In an effort to provide the US infantryman with more firepower to cover the range gap between the hand grenade and the light mortar, the 40mm M79 grenade launcher – a shoulder-fired, single-shot weapon – entered service with US forces in 1961.
Reliable, easy to use, and lethally effective, the M79 soon became an iconic symbol of the Vietnam War and had a profound influence on small-unit tactics. As the Vietnam conflict continued, it was joined on the front line by experimental models such as the magazine-fed T148E1, as well as two launchers intended to be fitted under the barrel of the new M16 assault rifle: Colt's XM148 and AAI Corporation's M203. The M203 remains in limited service today, while the US Marine Corps now also fields the M32 multiple grenade launcher – like the M79, a standalone weapon.
Featuring full-colour artwork, this is the story of the rugged and formidable grenade launchers that equipped the United States and its allies in Vietnam and beyond, from the 1960s to date.

- 81 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Contents
- Introduction
- Development: The squad’s artillery
- Use: The “Thumper” goes to war
- Impact: Grenade launchers in action
- Conclusion
- Glossary
- Select Bibliography
- Index
- Imprint
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Yes, you can access US Grenade Launchers by Gordon L. Rottman,Johnny Shumate,Alan Gilliland in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Histoire & Histoire de l'armée et de la marine. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.