PIAT
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Image:PIAT AT-SPG CDN WWII.jpg
The PIAT, for Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank, was one of the earlier anti-tank weapons based on a HEAT shell. It was developed by the British starting in 1941, reaching the field in time for the invasion of Sicily in 1943. Due to the nature of the projectile, the PIAT could be used more easily in enclosed spaces than the American bazooka or its German copy, the Panzerschreck, which made it more useful in close-combat and for urban warfare. Only one reported problem with the PIAT was the bombs it fired were quite sensitive, due to the special firing mecanisim, if dropped could explode (Thus, some bombs had special caps over the ignition device, to stop it exploding. The bomb also had to be positioned just right, or it wouldnt work, and would mean the bomb would have to be removed, the gun re-cocked (which took time) and then fired again.
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History
Image:PIAT.jpg At the start of World War II, all major armies were investing in research into HEAT to produce an infantry weapon capable of defeating modern armor. The US and Germans concentrated on rockets to propel their weapons, but in 1941 when the PIAT was being developed, these systems were nowhere near ready for use.
The British instead turned to a prewar weapon known as the Blacker Bombard, a large mortar type of weapon, known as a "spigot discharger" or spigot mortar, invented by Lt-Col Blacker, RA. The Bombard consisted of a heavy "barrel" containing a large spring. The spring pushed against a 12 pound (5 kg) steel canister and rod that rode up the barrel and struck the rear of the bomb, igniting a small propulsion charge. The heavy bolt and rod, known as the spigot, was used primarily to damp out the recoil of the round leaving the barrel. The charge was also intended to reset the spring, meaning that the weapon had to be cocked only once, by pulling up on the tube while standing on a handle mounted at the rear.
The Blacker Bombard was never used operationally, and was retained for use by the Home Guard. However the design was suitable for modification as the launcher for a HEAT round. The drop in size of warhead required (an effective HEAT shell was 3 lb compared to the 20 lb HE used on the Bombard) meant that the PIAT would be much lighter and maneuvreable than the Bombard's 150 kg mass. A section of the "barrel" was cut away on the top to form a tray for the round, which could be reloaded with fresh rounds with the operator remaining prone. The charge on the shell was small enough that it caused no real smoke or backblast, a significant advantage over the bazooka. However, the heavy duty spring and spigot pushed the weight up, resulting in a weapon that weighed 34 pounds (15 kg) unloaded. Furthermore, if the charge failed to reset the spigot, which happened often enough, the operator had to retire behind cover to re-cock the weapon.
In general use the PIAT had a rated range of about 100 m, but that was considered the extreme and it was typically fired at much shorter ranges. The three pound (1.4 kg) HEAT warhead was able to penetrate about 100 mm of armor at 100 m. This was too little to defeat the frontal armor of the newer German designs, but remained effective against side and rear armor. The PIAT could also function in a mortar-like role, where the shell was fired in a parabolic arc up to 350 m. The PIAT was also widely used in the "house-breaking" role, being fired into a room near the proposed assault team's entrance.
Combat use
Early use in Sicily proved that a "perfect" hit was required or the round would not detonate, and the weapon soon garnered a poor reputation among the troops. The Army then instigated a rapid series of improvements, and the weapon had matured by the time of the invasion of the Italian mainland. The PIAT could then be found in all theatres, although the slow reload time meant it was generally considered a one-shot-per-battle weapon.
There were also other disadvantages. For example, the extremely heavy spring required a pull of 200 lb. just to get the weapon working. The feature of having the charge powerful enough to cock the weapon was also a distasteful experience for any soldier operating the weapon.
On the morning of the D-Day landings, a single PIAT disrupted a German attempt to reach the invasion beaches. Troops had landed by glider and had seized and held the vital bridges over the Caen Canal and the Orne River. Among the positions held was a "T-junction" on the main road from Benouville to Le Port which led on to Caen. A German force of six tanks, infantry and a battery of Flak 88s approached the junction. Sgt. "Wagger" Thornton (D Company) Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry armed with the only working PIAT and two rounds shot the lead tank, a Panzer IV, at short range. The tank blew up, blocking the junction for heavy vehicles and preventing the German counter-attack from reaching the beaches. However, Sgt. Thornton personally expressed dislike for "that bloody weapon". (See Pegasus Bridge by Stephen E. Ambrose)
Private Ernest Alvia "Smokey" Smith of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada earned the Victoria Cross after crawling to within ten metres of a Panther to destroy it with a PIAT.
The PIAT remained the main British platoon-level anti-tank weapon until 1950, when it was replaced by the US M20 Super Bazooka,known as Launcher Rocket 3.5 inch UK (M20) in British service and then later by the ubiquitous Carl Gustav rifle.
The naval weapon Hedgehog was another application of the spigot discharger principle.
Specification
- Manufacturer : ICI Ltd., various others.
- Service: 1942 - 1950
- Overall length : 39 in (990 mm)
- Weight : 31.7 lb (14.4 kg)
- Projectile weight : 3 lb (1.35 kg)
- Muzzle velocity : 450 ft/s (137 m/s)
- Effective range : 110 yd (100 m) armour, 350 yd (320 m) "house-breaking"
- Penetration : 4 in (102 mm) armour at 115 yd (105 m)
- Ammunition
- Bomb HE/AT; Infantry Projector, AT, Mk 3/L
- Weight - approx 2 3/4 lb (1.25 kg)
- Length - 16.6 in (422 mm)
- Colour - Service colour or brown, with red filling ring around forward portion of body, a blue band edged above and below with yellow and with "TNT3" in black on the blue band.
External links
See also
Template:WW2 Brit Comm Infantry Gunsfr:Projector Infantry Anti Tank he:פיאט (כלי נשק) ja:PIAT pl:Granatnik przeciwpancerny PIAT pt:PIAT sv:PIAT