m20 recoilless rifle
A 75mm recoilless rifle introduced near the end of World War II and used extensively during the Korean War. Replacing the 57mm M18 recoilless rifle, the M20 was more powerful with a larger projectile, but the increased weight required it to be used mounted on a vehicle or tripod. After dissapointing performance against enemy tanks in Korea, the M20 was replaced by the 105mm M40 recoilless rifle, though the M20 continued to be used by several forces into the 1970s.
On Danbooru, the M20 is most commonly depicted mounted on the Vespa 150 TAP, which was an actual experiment carried out by the French army for transporting the weapon, though it was supposed to be dismounted from the Vespa before being fired.
Like all recoilless guns, the M20 is closer to a cannon than a rocket launcher or grenade launcher: an explosive charge propels a shell to its target.
Not to be confused with the contemporary M20 Super Bazooka, an enlarged upgrade of the M1 Bazooka rocket launcher.
