Anti-Tank Infantry

World War II was the war of the tank. Even as it commenced, the infantry were armed with anti-tank guns, grenades, heavy explosive devices, and simple explosive charges. Molotov cocktails and grenade launchers were common. 

Tank design progressed radically over the course of the war, and as tanks became stronger, the infantry required new tools to penetrate their thicker armor. But the Red Army encountered problems in the production of mobile hand-held antitank arms.

Over the course of the war, the Red Army would receive 1600 Bazookas and 500 PIATs, beginning in the summer of 1942. For various reasons, the USSR did not hasten in its own production of mobile anti-tank weapons.