The encyclopediae of antitank weaponry - rifles, Guns, missiles and other devices like mines from WW1 to today

The Antitank Encyclopedia

Antitank warfare in WW1

It's very clear that as soon as tanks were introduced on the battlefield, at Flers-Courcelette in April 1917 (battle of the Somme) it provoked the expected panic within Germans troops at first. The revolutionary new weapon proved its worth. However as soon as reports of these reach the German High Command, countr-measures were st in place: Instructions for field artillery to fire in direct trajectory on tanks, K-bullets for regular rifles distributed to the infantry, and deveopement od a dedicated antitank rifle. This was only the beginning.

Development in WW2

During WW2, belligerents used dozens of different models of antitank weapons, ranging from interwar antitank rifles to dual purpose high velocity guns like the feared German 88 mm, mines and even rockets. WW2 showed also a race to have these new antitank guns placed in armoured vehicles and tanks as soon as possible. At the end of the war, cruisers-caliber guns were not uncommon on the battlefield, but infantry, with the Panzerfaust or the Bazooka, now had means to defeat tanks. Still, no guided antitank missile was at hand but the Ruhrstahl X-4 to 10 series (Rotkäppchen).

Cold war Tech

The great revolution of the cold war, already tested in 1944, was the missile. Instead of trying to fire on a tank at a distance, it was soon found safer and more effective to send a missile on a tank or any armoured vehicle. Soon, missiles entered the fray and rapidly earned their battlefield laurels at multiple occasions. Tanks were protected against them, in a race which is still on today. From heavy missiles to portable ones such as the RPG, the catalog of antitank weaponry and new adversaries for tanks, like dedicated planes such as the A-10 and Frogfoot or combat helicopters, further complicated the environment in which armoured vehicles operates. It clearly made it more threatening, in particular in an urban environment.

Future antitank warfare

Antitank and tank guns guns are defeated now by the most recent and advanced armour combinations, forcing to devise new, faster projectiles and triple level shaped charges or equivalent. However the most recent relatively high tech solution had been to target arguably the weakest part of a tank, its deck and rood armor. The best way is to use a slealthy drone, with any kind of AT payload. Drones are affordable and way more discreet than classic helicopters or aircraft. Belarus for example has developed recently an antitank rocket lifted by four small props. L'Iran à dévelopé un drone antichar portant des missiles Sadid-I. Et il y a les munitions antichar lancées par l'artillerie portée. Ce n'est que le début.

WW1 Antitank weaponry

WWI antitank guns & rifles

As entente tanks entered the fray, the Germans quickly adapted past the surprise and adopted the K bullet, the Tankgewehr M1918 rifle, the MG18, and the antitank gun 3.7 cm TAK 1918. These were the first attempts to stop tanks, and a race, which is still not over, started more than 100 years ago...

WW2 Antitank rifles, guns, rockets and Self propelled grenades

Killing Tanks became an industry

It was clear for all in 1918 that tanks needed a countermeasure, and interwar light guns, even machine-guns and still rifles seemed to do the job. But with armour progresses, heavier guns and infantry weapons such as the piat, bazooka and panzerfaust became a new threat for tanks.

Cold War AT guns and missiles

The missile revolution

Both NATO and the Warsaw pact, benefiting from German research in 1945, progressed in the field of missiles, and the 1950s saw an explosion of models, even carried by dedicated tanks or going to infantry fighting vehicles. Armour progressed accordingly and the race intensified until 1990, and is not over yet.

Modern AT guns and missiles

A global industry

A paradox of 2020 is that tanks are somewhat contested or abandoned, their conception going back sometimes 40 years prior, while versatile infantry fighting vehicles of all kind, wheeled or tracked, seems on the rise. Whereas guns are no longer used, new AT missiles seems defeated by armor for the first time.

