Lets see some Panzerfausts!

[Alan Smith]

Panzerfaust use by U.S. troops

A few days ago I spoke with a U.S. veteran who was an infantry officer in the ETO. The vet stated that his unit relied extensively on captured panzerfaust in conducting house-to-house fighting in at least one of the towns/cities they encountered along their path during the war.

Interestingly, the vet stated that his men referred to the panzerfaust as "toilet plungers", do to its resemblance to the common household device.

According to the vet, rather than advance thru the town in the open streets (and thus taking heavy casulties), his men use the captured "toilet plungers" to blow holes in the common walls of the row houses. Thus, his men in effect "tunneled" their way through each block of the town, thereby keeping them out of the open where they would have been exposed to enemy fire.

I found this story to be very interesting, both in the funny nickname given to panzerfausts by U.S. troops, and the aspect of U.S. troops' combat usage of captured German ordinance.

[petermac]

Rather you than me!!

Peter

I dont know about the others but mine was un crimped and where it gets to the end of the funnel bit and the explosives scouped out

[Matt Starr]

Alan,
So thats what happened to all the Fausts!!!

One last plee for pictures guys, I Love seeing them!! Can't wait till my six arrive!!!!

Matt

[Matt Starr]

Here are 5 of my 6 panzerfausts. You have already seen the other one. They are all very rusty but still solid and the sites flip up and down on most of them. You can see one has begun to be restored. The Rust just chips off like caked on mud. I am experimenting with fillers so I can fill the tube and then sand it down to a smooth cylindrical finish again and then paint it. I was suggested to use Hammerite (the red crud) but it requires too many layers. Ade, I would be interested to know what filling compound you used on your tube.

five panzerfausts weigh alot! Usually the shipping on tiny items from abroad comes to ridiculous amounts but the shipping for all 5 was only 33 euro, the package weighed 20Kg's!!!!

On the tube I am restoring at the moment you can still see the red stencilling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The one bit of advice to panzerfaust buyers is don't pay silly prices for them. I have bought a few now and they have all been well under some prices I have seen asked for but.... a mint one will command very high prices and they are worth it but....you can get a good one with paint and only slight rust for very reasonable prices and relics should only cost a few euros



stenicilling!





How they look without cleaning up

[Matt Starr]

[Matt Starr]

D'oh

[werner]

Hi,

Here is my panzerfaust 60 but it has been restored by the last owner



Regards
Werner

[Matt Starr]

[reidmuller]

Heres the PZF 30M klein head and tube i baught from belters
one thing that puzzles me how do you aim the 30m model? there is no notch in the head to aim with??
Matt thats a nice photo of the luftfaust do you know which city/town it was taken??





Adam

[Matt Starr]

Adam,
You aim the klein by lining up the top lip of the warhead with the sight hole, exactly as you do with the other fausts, its just that the notch is ommited. There is a really good period diagaram that I will find to show you what I mean
Matt

[reidmuller]

thanks matt i understand now i just need the flight assembily to compleat my 30M klein any one have a diagram of one or a close up photo of one? and ill try and make one up to use till i find one
I cant belive the size and weight between the grechin and the nirmal 60M and 100M i shall get some side by side photos to show

[Matt Starr]

I've also decided to make a model firing one, Does anyone know where I can get repro trigger assemblies from? Would asking Gmax or someother repro making company be the best bet?
Matt

[reidmuller]

I've also decided to make a model firing one, Does anyone know where I can get repro trigger assemblies from? Would asking Gmax or someother repro making company be the best bet?
Matt

Matt soldier of fortune www.1944airborne.com have some repros at £120 but not sure on quality i was thinking of converting one to fire for reenacting as would be very easy a 9mm blank under the spring and fill the tube with gunpowder and make a foam head and presto a live firing faust not sure on legality though very dodgy

[Matt Starr]

Adam,
That type is a bad idea. The type I am thinking of is to have an estes model rocket and electric firing system in the tube

[Zünder]

Guy's , what's the going rate for a Pz.fst 30 "Gretchen", with about 60 % original paint and stencilling ?