Bazooka
Bazooka is the widely used name for a family of American man-portable recoilless anti-tank rocket launchers first fielded during World War II.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Bazooka is the informal name that became universally associated with the United States Army's early man-portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launchers. The weapon was designed to give infantry a means of delivering a shaped-charge warhead against armored vehicles, machine-gun positions, bunkers, and other fortified targets at substantially greater range than a hand grenade or a mine. Unlike a conventional gun, the launcher was an open-ended tube that allowed the rocket's exhaust to escape behind the operator, making it a recoilless system rather than a closed-breech firearm. The weapon combined two technological developments. The first was rocket propulsion for military projectiles, a field advanced in the United States by Robert H. Goddard and later developed for wartime use by engineers and defense researchers. The second was the shaped-charge anti-tank warhead. The Army had developed the M10 grenade, but its weight made it impractical to throw and its rifle-launched successors were not sufficiently capable. A rocket motor provided a practical delivery system for a more powerful shaped charge. The decisive prototype work took place in 1942. U.S. Army Colonel Leslie Skinner assigned Lieutenant Edward Uhl to devise a way to launch the M10 grenade's warhead by rocket. Uhl used a tube as a shoulder-fired launcher, protecting the operator from the rocket motor's rearward exhaust. At a competitive test at Aberdeen Proving Ground in May 1942, the new launcher hit a moving tank while the competing spigot mortars failed to do so. The improvised sights used during the demonstration had reportedly been made from a wire clothes hanger and a broken nail. Major General Gladeon Barnes, who observed the test, compared the tube-like weapon to the musical instrument used by comedian Bob Burns, helping establish the nickname Bazooka. The first standardized version was the M1, followed by the simplified and improved M1A1. Their 2.36-inch rockets initially suffered reliability problems, including failures to ignite, rockets sticking in the tube, and premature detonations. Ammunition, ignition, sighting, and launcher construction were progressively revised. The M6A3 rocket adopted a rounded nose to reduce ricochets from sloped armor, while later designs improved fuzes and flight stability. The M9 and M9A1 launchers introduced improved sights, reinforced construction, and a two-section tube intended to improve portability, although the accumulated modifications made the final versions heavier and more complex than the original concept. Bazookas were widely deployed by American forces during World War II and proved influential in infantry anti-armor tactics. Captured examples were studied by Germany, which developed the larger-caliber Panzerschreck. Japan also produced a broadly comparable rocket launcher late in the war. In the Korean War, the original M1 and M9 series gave way to the larger-caliber M20 Super Bazooka. The bazooka name subsequently entered general language as a loose description for shoulder-fired rocket or missile weapons and as a metaphor for the use of powerful measures. The subject is therefore a military weapon family and historical term, not a consumer-goods brand.
History
The technology associated with the bazooka emerged from two separate lines of development: rocket propulsion and shaped-charge ammunition. During World War I, Robert H. Goddard and Clarence N. Hickman demonstrated a tube-fired rocket for the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground on November 6, 1918. The project was abandoned after the armistice and Goddard's illness, but the underlying work contributed to later American interest in military rockets. Hickman subsequently helped guide rocket development during World War II through his work with the National Defense Research Committee. The Army's shaped-charge work produced the M10 anti-tank grenade. Although the grenade could defeat significant armor, it was too heavy for practical hand throwing. A smaller M9 version could be launched from rifles, but the Army still lacked a reliable infantry weapon capable of delivering a substantial shaped charge over useful distance. In 1942, Colonel Leslie Skinner gave Lieutenant Edward Uhl the task of creating a rocket delivery system for the M10 warhead. Uhl adapted a tube that was large enough to contain the rocket and open at the rear so that exhaust could pass away from the operator. The prototype was tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground in May 1942 against several competing spigot-mortar designs. Despite having improvised sights, the launcher struck a moving tank while the other systems did not. The result