Anti-Tank weaponry is nothing new. As long as tanks have prowled the battlefield, there have been individuals and armies trying to disable them. While the most effective anti-tank weapons have proven to be other tanks themselves, and specialty tank destroyers, there have been modest attempts to outfit infantry with weapons that might allow them some chance.

The German Army specifically focused on Anti-Tank weaponry for their armies, seeing a mass-deployable anti-armor system as a premier defensive weapon to stop the armored rushes that they themselves were known for. Thus the Germans developed an extensive network of anti-tank rifles, and artillery guns.

In all likeliness, the Germans adopted their strategic use of tanks, and their use of anti-armor weapons among infantry, due to their experiences in World War I. They saw how capable armor was in spearheading offensives (quickly even), and noticed how incapable infantry were to stop this, if not properly equipped. Thus, one could imagine that the entirety of their army doctrine was to use armor to spear-head through the enemy, and provide enough anti-tank and anti-infantry equipment to significantly reduce the effectiveness of armor or infantry breakthroughs.

On top of this, the Germans would include artillery of all types in some number, to provide a basic level of capability in bombardment or dealing with enemy air power. Overall, this tactic seems to be incredibly effective through the first four years of the war, and was only countered by a superior Soviet Tank and a mass of infantry.

Anti-Tank Rifle

7.92mm Panzerbuchse (PzB 39)

The Germans implemented a rifle that fielded a larger calibre, and much more propellant, and was essentially designed as a much heavier sniper-rifle. The Anti-Tank Gun was designed to be deployed by a single soldier, or a team of up to two soldiers. By July 1941, the German army fielded over 25,000 Anti-Tank Rifles. This would have been enough to supply every German Division in Operation Barbarossa with 150 such weapons, which would have allowed for 5 anti-tank rifles per company.

The PzB 39 served as an excellent compliment to other German infantry weapons in the beginning of the war, and was a benefit to German infantry tactics. It allowed German infantry forces to deal with light armor and scout vehicles without any additional support. However, the rifles proved useless to medium and heavy tanks as the armor race began.

Disposable Panzerfaust

The Germans built this inexpensive, disposable anti-armor munition all the way until the end of the war. Over 6 million were built during the war, which would have been enough for two such weapons for every infantry soldier on the Eastern Front (assuming they were all built at the same time). This clearly shows German dedication to an infantry counter to armored advances.

The Panzerfaust could penetrate the armor of most armored fighting vehicles of the time, light, medium, and some heavy tanks. However, it was a short range weapon with only one use. Near the end of the war, the Germans started outfitting militia with Panzerfaust, and not much else. More than a number of German Soldiers noted that the tubing, which was usually discarded, could then be used as a club.

Anti-Tank Rocket

Panzerschrek

The Germans reverse engineered the American Bazooka, and produced about 200,000 units during the course of the war. They were much more effective than the Panzerfaust, being reusable, and longer-ranged. However, they were in fewer numbers, required more training, and a bit more expensive.

Thus while they were produced for German Mechanized Infantry, the vast majority of German forces continued to use the Panzerfaust.

It is easy to see, with a reusable line of rifles, a rocket, and a cheap-mass produced disposable anti-tank gun/rocket, that the Germans were keen on developing an infantry counter to the armor that they so prolifically used. This was probably due to their armor experiences in World War I.

In truth, this did change the nature of advancing on German Positions, as tanks would have to wait for the combined arms presence of infantry to shield them from German Anti-Tank weapons. While the German Armor waited on their infantry, but not because of a fear of exposure to fire, but so as not to expose their supply lines to enemy partisans.