One of my dad's friends decided that enlisting in the US Army during WWII was a good way to see the world. On his first day in combat, as 3 German Mk. IV tanks approached, he grabbed a bazooka and when he got within 35 yards, he attempted to fire the weapon, but nothing happened. It seems in his haste, the batteries had fallen out of the bazooka. Somehow dad's friend managed to survive the war, although he was wounded later in action. I always wondered how he got away from the tanks!