prompted senior Army support and an order for thousands of launchers. The first production design was the M1, followed by the M1A1, which simplified the forward grip and other features. The weapon used electrically initiated rockets and was paired initially with M6-series ammunition. Operational use revealed significant shortcomings. Early rockets could stick in the launch tube or detonate prematurely, leading ordnance personnel to improve manufacturing controls, reinforce launch tubes, and revise ignition systems. Later rockets received better fuzes, modified fins, and rounded noses to reduce the risk of ricochet against angled armor. The M9 launcher introduced an improved aperture sight, and the M9A1 later received an optical reflector sight. The launcher was eventually divided into two sections joined by a bayonet connection, making it easier to transport, particularly for airborne troops. These improvements increased reliability and effectiveness but also made the later weapon heavier and less simple than the original design. The nickname came from the launcher’s perceived resemblance to a musical instrument called a bazooka, invented and popularized in the 1930s by American comedian Bob Burns. The word itself had earlier slang and literary uses, but the weapon made it internationally recognizable. American soldiers used the M1 and M1A1 extensively during World War II, and the system became one of the best-known infantry anti-tank weapons of the conflict. German forces captured examples and developed the larger 8.8 cm Panzerschreck, while Japan developed the Type 4 70 mm anti-tank rocket launcher near the end of the war. The Army continued to experiment with different ammunition types. In addition to anti-tank rockets, smoke rockets were used for screening, marking, blinding opposing gunners or vehicle crews, and forcing personnel from protected positions. Incendiary rockets were also developed for use against structures, unarmored vehicles, and combustible supplies. A chemical rocket containing cyanogen chloride was standardized for the M9 and M9A1 launchers but was never issued to combat personnel or deployed. By late 1944, American ordnance officials had begun developing a larger 3.5-inch launcher after combat reports indicated that the existing system and its rockets could be inadequate against some armor. The M20 Super Bazooka was not completed in time for World War II but replaced the earlier series in the Korean War. The name Bazooka survived beyond the specific M1, M9, and M20 models and is now commonly used in informal speech for a range of shoulder-fired rocket or missile weapons.
- 1950
Super Bazooka enters Korean War service
[1]The larger-caliber M20 Super Bazooka replaced the earlier M1 and M9 families during the Korean War.
- 1945
Chemical rocket standardized but not deployed
[1]The Army standardized an M26 cyanogen-chloride rocket for the M9 and M9A1 platform, but it was never issued to combat personnel or used operationally.
- 1944
M9 and M9A1 improvements
[1]The M9 series incorporated improved sights and other design changes, while the M9A1 used a two-part launcher tube to improve transportability.
- 1944
Larger-caliber successor begins development
[1]After assessments of captured German anti-tank rocket launchers and American combat experience, the U.S. Ordnance Corps began developing the 3.5-inch M20 launcher.
- 1943
Reliability problems drive redesign
[1]Reports of rockets sticking and detonating prematurely prompted improvements to launcher reinforcement, ammunition manufacture, ignition, and testing procedures.
- 1942
Prototype launcher succeeds at Aberdeen
[1]A rocket launcher designed around the M10 shaped-charge grenade hit a moving tank during a competitive trial at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The performance led to senior Army backing and an order for thousands of units.
- 1942
M1 launcher enters standardization
[1]The first standardized 2.36-inch bazooka launcher was designated the M1, establishing the basic open-ended, shoulder-fired configuration.
- 1918
Early tube-fired rocket demonstration
[1]Robert H. Goddard and Clarence N. Hickman demonstrated a tube-fired military rocket for the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The project was discontinued shortly afterward as World War I ended.
Products and positioning
A portable infantry anti-armor system intended to extend the effective range and power of shaped-charge attacks beyond what could be achieved with hand-thrown or rifle-launched grenades.
2.36-inch anti-tank rocket launcher · 1942
M1 Bazooka
The M1 was the first standardized American bazooka. It used an open-ended shoulder-fired tube to launch a rocket carrying a shaped-charge warhead. Its sights and launcher construction were relatively simple, but early ammunition and ignition systems presented reliability problems that led to later modifications.
