Description
This Technical Manual TM 9-294 covers the 2.36-Inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1A1 and is dated September 1943. Public records identify the manual as a War Department technical manual with a publication date of September 27, 1943, placing it directly in the World War II period. For collectors of U.S. military technical manuals, World War II ordnance references, antitank equipment documentation, and dated government publications, this is a strong period piece tied to one of the most recognizable U.S. infantry support weapons of the war.
Issued during World War II, this manual reflects a time when the U.S. military relied heavily on standardized technical publications to support training, maintenance, identification, inspection, and ordnance documentation across a rapidly expanding force. The Internet Archive record for TM 9-294 describes the manual as being published for personnel responsible for the 2.36-inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1A1, including information for identification, care, preservation, ammunition reference, and ordnance maintenance support.
The 2.36-Inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1A1
The 2.36-Inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1A1 belongs to the broader family of World War II antitank rocket launcher equipment. Often associated with the wartime “bazooka” category, this launcher represented an important class of infantry-portable antitank materiel used during the Second World War.
Unlike manuals focused on general shop tools, vehicles, or support equipment, TM 9-294 is tied to a specific ordnance item with strong historical recognition. Its subject matter places it within collections focused on World War II infantry weapons, antitank equipment, U.S. Army Ordnance Department publications, rocket launcher documentation, and wartime technical manuals.
For collectors, this manual has added appeal because it preserves the official documentation side of the M1A1 rocket launcher rather than just the equipment itself. It helps show how the Army recorded, supported, and standardized information for specialized wartime ordnance materiel.
What This Manual Covers
As a technical manual for the 2.36-Inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1A1, TM 9-294 served as an official War Department reference for the equipment and its ordnance-support context. The table of contents for the manual includes sections covering introduction, description and functioning, care and preservation, ammunition, inspection, maintenance and repair, painting, storage and shipment, reference material, and index sections.
In practical collecting and historical-reference terms, a manual like this is especially relevant for:
- nomenclature and identification reference
- World War II rocket launcher documentation
- U.S. Army Ordnance Department reference collections
- antitank equipment research
- care and preservation history
- inspection and maintenance-support context
- ammunition and storage-reference history
- archival and museum documentation
- historical reference for World War II infantry equipment collections
That makes it useful not only as a collectible, but also as a practical historical reference for anyone studying how the U.S. military documented antitank rocket launcher equipment during World War II.
Historical Significance
The date September 1943 places this publication in the middle of World War II, when U.S. forces were expanding operations across multiple theaters and the Army was producing large quantities of technical documentation for newly issued or widely used equipment. Manuals like this were part of the working publication system that supported soldiers, ordnance personnel, supply channels, training programs, and maintenance organizations.
For collectors and historians, this manual is especially relevant to subjects such as:
- World War II U.S. Army technical manuals
- 2.36-Inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1A1 documentation
- U.S. bazooka and antitank rocket launcher references
- U.S. Army Ordnance Department publications
- wartime infantry support weapon documentation
- World War II rocket launcher collecting
- dated World War II government publications
Because it covers a specialized antitank rocket launcher rather than a more common rifle, vehicle, or general maintenance subject, this manual adds strong historical depth to collections centered on World War II ordnance, infantry weapons, antitank equipment, and military technical publications.
About This Manual
This listing is for Technical Manual TM 9-294 for 2.36-Inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1A1, dated September 1943.
It is especially well suited for:
- World War II U.S. military technical manual collections
- antitank rocket launcher reference collections
- U.S. Army Ordnance Department publication displays
- World War II infantry equipment research libraries
- museum exhibits on wartime antitank weapons and support systems
- researchers studying U.S. bazooka and rocket launcher history
This listing is for the manual only unless otherwise stated. No rocket launcher, rockets, ammunition, parts, tools, sling, flash deflector, shipping box, or additional accessories are included unless specifically shown or noted.
Why This Manual Matters
Many military manuals focus on rifles, pistols, vehicles, artillery, communications gear, or general shop equipment. This one documents a more specialized and historically recognizable subject: the 2.36-Inch A.T. Rocket Launcher M1A1. That gives it strong collector interest and makes it especially useful for preserving the official documentation side of World War II antitank equipment.
For collectors, it is a strong stand-alone wartime technical manual with a focused ordnance subject. For researchers, it offers a useful reference point for U.S. Army documentation of infantry antitank equipment. For museums, it helps support displays that explain not only the launcher itself, but also the technical literature, maintenance system, and ordnance documentation that supported its service use.
Because manuals were working documents, surviving examples are valued not only for their content, but also for their connection to real military training, inspection, maintenance support, and wartime field-reference practice.
Ideal For
This manual is a strong fit for:
- World War II U.S. Army technical manual collections
- U.S. antitank rocket launcher reference collections
- bazooka-related display and research collections
- U.S. Army Ordnance Department publication collections
- World War II infantry equipment displays
- museum and archival reference libraries
- ordnance historians and World War II researchers
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item's general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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