Unlike the Panzerschreck and Bazooka, the PIAT was not a true shoulder-fired weapon but instead set along the ground or atop a raised natural/structural support on its given monopod. The butt was then held firmly against the shoulder prior to firing. A standing operator could suffer serious physical injury due to the inherently violent recoil action of the weapon. The adjustable nature of the monopod allowed for a wide range of trajectories to be reached.
The spigot mortar concept was not a new one as it already circulated in the British inventory through the 29mm "Blacker Bombard" anti-tank mortar device. The Blacker Bombard was the brainchild of one Lt Col Stewart Blacker and developed in the early stages of World War 2, primarily issued to Home Guard units who lacked proper tank-stopping weaponry. The platform served beginning in 1941 and utilized the same launching principle as the PIAT. Some 22,000 were produced and some issue occurred in the ranks of both the Army and Royal Navy.
It was this weapon that lay the foundation for the famous PIAT series for it was actually born of The PIAT was actually born of Blacker's work when he attempted to develop a handier, portable version that came to be known as the "Baby Bombard". When Blacker left for another position, Jefferis continued work on the weapon which was given the designation of "Bombard Baby, 0.625 inch No. 1" during trials with the Ordnance Board.
The British Army was the sole mainstream adopter of a spigot mortar-type weapon for all others chose to accept rocket-propelled forms in time. Beyond its low complexity and low-cost nature, such weapons, inherently gave off no smoke from a launching projectile, keeping the crew's position safe from spotters. Additionally, no rocket propulsion meant that there was no back-blast to injure allies positioned aft of the weapon, allowed the weapon to fire relatively safely from confined spaces.
PIAT systems were issued beyond standard anti-tank formations and many were used by light armored vehicle groups for self-defense or ambush. Some tracked carriers were outfitted with up to 14 PIATs atop a special mounting to form an ad hoc mortar system in-the-field. Not an entirely popular weapon, the PIAT certainly filled a role and filled it effectively. First use of the weapon came from Canadian forces during the invasion of Sicily of July 1943 and the weapon did not disappoint. British elements found similar success during their romp through northern France following the D-Day landings of June 1944. The success of weapons such as the PIAT forced the Germans to increase use of armored skirts to protect their vital track components. A stranded tank was a sitting duck for artillery, anti-tank cannon or infantry ready to grenade and gun down the crew inside.
The British Army eventually followed many Western forces when it adopted the American Bazooka and it was this weapon that officially ended the PIAT's reign. Israel fielded the weapon during the 1948 War of Independence and some PIATs were still in circulation during the upcoming Korean War (1950-1953) by Australia.
The base long form PIAT designation was "Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank MK I".
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