Normandy 6 June 44

WWII  Paratroopetr


American Airborne soldier in 1945 with a M18 recoilless rifle, Germany. (Photo: Robert Capa)

The M18 recoilless rifle was a 57 mm shoulder fired anti-tank recoilless rifle used by the U.S. Army in WW2 and the Korean War. Recoilless rifles were capable of firing artillery-type shells at reduced velocities comparable to those of standard cannon. They had greater accuracy than anti-tank weapons that used unguided rockets - and could be fired almost entirely without recoil. The M18 was a breech-loaded, single-shot, man-portable, crew-served weapon. It could be used in both anti-tank and anti-personnel roles. The weapon could be both shoulder fired or stabilized using a monopod.


The first 50 production M18 57 mm recoilless rifles were rushed from the factories to the European Theater in March 1945. The first combat the new weapon saw was with the U.S. Army's 17th Airborne Division near Essen, Germany.
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