Ruit-Böller : 9 cm anti-tank shoulder gun. 1943

[klem]

Decided by the Luftwaffe, Die Luftfahrtforschungsanstalt Graf Zeppelin was commissioned to develop a shulder gun with a shaped charge effect for paratroopers, which could be carried by a single man to to fight armored cars, a powerful weapon with better performance and high penetrating power . Mauser factories were commissioned to build the weapon. The first test model was called "Ruit-Böller" because the design institute was based in Stuttgart-Ruit. (Waffen Revue 118)

 

[JWilly]

Doesn't seem superior to panzerfaust as a MANPAT.

Might have been lighter and therefore more mobile than the puppchen wheeled/skidded version, but much less range therefore less user-survivable.

Cutaway sketch if technically correct shows a suboptimal understanding of HEAT physics...compared to HHL-3 or late versions of panzerfaust, for instance.

 

[Nik]

Is that a sorta catapult elastic between the shoulder forks ?

Keeps the weight down, but...

D'uh, I suppose if you can flank and ambush LAVs, and are prone, below 'recon by fire', it beats tossing a satchel-charge...

 

[Grzesio]

Is that a sorta catapult elastic between the shoulder forks ?

Rather a kind of an elastic damper, protecting shooter's shoulder. The projectile itself is propelled by a conventional powder charge.

 

[klem]

The projectiles were developed by the DWM company in Lübeck. The first model of the FGZ was presented for testing in Lübeck in June 1943 in the presence of members of the FGZ, DWM and the Mauser company. It did not have the expected properties and in July 1943 in Oberndorf Further tests of the "Ruit-Böller" took place with the participation of the officials of the FGZ and the Mauser company, the required performance, namely the penetration of a wall thickness of 200 mm at a distance of 400 m at an impact angle of 60° °, could not be achieved. Therefore, it was decided to assign employees of the FGZ to the Mauser company and to continue the improvement work. However, it should not be forgotten that in parallel with developments similar to the "Ruit-Böller" such as the "Panzerschreck" were underway at other companies, then around August 1943, Mauser, Hasag and DWM concluded the non-completion of the " Ruit- Böller", because in the meantime the series production of the "Panzerfaust 60" had started at Hasag. (Waffen Revue 118)

 

[JWilly]

Starting in November 1942, the magnetic-attach "panzer hand mine" HHL-3 was fielded. The HEAT-element design of this weapon was capable of approximately the required penetration...so being unable to achieve it in a subsequent design indicates, from an engineering management perspective, an excessive amount of siloing of HEAT-physics technical knowledge and/or Not Invented Here syndrome.