shaped charge

…guns used the shaped or hollow charge shell, which was designed to explode on impact and channel the explosive energy forward, enhancing penetrating force. Recoilless rifles were also specially developed for use against tanks.

…grenade, which contains a special shaped-charge explosive that can pierce even the heavy armour of a tank. Since these are usually delivered by small rockets launched from shoulder-held tubes, they are commonly referred to as rocket-propelled grenades.

The shaped charge, principally the hand-fired rocket, is another highly publicized product introduced during World War II. A shaped charge normally consists of a cone made of metal or glass surrounded by a high-strength, high-density explosive and means to obtain the proper standoff,…

The shaped charge was an explosive formed into a hollow cone and lined with heavy metal; upon detonation, the explosive gases and molten metal formed a high-velocity jet capable of punching through armour. The squash-head shell used a plastic explosive filling, which, deposited on the armour…