the Soviet Red Army, who until that time had been limited to Anti-Tank Rifles and Anti-Tank Hand Grenades.

Advantages
The M1A1 was quite capable of disabling or destroying the combat tanks of the era it had originally been conceived in. It was a man portable system capable of firing a round that was larger than that of a rifle-grenade while maintaining the advantage in distance of rifle grenades and towed artillery pieces. It was also an effective anti-fortification weapon, capable of firing an aimed high-explosive round into a bunker or other fortified position. The Bazooka was also reloadable, as opposed to the Panzerfaust disposable Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher, meaning a single launch tube could fire multiple rounds, saving cost of units.

Disadvantages
Like the Panzerschreck, the M1A1 required the firer to be within 150 Meters to be considered accurate. Unlike the Panzerschreck however, it lacked the same stopping power. Although sufficient against such weapons as the Panzer III and IV, the Bazooka round was deflected by the thick armour of the Tiger and King Tiger tanks and the sloped armour of the Panther Tank. When fired, the Bazooka produced a significant amount of heat, smoke and noise. This would alert infantry and tanks to the location of the crew and weapon. It was also dangerous to fire indoors.

In Game
In the Call of Duty series, the Bazooka is often seen and occasionally used as the U.S Army's means of defeating tanks, aside from planting charges on the tanks. In Call of Duty 3's multiplayer, the Bazooka is used under the Allied Anti-Tank class and deals the same amount of damage as the Panzerschreck.

It is available as a perk in Call of Duty: World at War's multiplayer. The perk is M9A1 Bazooka x2.

Trivia

 * The M9A1 bazooka is available to be picked up in the soviet campaign of Call of Duty: World at War. When the player enters the parliament floor on the mission downfall there will be a soldier using it. The soldier can be killed, making the M9A1 available for pickup. This is not a error because the U.S.A gave the Red Army bazookas among other things in the Lend-Lease program.
 * As with the Panzershreck, the Bazooka in Call of Duty: World At War has to aim down the sights when firing.