Antitank Guns & Antitank List:

13.2 MG 18 TuF (WWI)
3.7 cm TAK 1918 (WWI)
25 mm Hotchkiss ATG (Fr)
25 mm APX modèle 1937 (Fr)
Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun (Jap)
Type 97 20 mm AT Gun (Jap)
2.8 cm sPzB 41 (Nazi Germany)
AC 37 AT gun (Fr)
3.7 cm PaK 35/36 (Nazi Germany)
37-mm anti-tank gun M1930 (1-K) (USSR)
Type 94 37 mm (Japan)
37 mm Bofors (Sweden)
37 mm gun M3 (US)
3,7cm KPÚV vz. 34 (Czechoslovakia)
3,7cm KPÚV vz. 37 (Czechoslovakia)
Ordnance QF 2 pounder (UK)
Vickers Type 40 mm AT/AA Gun (Japan)
4.2 cm PaK 41 (Nazi Germany)
45 mm anti-tank gun M1932 (19-K) (USSR)
45-mm anti-tank gun M1937 (53-K) (USSR)
45-mm anti-tank gun M1942 (M-42) (USSR)
C.47 F.R.C. Mod.31 (Belgium)
47 SA 37 (Fr)
Type 1 anti-tank gun (Japan)
4cm kanón vz. 36 (Czechoslovakia)
4,7cm KPÚV vz. 38 (Czechoslovakia)
4.7 cm Böhler (Austria)
Cannone da 47/32 M35 (Italy)
AC 47 anti-tank gun (Fr)
47 mm Schneider-Concordia (Romania)
5 cm PaK 38 (Nazi Germany)
57-mm anti-tank gun M1941 and M1943 (ZiS-2) (USSR)
QF 6 pounder 7 cwt (UK)
57mm M1 Antitank Gun (US)
7.5 cm PaK 97/38 (Nazi Germany)
7.5 cm PaK 40 (Nazi Germany)
7.5 cm PaK 50 (Nazi Germany)
75 mm Reșița Model 1943 (Romania)
7.5 cm PaK 41 (Nazi Germany)
7.62 cm PaK 36(r) (Nazi Germany)
76.2 QF 17 pounder Gun (UK)
76.2 3-inch Gun M5 (US)
8 cm PAW 600 (Nazi Germany)
8.8 cm PaK 43/41 (Nazi Germany)
90mm Gun (US)

85 mm vz. 52 (Czechoslovakia)
85 mm antitank gun D-48 (USSR)
MECAR KEnerga 90mm Belgium
GIAT CN90F1/DEFA D921 (Fr)
Pak 57 (Switzerland)
10 cm PAW 1000 (Nazi Germany)
100-mm field gun M1944 (BS-3) USSR
2A19/T-12 USSR
2A29/MT-12 Russia
100 mm vz. 53 Czechoslovakia
Type 86 anti-tank gunf China
100 mm anti-tank gun M1977 Romania
105mm Gun T8 US
2A60 Russia
2A45 Russia
12.8 cm PaK 44 Nazi Germany

Antitank Missiles:

Australian Malkara
Argentina: Mathogo
Belarus: Shershen
Brazil: MSS-1.2 * FOG-MPM * ALAC
Canada: ERYX
China: CM-501G * AFT-10 * PA02-MA * PA01-GA * TS-01 * HJ-73 * HJ-8 * HJ-9 * CM-502KG * HJ-11 * HJ-10 * BA-9 * BA-7 * AR-1 * AKD-10 * Type 98 anti-tank rocket * Type 78/65 * AFT-10 * HJ-12
Croatia: AT-4
France: APILAS * Entac * ERYX * SS.10 * SS.11 * MILAN * MMP
Germany: Cobra/Cobra 2000 * Mamba * HOT * PARS 3
Hungary: 44M HU
India: DRDO ATM * Amogha * Nag * MPATGM * VEM Jasmine
Indonesia: Saxhorn-2/Metis-M
Iran: RAAD * Tosan * Dehlavie * Saeghe * Toophan
Israel: Orev * MAPATS * LAHAT * Spike * Nimrod
Italy: Mosquito
Japan: Type 64 MAT * Type 79 Jyu-MAT * Type 87 Chu-MAT * Type 96 MPMS * Type 01 LMAT
Jordan: Terminator
North Korea: Bulsae-1 * Bulsae-2 * Bulsae-3
South Korea: Hyungung (Raybolt)
Pakistan: Baktar Shikan
Poland: Pirat (ATGM)
Serbia: Bumbar * ALAS
South Africa: ZT3 Ingwe * Mokopa
USSR/Russia: Drakon (IT-1) * Taifun * 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) * 3M11 Falanga (AT-2 Swatter) * 9M14 Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) * 9M111 Fagot (AT-4 Spigot) * 9M112 Kobra (AT-8 Songster) * 9M113 Konkurs (AT-5 Spandrel) * 9K114 Shturm (AT-6 Spiral) * 9K115 Metis (AT-7 Saxhorn) * 9K115-2 Metis-M (AT-13 Saxhorn-2) * 9K116-1 Bastion (AT-10 Stabber) * 9K118 Sheksna (AT-12 Swinger) * 9M119 Svir * 9M119M Refleks (AT-11 Sniper) * 9M120 Ataka (AT-9 Spiral-2) * 9K121 Vikhr (AT-16 Scallion) * 9M123 Khrizantema (AT-15 Springer) * 9M133 Kornet (AT-14 Spriggan) * 9M133M Kornet-M * Hermes-A
Sweden: Bantam * RBS 56 BILL * RBS 56B BILL 2 * MBT LAW
Switzerland: Cobra
Turkey: Cirit * Mızrak-O * UMTAS * Karaok manpad
United Kingdom: Malkara * Red Planet * Swingfire * Brimstone * Vickers Vigilant * MBT LAW
United States: M47 Dragon * Javelin * SRAW BGM-71 TOW * AGM-114 Hellfire
Ukraine: RK-3 Corsar * Skif (ATGM)

