The Anti-Tank Rifle

The anti-tank rifle was the foot soldier's last line of defence against enemy armour during World War I and throughout much of World War II, notably in Polish, German and Soviet service.
The emergence of the tank in World War I led to the development of the first infantry weapons to defend against tanks. Anti-tank rifles became commonplace in the inter-war years and in the early campaigns of World War II in Poland and the Battle of France, which saw renewed use in the form of the British .55in Boys anti-tank rifle - also used by the US Marine Corps in the Pacific. The French campaign made it clear that the day of the anti-tank rifle was ending due to the increasing thickness of tank armour.
Nevertheless, anti-tank rifles continued to be used by the Soviets on the Eastern Front with two rifles, the 14.5mm PTRS and PTRD, and were still in widespread use in 1945. They served again with Korean and Chinese forces in the Korean War, and some even appeared in Ukraine in 2014-15.
Fully illustrated and drawing upon a range of sources, this is the absorbing story of the anti-tank rifle, the infantryman's anti-armour weapon during the world wars.

Steven J. Zaloga is a senior analyst for Teal Group Corp., covering missile and drone technology as well as international arms transfers. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history, with an accent on the US Army in World War II as well as Russia and the former Soviet Union.
Johnny Shumate works as a freelance illustrator living in Nashville, Tennessee. Most of his work is rendered in Adobe Photoshop using a Cintiq monitor.
Alan Gilliland writes, illustrates, and publishes fiction (www.ravensquill.com), as well as illustrating for a variety of publishers (alangillilandillustration.blogspot.com).

Introduction
Development
Use
Impact
Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
Index