RPG-2: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
← Older edit
No edit summary
Tag: Reverted
No edit summary
 
(5 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Weapons of Vietnam]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;text-align: center;width:90%"
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;text-align: center;width:90%"
|-
|-
Line 10: Line 12:
! [[Damage]]!! Radius  
! [[Damage]]!! Radius  
|-
|-
! rolspan=2 | Reload Speed
|-
|-
|-
|[[File:Flag_vc_new.png|50px]]<br><strong>[[VC]]</strong> || [[File:Rpg2.png|512px]]<br><b>[[RPG-2]]</b> || [[File:Weapon rpg2.svg|512px]] || [[File:Class_Engineer.png|50px]] <b>[[Engineer]]</b><br> || 1 / 2 || 125 || 200
|[[File:Flag_vc_new.png|50px]]<br><strong>[[VC]]</strong> || [[File:Rpg2.png|512px]]<br><b>[[RPG-2]]</b> || [[File:Weapon rpg2.svg|512px]] || [[File:Class_Engineer.png|50px]] <b>[[Engineer]]</b><br> || 1 / 2 || 125 || 175||3.5 Seconds
|-
|-
|}
|}
Line 26: Line 26:
! rolspan=2 | [[Muzzle Velocity]]
! rolspan=2 | [[Muzzle Velocity]]
! rolspan=2 | [[Projectile weight]]
! rolspan=2 | [[Projectile weight]]
! rolspan=2 | [[Weight]]
! colspan=2 | Reload Speed
|-
|-
|[[RPG-2]]||[[Grenade Launcher]]||Semi||12 RPM||3° & 1° [[ADS]]||Unaffected||60m/s||230 g (.5 lbs)||7 kg (15.43 lbs)   
|[[RPG-2]]||[[Grenade Launcher]]||Single Shot||12 RPM||3° & 1° [[ADS]]||Unaffected||60m/s||230 g (.5 lbs)||7 kg (15.43 lbs)||3.5 Seconds  
|-
|-
|}
|}
Line 48: Line 48:


<hr>
<hr>
The RPG-2 is a man-portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon that was designed in the Soviet Union. It was the first successful anti-tank weapon of its type, being a successor to the earlier and unsuccessful rocket-propelled grenade RPG-1.
The '''RPG-2''' is a man-portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon designed in the [[Soviet Union]]. It fires an 80 mm HEAT grenade propelled by a cartridge charge, giving it improved range and armor penetration over the earlier RPG-1 and influencing later designs such as the [[RPG-7]]. It is best known for widespread Cold War distribution and for extensive use in Vietnam under local designations like “B40.”
 
The RPG-2 offered better range and armor penetration, making it useful against late and post-World War II tanks, in contrast to the RPG-1 that had only marginal utility. The basic design and layout was further upgraded to produce the ubiquitous [[RPG-7]].
=HISTORY=
Studying German and US anti-tank rocket designs, in 1944 the Soviets began development of the RPG-1 with the goal of combining the best features of the German Panzerfaust single shot recoilless weapon with the US Bazooka rocket launcher. Propelled by a 30 mm cartridge, the 70 mm (2.8 in) high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge round could penetrate about 150 mm (5.9 in) of homogeneous armor.
 
Early testing revealed several minor problems, but, by the time these were being solved, 150 mm of penetration was no longer considered effective against modern tanks, even late-war designs like the Panther. The warhead was already straining the abilities of the cartridge and its range was already considered too low. Modifications to improve this began, but in 1947 the RPG-2 program began as a parallel project. Development of the RPG-2 was carried out by the GSKB-30 design bureau, originally part of the Commissariat for Munitions, but in the post-war period handed to the Ministry of Agriculture to help design farm equipment.


The main difference in performance between the two were due to size. The RPG-2 used a custom designed 40 mm (1.6 in) cartridge to provide much greater power, and the warhead enlarged to 80 mm (3.1 in). This improved penetration to 180 mm (7.1 in), which allowed it to penetrate the frontal armor of all but the very heaviest tanks, and the side and rear armor of any tank. The larger cartridge gave the PG-2 warhead slightly better practical range as well, about 150 m (490 ft) against stationary targets.
==HISTORY==
Soviet development of infantry anti-tank rockets accelerated in the final years of World War II, with the RPG-1 program seeking to combine concepts seen in the German Panzerfaust and U.S. Bazooka. When the RPG-1’s performance proved insufficient against evolving armor, a parallel effort produced the RPG-2, which adopted a larger propelling cartridge and an enlarged warhead to improve penetration and practical range. The RPG-2 entered Soviet service in 1954 and was typically employed with a two-man team concept (a gunner and assistant) in standard practice, even though the launcher could be operated by a single soldier.


The design of the PG-2 differed considerably from that of the PG-1 of the RPG-1. The rear section of the PG-1 consisted of a central tube holding the propelling charge, and a second tube around this carrying the fins. When the round was inserted into the launcher, the second tube was outside the launcher tube, requiring the front of the launcher to be free of any fittings. The PG-2 replaced the fins with small metal leaves attached to the inner tube, and eliminated the outer tube found on the PG-1. This allowed the entire propellant section to be inserted into the launcher, which in turn allowed the sights and trigger assembly to be mounted right at the front of the launcher. This slightly reduced the length compared to the RPG-1, made the entire assembly more robust, and allowed the use of conventional fore-and-aft sights.
The RPG-2 was widely exported and license-produced across Soviet-aligned states, including manufacture in [[China]] and in Vietnam. In the [[Vietnam War]], Vietnamese-produced or supplied RPG-2 family launchers and ammunition were commonly referred to as “B40,” with “B50” sometimes used to describe combinations using a different HEAT projectile type. In Vietnam, the RPG-2 became a major infantry anti-armor and anti-fortification weapon, valued for its simplicity and portability despite its shorter effective range compared to later launchers.


