This name originally referred to the American World War II rocket launcher known as the M1, which got the name Bazooka because it reminded American infantry of the tubular musical instrument invented and popularized by U.S. radio comedian Bob Burns in the 1930s. It is now used as a generic term for any manner of tube-like shoulder-fired rocket launcher, but that's not what the Danbooru tag is for.
Developed by the United States Army and approved for service in 1940, the M1 Bazooka was the first of its kind: using a rocket (rather than an anti-tank rifle or a handheld grenade) to shoot a shaped charge at enemy tanks. The Bazooka saw extensive use on all fronts of the war, used against enemy bunkers, pillboxes, fortified positions, and even tanks.
After the disastrous Battle of Kasserine Pass in early 1943, many examples of the Bazooka fell into German hands. Impressed with the innovative idea, the Germans copied the Bazooka wholesale, enlarging the rocket and adding a shield to the tube to protect the shooter from backblast, calling the new weapon the panzerschreck, or "tank terror".
