Developed in 1944 to replace the Bazooka-like Panzerschreck it was a very simple weapon, weighing only 10 kg. The body was a tube of low-grade steel, around a metre long and 4 cm in diameter. Attached to the upper-side of the tube were a simple sight and the trigger, inside the tube was a small charge of black powder for propellant. Fitted to the front of the tube by its tail stem was an oversized warhead - 15 cm in diameter, weighing 3.3 kg and containing around 1.6 kg of explosive. The weapon was often fired from the crook of the arm and the shaped charge could penetrate up to 17 cm of steel. After firing the tube was discarded, making the Pazerfaust the first expendable anti-tank weapon. It was produced in three variants, the 30, 60 and 100, the numbers indicating the maximum range, in metres.
More than 1,000,000 were made and they were widely distributed to the army and civilian defence units towards the end of the war. During the Battle of Berlin wheelbarrow loads of Panzerfausts were delivered to the defenders.