The new design was such an improvement on the earlier design that development of the RPG-1 ended in 1948. The first production versions of the RPG-2 entered service with the Soviet Army's infantry squads in 1954. Although the RPG-2 could be operated by one man, standard military practice called for a two-man crew: a grenadier carrying a Stechkin [[APS]], the launcher and a purpose-built backpack containing three [[grenades]] and an assistant armed with a rifle and carrying another three-grenade backpack.
===Sources===
* https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30025086 RPG-2 anti-tank grenade launcher | Imperial War Museums
* https://www.forgottenweapons.com/rpg-2/ RPG-2 | Forgotten Weapons
* https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/rpg-2.htm RPG-2 | GlobalSecurity.org
* https://smallarmsreview.com/the-rpg-2/ The RPG-2 | Small Arms Review


Widely distributed to allies of the Soviet Union, it was also produced under license by [[China]], [[North Vietnam]] and North Korea. Used against the U.S. military in the [[Vietnam War]], its Vietnamese variants were called the B40 (Ba Do Ka - "Bazooka 40mm") and B50. B50 was B40 using Chinese Type 50 HEAT warhead (Chinese version of PG-2).
<br>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPG-2 SOURCE]
<hr>
<hr>


 
<div class="mw-collapsible" style="border:1px solid #ccc; padding:5px; width:100%;">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="400px">
  <div style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">Real-Life Photos</div>
File:Iw rl rpg2 v1.jpg
  <div class="mw-collapsible-content" style="margin-top:0.5em;">
File:Rpg22.jpg
    <gallery mode="packed" heights="400px">
File:Rpg222.jpg
File:Iw rl rpg2 v1.jpg|RPG-2 launcher.
File:PG-2 grenade Kyiv 1.jpg
File:Rpg22.jpg|RPG-2 launcher.
File:VIEP-191200-FORT-DEVENS-09.jpg
File:Rpg222.jpg|RPG-2 launcher.
</gallery>
File:PG-2 grenade Kyiv 1.jpg|PG-2 80 mm HEAT grenade.
 
File:VIEP-191200-FORT-DEVENS-09.jpg|Vietnam-era RPG-2/B40 training or demonstration context.
    </gallery>
  </div>
</div>


<hr>
<hr>


 
<div class="mw-collapsible" style="border:1px solid #ccc; padding:5px; width:100%;">
{{#evt:
  <div style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">Videos</div>
service=youtube
  <div class="mw-collapsible-content" style="margin-top:0.5em;">
|id=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBQiL76X5ZQ
    {{#ev:youtube|PBQiL76X5ZQ}}
|alignment=inline
    {{#ev:youtube|ObmGhdPmENE}}
}}
  </div>
 
</div>
{{#evt:
service=youtube
|id=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObmGhdPmENE
|alignment=inline
}}

Latest revision as of 23:23, 24 February 2026

Factions Weapon Icon Classes Ammo Explosion
Damage Radius

VC
RPG-2		 Engineer
 1 / 2 125 200
Designation Weapon Type Fire Modes Fire Rate Bullet Spread ° Range Modifier Muzzle Velocity Projectile weight Reload Speed
RPG-2 Grenade Launcher Single Shot 12 RPM 3° & 1° ADS Unaffected 60m/s 230 g (.5 lbs) 7 kg (15.43 lbs) 3.5 Seconds
Full name Ammo Type Place of Origin Date Manufacturer Effective firing range Total Length Weapon Script Name
РПГ-2, Ручной противотанковый гранатомёт, Ruchnoy Protivotankovy Granatomyot rpg round Soviet Union 1954 State Factories 100–150 m 47.2 in (1,200 mmm) weapon_rpg2


The RPG-2 is a man-portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon designed in the Soviet Union. It fires an 80 mm HEAT grenade propelled by a cartridge charge, giving it improved range and armor penetration over the earlier RPG-1 and influencing later designs such as the RPG-7. It is best known for widespread Cold War distribution and for extensive use in Vietnam under local designations like “B40.”

HISTORY

Soviet development of infantry anti-tank rockets accelerated in the final years of World War II, with the RPG-1 program seeking to combine concepts seen in the German Panzerfaust and U.S. Bazooka. When the RPG-1’s performance proved insufficient against evolving armor, a parallel effort produced the RPG-2, which adopted a larger propelling cartridge and an enlarged warhead to improve penetration and practical range. The RPG-2 entered Soviet service in 1954 and was typically employed with a two-man team concept (a gunner and assistant) in standard practice, even though the launcher could be operated by a single soldier.

The RPG-2 was widely exported and license-produced across Soviet-aligned states, including manufacture in China and in Vietnam. In the Vietnam War, Vietnamese-produced or supplied RPG-2 family launchers and ammunition were commonly referred to as “B40,” with “B50” sometimes used to describe combinations using a different HEAT projectile type. In Vietnam, the RPG-2 became a major infantry anti-armor and anti-fortification weapon, valued for its simplicity and portability despite its shorter effective range compared to later launchers.

Sources

Real-Life Photos
  • RPG-2 launcher.
    RPG-2 launcher.
  • RPG-2 launcher.
    RPG-2 launcher.
  • RPG-2 launcher.
    RPG-2 launcher.
  • PG-2 80 mm HEAT grenade.
    PG-2 80 mm HEAT grenade.
  • Vietnam-era RPG-2/B40 training or demonstration context.
    Vietnam-era RPG-2/B40 training or demonstration context.
Videos
Load video
YouTube
Load video
YouTube
Retrieved from "https://wiki.militaryconflictvietnam.com/index.php?title=RPG-2&oldid=10689"