Why no Russian Bazooka or Schrek?

[weapon2010]

 Why did the Russians feel no need to make/develop such a weapon? And why did the Americans not supply it to them?

[Simcoe]

1 hour ago, weapon2010 said:

 Why did the Russians feel no need to make/develop such a weapon? And why did the Americans not supply it to them?

From what I've read. They preferred anti tank guns and artillery in the AT role. We have to remember too that hand held AT weapons weren't too common until the last year or two of the war. The Soviets were not in the business of technological advancement. They were in the business of pumping out cheap, reliable, proven weapons.

[Codreanu]

2 hours ago, weapon2010 said:

 Why did the Russians feel no need to make/develop such a weapon? And why did the Americans not supply it to them?

Soviets got quite a few bazookas and PIATs through lend-lease and didn't like either of them for various reasons. Seems like light AT guns and AT rifles just fit their style of fighting better until they became truly outdated.

https://www.tankarchives.ca/2017/08/lend-lease-impressions-bazooka.html

https://www.tankarchives.ca/2020/10/piat-review.html

[chuckdyke]

2 hours ago, weapon2010 said:

Why did the Russians feel no need to make/develop such a weapon?

They had a thing called the SU100.

[weapon2010]

1 hour ago, Codreanu said:

few bazookas and PIATs through lend-lease

ok , they are just not represented in the game

[chuckdyke]

Just now, weapon2010 said:

ok , they are just not represented in the game

The Soviet captured plenty of Panzerfausts.

[domfluff]

https://www.tankarchives.ca/2017/08/lend-lease-impressions-bazooka.html

Fundamentally, ATRs and AT Guns do the job better and with less complexity at the ranges they were fighting tanks at, and in the late war (especially once you start getting into cities, and the close range started to matter a lot more) there were plenty of Panzerfausts to go around.

(Ah, linked above, no matter).

Edited May 4, 2022 by domfluff

[Warts 'n' all]

@weapon2010No, it's only the captured fausts that appear in Fire and Rubble.

[Ts4EVER]

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed by this: The Soviets used M1 Bazookas and PIATs in 1944, but only as a replacement for 45mm AT guns in OSNAZ (amphibious) units. These units were not able to tow their guns across rivers, so they were issued with launchers instead. There is a still from a news reel showing one at a river crossing, although I can't find it right now. Since the Schwimmwagen was included I always assumed the DUKW and the OSNAZ units would be in as well, but alas.

 

Edit: To go into some more detail, a combat report:

 

Quote

"Since August 1944 the "Piat" anti-tank rifles of cumulative action did not prove to be effective, and few of them had to be used in practice, as they have a number of drawbacks, namely: 1) "Piat" rifle can only be fired from a cover due to the fact that the shooter was injured by a shrapnel from mine explosion. 2. The longest firing range of "Piat" rifle is 100 m, and the smallest effective range is 60 m. 3. When fired, "Piat" projectile (mine) has to touch the target with its head, which has a blasting cap, only at right angles. If the target is not hit by the limb of the head, the mine does not explode. 4. 'Piat" rifle is heavy - it's weight is 16 kg. 5. The rifle is designed purely for defense, the purpose of a battalion is different. Based on the foregoing, we consider it expedient to remove the "Piat" rifle from the armament of the unit, since the experience of the battles conducted has shown that it is not applicable. In addition, 5 vehicles are used to carry mines for "Piat". It is advisable, instead of "Piat" rifles, to increase the firepower of SMG companis by introducing 6 HMGs to each company, 12 in total, and, as anti-tank weapons, it is advisable to include a tank destroyer battery on Studebaker trucks to the battalion TO&E."

 

A commendation:

1. "Piat" rifle gunner Junior Sergeant Degtyarev - participant of the battles from Odessa to Vienna. In the battles for the city of Belgrade (Yugoslavia) on Lake Balaton (Hungary), he showed examples of courage and bravery. In the last battles on the Raba River on March 28, 1945, he was one of the first to cross the enemy shore. He captured the "tongue", destroying together with other fighters up to 25 enemy soldiers.

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by Ts4EVER