Pole Charge
Pole charges used on D-Day consisted of an eight-foot pole attached to twenty 1/2 pound blocks of TNT via a swivel joint. Two fuses ran up the length of the pole to the TNT. This assembly weighed approximately 12 pounds, although this could vary as pole charges were constructed by individual units, and were not mass-produced.
The pole charge could either be inserted into a viewport or other opening of an emplacement such as a pillbox, or it could be placed on an outside wall. The swivel joint allowed for the charge to be placed directly against a wall in order to maximize the damage caused by the exploding TNT.
Notes
Various soldiers are seen carrying pole charges during the Omaha Beach scenes.
