German Panzerbüchse 41 Anti-Tank Rifle
Available now in 1:16 and 1:18 Scale
The Battleground German Panzerbüchse 41 available in 1:16 and 1:18 scale was modeled after the more portable version used by Fallschirmjägers. The snap together design features a gun that will rotate 360 degrees, wheels that roll and grips that fit well in the hands of 1:18 scale action figures from the Ultimate Soldier line by 21st Century Toys, OurWar as well as the Action 18 line from Dragon. Four individual rounds and a single ammo can are included.
The German Panzerbüchse 41 was an evolved version of a class of anti-tank rifles that were popular both before and in the early years of World War 2. They were small enough to be highly portable and carried by infantry units but still had enough punch to penetrate the current armor at that time. There were two versions of the chassis. The one in this model was favored by German paratroopers also known as Fallschirmjägers. It could be carried on transport aircraft and dropped by parachute into combat with the airborne soldiers.
The ammunition had a tungsten core which greatly enhanced it's ability to pierce armor. The anti-tank rifle concept became obsolete later in the war due to how quickly the standard armor thickness developed, the growing shortage of tungsten and the development of shoulder fired anti-tank weapons like the Panzerfaust and German Panzershreck's which was designed based on U.S. bazookas captured in North Africa.
As a result most of the Panzerbüchse 41's were used to up-gun vehicles like the Sd.Kfz. 251/11 engineering half-track, Sd.Kfz. 250 or reconnaissance vehicles like Sd.Kfz. 221 armored car.