2.36-inch anti-tank rocket launcher · 1942
M1A1 Bazooka
The M1A1 simplified the original launcher, including removal of the forward hand grip. It was paired with improved rocket ammunition and became an important American infantry anti-armor weapon during World War II. Many earlier M1 launchers were modified toward the M1A1 standard.
2.36-inch anti-tank rocket launcher · 1944
M9 Bazooka
The M9 introduced a more advanced sighting arrangement and was intended to fire improved ammunition such as the M6A3 rocket. The rounded rocket nose reduced the tendency to deflect from sloped armor, while the launcher incorporated changes developed from field experience.
2.36-inch anti-tank rocket launcher · 1944
M9A1 Bazooka
The M9A1 was the mature form of the wartime 2.36-inch bazooka. Its tube was divided into two sections joined by a bayonet connection, making the launcher easier to carry. It also incorporated improved sighting and ignition-related features, though these additions increased weight and complexity.
3.5-inch anti-tank rocket launcher
M20 Super Bazooka
The M20 was a larger-caliber successor developed in response to concerns about the effectiveness of the earlier launchers against improved armor. Its development began during World War II, but it did not enter combat until the Korean War, when it replaced the earlier bazooka series.
Anti-tank rocket ammunition
M6-series rockets
The M6 family supplied the principal anti-tank ammunition for the 2.36-inch launchers. Successive variants addressed ignition, fuze, flight, and impact-angle problems. The M6A3 used a rounded nose and improved fin arrangement and was intended to provide more reliable effects against angled armor.
Smoke rocket ammunition
M10-series rockets
M10 and related smoke rockets replaced the anti-tank warhead with white phosphorus. They could screen movement, mark targets, obstruct enemy gunners or vehicle crews, and help drive personnel from bunkers, although the burning phosphorus particles also posed serious injury risks.
Brand decisions
1944
Move toward the M20 Super BazookaStrategyBackground
American assessments concluded that the 2.36-inch launcher and its ammunition could provide inadequate effects against some increasingly well-protected armored targets. Captured German Panzerschreck examples also influenced the evaluation.
Action taken
The U.S. Ordnance Corps began development of a larger 3.5-inch anti-tank rocket launcher designated the M20.
Aftermath
The M20 was completed after World War II and replaced the earlier bazooka family in the Korean War.
1943
Reliability and ammunition revisionsGeneration changeBackground
Field reports identified rockets that could stick in launch tubes or detonate prematurely, while pointed warheads could deflect from angled armor.
Action taken
Army ordnance organizations revised manufacturing checks, launcher reinforcement, ignition systems, rocket fuzes, fins, and warhead geometry.
Aftermath
The improved ammunition and later launcher variants offered more dependable operation and better performance at low impact angles.
1942
Adoption of the first standardized BazookaProduct launchBackground
The U.S. Army needed a practical way to deliver a heavy shaped-charge anti-tank warhead after the M10 grenade proved too heavy to throw and rifle-launched alternatives were limited.
Action taken
Following the successful Aberdeen trial, the Army ordered production of the M1 launcher and subsequently introduced the simplified M1A1.
Aftermath
The launcher gave American infantry a portable rocket-based anti-armor capability and became widely associated with World War II ground combat.
Recent events
- 2012
Bazooka business separated from The Topps Company[2]
M&A
The Bazooka business became part of the separately operated Bazooka Companies following the sale of Topps to Tornante and Madison Dearborn Partners.
- 1947
Bazooka introduced as a new Topps bubble-gum brand[3]
Product launch
The Topps Company launched Bazooka as a pink bubble gum sold in individual wrappers, establishing the product line that later became known for comic packaging.
Bazooka Joe comic strips became a defining part of the brand[3]
Campaign · Other
Short comic strips featuring Bazooka Joe and recurring supporting characters became associated with Bazooka wrappers and helped turn the package into a collectible brand asset.
Sources3 sources
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