yeovil at waR

Projector, Infantry, Anti-tank

Weapons of the Home Guard

 

The Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank, commonly called the PIAT, was a British hand-held anti-tank weapon that entered service in 1943 and was issued to a few Somerset Home Guard units.

The weapon was essentially a steel tube barrel with an internal spigot, trigger mechanism and firing spring. When cocked and fired the firing spring pushed the spigot into the base of the bomb projectile to detonate the propellant contained within the bomb.

It weighed 32 pounds (15kg) and was 3' 3" (0.99m) long with a muzzle velocity of 250 feet per second (76 m/s), an effective range of 100 yards (90m) and a maximum range of 750 yards (690m).

 

Adapted from my e-book "A Photographic Guide to the Taunton Stop Line"

 

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