RPG-6

The RPG-6 (Russian Ruchnaya Protivotankovaya Granata, "Handheld Anti-Tank Grenade") was a Soviet-era anti-tank hand-grenade used during the late World War II and early Cold War period.

History[]

The RPG-6 was designed as a replacement for the RPG-43 after the Battle of Kursk.^[1]

It underwent testing in September 1943, and was accepted into service in October 1943.^[1] First RPG-6 grenades were used against Axis troops in last week of October 1943.^[2]

The weapon was a success and went into mass production in late 1943. During the war, RPG-6 grenades being used alongside the RPG-43.^[1]

In the USSR, some grenades were kept in storage even after the end of the World War II.^[1]

Design[]

It operated on the "Munroe effect" principle, in which a metal-lined cone-shaped explosive charge would generate a focused jet of hot metal that could penetrate armor-plate.^[1]

It was a conical casing enclosing a shaped charge and containing 562 grams of TNT, fitted with a and four cloth ribbons to provide stability in flight after throwing. It could penetrate approximately 100 millimeters of armour. The RPG-6 had a fragmentation radius of 20 metres from the point of detonation, and proved useful against infantry as well as tanks.

The RPG-43 had a large warhead, but was designed to detonate in contact with a tank's armour; it was later found that optimal performance was gained from a HEAT warhead if it exploded a short distance from the armour, roughly the same distance as the weapon's diameter. In the RPG-6 this was achieved by adding a hollow pointed nose section with the impact fuse in it, so that when the weapon detonated the warhead was at the optimum distance from the armour.

References[]

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