The PIAT: History's Worst Ever Rocket Launcher?

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It's definitely not the worse rocket launcher ever built. Probably because it's actually a Spigot mortar, not a rocket launcher!

The fact that you don't give away your position when firing it, and can fire it from indoors... Makes for a significant advantage depending on how you use it.

On the plus side, using one of these in combat yielded very high odds of being awarded the Victoria Cross ...

As a 20 year army veteran I qualified on 17 weapon systems. All I will say is that it's better to have and not want than to want and not have. It filled the need and worked. There have been many great weapons and many crap weapons. If it did the job at the time then it was worthy of having it.

Whenever I think of the PIAT I think of Anthony Hopkins in A Bridge Too Far shouting, “Bring up the PIAT! Make sure it’s in range!” And then the soldier fires too early and missed.

The piat if used correctly could kill any tank on the battle field. They were also used to mortar enemy troops. They didn't have a deadly back blast like the bazooka and could be used in confined places

the piat was hard to cock and use at times however in italy they used the piat as a mini mortar due to the terrain and unlike a large amount of the anti tank launchers the piat could be used inside buildings quite safel which does give it alot of versatility

I met a man who fought in the Warsaw Uprising a few years back. He told me there were very few Allied air drops but if one got through people really hoped it had a Piat in it. They were really valued weapons. I guess in an urban environment they were very effective against armour.

One of the best lines from the movie, "A Bridge to Far"..."Bring up the PIAT!!!!!".

My father served in Sicily, Italy and Holland, with the 1st RCR. I think he served as a rifleman, did recon and forward observing, and ran a mortar crew. I never heard him talk much about PIAT guns. When I was a kid, I asked him if they had Bazookas, (because all kids love bazookas) and he said they had PIAT's, but he said it in a way that told me he didn't think much of them. He seemed to put more emphasis on the Bren gun as a anti-tank weapon, as some rounds had enough to penetrate but not enough to exit, meaning they'd ricochet around inside the crew compartment causing havoc. I tend to think this couldn't be done against all tanks or armor. The attendant at our local RCR museum at Wolseley Barracks told me of a person who brought in a PIAT gun, found in the effects of a veteran who had passed away.

The tank museum, Bovington has a video about the PIAT in which they demonstrate how to cock the spring while under fire, a procedure which looks to all the world like a man kicking and wrestling a mechanical pig to the ground.

Seems like the PIAT did well under very controlled conditions. But in the chaotic battlefield, in the fog of war, I think solider, from any military, would rather have a different weapon, such as the panzerfaust, panzerschreck, and even the bazooka. The weapon wasn't useless, however, and, if the soldier had training with it, it was effective.

A long time ago I met Smokey Smith the Canadian soldier who earned the VC for taking out a panther with PIIAT. He said he got lucky with it and was not a fan of it.

Experienced Infantry with a short ranged, effective anti tank weapon has little to fear from armored vehicles. Yes, the PIAT could have been lighter, and easier to use, but it’s ability to penetrate armored vehicles was well noted. Seriously, Simon. You could describe paint drying and people would still tune in to your videos.

PIAT was great depending on the memoirs read, it could kill a tank without giving your position away, and that was a priceless perk

Reading about the PIAT it was an interesting stop-gap. Basically a direct-fire mortar launcher.

“Far from perfect” describes all military equipment which is why mo weapon system is universally beloved. “Good enough if you use it right” describes every weapon I was ever issued. By that standard, I don’t think we can revile the Piat as notably bad.

I've read that PIAT stood for Point It At Tanks. 😅

1:06 the soldiers verdict 13:25 other sources 17:56 closing thoughts