PIAT anti tank projectile ( Projectile,infantry,anti-tank)

I'd like to kick off my membership by telling the story of my Father in Law's service in Italy during WW2. When serving with the Royal Artillery he was seconded to various infantry regiments to advise them on the use of new weaponry. Late in 1944 when in Italy he was ordered to go to a regimental H.Q. and instruct their infantry N.C.O's on the use of the above anti tank weapon ( for those of you who don't know, the PIAT was a very weird piece of kit which consisted of a heavy and bulky projectile which was essentially shot from something that looked like a piece of old piping, BUT, the best part was that it wasn't either rocket or cartridge powered, but was shot out by cocking a very powerful spring. The accepted way of cocking the spring was by laying on one's back and putting a foot in a stirrup and then pushing hard ! It was a real example of good old British make and mend, but also proved itself to be an effective tank killer.
Anyway, he had been lecturing for some while when a armoured car schreeched to a halt nearby and told them that a few German tanks (including a Tiger) were coming this way. At this point the infantry C.O. attending the lecture grabbed the launcher and threw it into the back of his jeep, along with a couple of heavy wooden boxes each of which contained one projectile. Ordering my Father in Law to drive, they set off to attack the German tanks. Finding a nice ambush spot on a tree lined bend, they hid the jeep and took cover. A tank engine was soon heard, but unfortunately the Tiger tank crew also recognised the bend for the good ambush spot it was , and they pulled off the road and began climbing a nearby hill which provided a good vantage point. Picking up the launcher and a projectile box , the two Brits then began to carefully ascend the hill intent on stalking the Tiger. Gradually they drew ever closer crawling on their bellies through the long grass, until they were within range of the Tiger's vulnerable rear end, but they were then spotted by the tank commander in the turret. Slowly, ever so slowly the tank's turret began to traverse backwards and the evil snout of the 88 mm gun drew ever closer. Since death by high explosive shell was imminent, my Pa-in-Law grabbed the projector from the Colonel and hurling himself onto his back he stuck a leg up into the air to cock the launcher, at the same time shouting at the Colonel to open up the box and hand him the projectile, only to see the Colonel hurl himself over some nearby bushes and start galloping downhill like a man possessed. Still with one leg in the air Pa-in-Law scrabbled backwards over to the box laying nearby. It was empty !!!!!!
They had brought the box of a projectile fired earlier as a demonstration !
That was the start of a stretch in a German POW camp for my Pa-in-Law !
Cheers,
Marlin.

 

A humourous, but, unfortunately, tragic story.

I'm glad to know that not all British colonels would run in horror at the sight of a mere Tiger.

 

"Stalking a Tiger"

Actually, the story is not so tragic as it seems,since my Father-in-Law went on to survive and spend the rest of the war in a German POW camp, whereas his unit suffered severe casualties in Normandy and the drive to the Rhine.
As for the infantry Lt. Colonel, well he continued to collect decorations for bravery for years afterwards (including in Malaya), so I guess that he just bottled out on that one time !..............and, let's face it, who's to say they wouldn't have done so themselves !
Marlin.

 

Re: "Stalking a Tiger"

well it was a simple choice die, surrender, or get the hell out of there.. after all there was no ammo for the piat so he really didnt have much of a choice

 

"Out of ammo. ! "

Actually, Gunter, there are no excuses that can be made for the senior officer buggering off and leaving his subordinate with a useless PIAT.
I never made it anywhere near the rank of Colonel ( when I returned from Vietnam I was given as a shut-up the rank of Captain (Temporary) for the few weeks I served as aide to a Major-General on a NATO weapons standardisation commitee** ) when I did my bit for Queen and Country, but even I always knew that the safety and welfare of my men was of paramount importance, and that they should never be left in situation like that. Although I haven't actually read it myself, my Father in Law told me that the Colonel (who went on to become a very senior politician in Britain after the war, and who died recently )stated in his biography that he both yelled and kicked at my Pa-in Law to let him know that they had no rocket and that getting away was the only thing that they could do. However, my Pa-in -Law ( being almost frozen with fear at the discovery of the "Tiger's" turret swinging around towards him)
always said that he never recalled being given any such warning !
Malladyne
** Now that will be a tale worth the telling when I write my autobiography ! Just imagine living in Brussels for a month or so and having French arms manufacturers showering you with wine,women and enough goodies to kit out Harrod's for a few months !!! Well, that's what happened to me ! And, of course, I declared it all to my C.O. !!!!

 

Maybe the truth to this story runs somewhere in the middle. Well not exactly middle but a combination of both the stories. perhaps the Colonel warned youy father but your father might not have heard him. I know i would be frozen with fear if i saw a massive 88mm gun being pointed at my head.

 

What on earth is "mere" about the tiger,after d-day thouse things were 1 tank roudblocks to berlin.

 

they were very slow though

 

Yea i know but it dousnt make it a bad tank.

 

A Tiger is still just a tank, and the Allies had plenty of weapons that could deal with them. Even the ubiquitous 6pdr had a chance of knocking out a Tiger from the front at sufficiently close range; that is not to mention 17pdr guns, 76mm guns, artillery, aircraft, bazookas etcetera. A colonel is quite a high-ranked officer; one would expect him to command a unit large enough to deal with a Tiger or two.

 

I never said those things were unkillable, its just call ing them "mere" makes then sound weaker then they are.

 

There's plenty of evidence to show that in extreme stress people fail to hear or see the most obvious things - they focus right down onto the key issue and ignore everything else.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

 

Case in point the attack by British Swordfish torpedo bombers on HMS Sheffield when they mistook her for Bismarck