Blast type Antitank Mines:

AC NM AE T1, ADWAT, AT-8 (Cuba), ATM-72/74/75/96, BLU-91, C-3-A/B, Cardoen AT, CC 48/42/2-42/3, DM-11, Flachmine, FMK-3/5, Hawkins grenade, LPZ, M/47, M1/M1A1, M4, M5, M6, M7, M15, M19, M51/52 MACI, M/71, M75, M/80, M453, M1935/1936, MAT/5/6, MAT-62B/76/84-F5, MATS/1.4, MATS/2, MATS/2.6, MGP-31, MI AC PR, Mk 2/3/4/5/7, MKT Mod 72, MKTBT, Model 41-47/47-52/67, Model 1948, MP-APVL 83-F4, MPP-B Wierzba, Na-Mi-Ba, No 6/8/25/26, NV-41, P2/P3 Mk2, Panssarimiina m/36/39/40/44, Pappmine, PDM-1/1M/2/2M/6, Pignone P-1/2, PM-60 mine (K-1), PMZ-40, PRB M3, PRB-111, PT-56, PT Mi-Ba, PT Mi-Ba-II, PT Mi-Ba-III, PP Mi-D, PT Mi-K, PTM-80P, SACI, SB-81, SBP-04/07, SH-55, T-IV, T-AB-1, TC/2.4/3.6/6, Tellermine 29/35/42/43, TM-46, TMM-1, TMA-1/2/3/4/5, TMB-1/2, TMN-46, TMSB, TM-35/38/41/44/46/57/62/65, TMD-1/2/40/44, TMD-B, TMM-1, Topfmine A/B/C, TQ-Mi, Type I bakelite, Type 2 AT, Type II bakelite, Type 3 mine, Type 9 wooden ATM, Type 63/72/93/96/99, Volcano mine system, VS-1.6/2.2/3.6, VS-AT4, YaM-5 box mine, YM-II/III mine.

Shaped charge/Misznay Schardin effect Antitank Mines:

Adrushy, ARGES, AT2, ATM 6/7/2000E, BAT/7, FFV 016/028, HAK-1, Hohl-Sprung, HPD-1/2/3, K441/442, Kasia 100/170, L14A1, KB-PTM, KRIZNA-D, M21/24, MC-71, MIACAH F1, MI AC Disp F1 Minotaur, MIFF, Mine Anti-Tank Non-detectable 1A/3A, MN-111/121/123, MPB, MSM MK2, MUSA/MUSPA, No 8 mine, Panzer stab 43, PARM 1/2, PD Mi-PK, PT Mi-D1, PT Mi-P, PT Mi-U, PTM-3, Pz Mi 88, SATM, SB-MV/1, SLAM, T-93, TM-72/83/89, TMK-2, TMRP-7, Type 84, UKA-63, VS-HCT/2/4, VS-SATM1 mine.

Full-width Antitank Mines:

Barmine, BAT/7, FFV 028 (Stridsvagnsmina 6), MSM MK2, Riegel mine 43, Riegel mine 44, V-3 (N5) mine, VS-HCT/HCT2/HCT4 mine.

Side-attack Antitank Mines:

Addermine, Anti-Transport, ARGES/MACPED, ATIS, ATM 6, ATM 7, AVC 100, AVC 195, FFV 018, L14A1, Kasia 100/170/200, M24, MON-100/200, MPB, PARM 1/2, PD Mi-PK, PMN-150/250, TEMP 30, TM-83, wide area M93 HORNET mine.