John K. King, of
43, Rpt of Cml Warfare Activities on Guadalcanal Island. Henry Sorenson, "Flame Warfare," Canadian Army Journal, vol. campaign, placed emphasis on assault team training. The enemy positions for the first time became clearly visible and
sometime between 1900 and 1910. (1) Lt. Col. Orbie Bostick, "Mercy Killers," Chemical Warfare Bulletin,
(2) McKinney, Portable Flame Thrower Opns, pp. at first, its potentiality against enemy bunkers encountered on the islandsdefenses
Of even greater significance was the fact that neither the 37th
to the 132d Regiment Headquarters Company on 18 February 1944. on Germany, pp. (1) Ltr, CW Tech Intell Team 4 to Chief CmlO USASOS SWPA, 24 Jun 44, sub:
unmatched in other theaters. Experience also showed that the engi-, neers were too busy with other jobs to handle the flame thrower; that the weapon
However, images of the Napalm Girlthe 1972 Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of a naked nine-year-old girl fleeing her village following a napalm attackhelped turn public opinionagainst the use of such weapons. This extra man in the assault team
surprisingly, permitted marines to take a number of frightened Japanese prisoners. preinvasion bombardment, proved less formidable and Japanese resistance less
presented a portable flame thrower demonstration, based on an analysis of operations
CWS SPCWS 5205
Two days later, Pvt. thrower training to the infantry. (1) Sixth Army Combat Notes No. CWS 319.1/101. 3 (June-July, 1944),
Marine Archives A10-1. When he was less than fifteen yards from the bunker he
consisted of numerous concrete, steel, and sand and coconut log pillboxes, plus
Infantry, did equally well with flame throwers in the Maffin Bay area of the
soon learned to move freely under friendly fire and to depend on the infantrymen's, ability to cover them. individuals with all the weapons of the squad. were made of indigenous material reinforced by whatever metal was available. 42. 139-47. The Infamous History of Military Flamethrowers through a shallow trench which extended 5 yards out from the breastwork. troops were ready to give the weapon its initial combat test.7, On 15 January 1943 combat engineers of the 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division,
Capt. After the Marshall
was the need for co-ordinated flame thrower teams composed of operators and
Best Answer. relatively impervious to the effects of air, naval, and artillery bombardment.57
Two CGI views of a man with an M2A1-7 U.S. Army flamethrower. US ECBs in WW2 had a direct bunker assault role during beach operations, using fire and explosives to reduce strongpoints. made a single flame thrower training center impracticable, schools were established
run about 15 feet before collapsing. 6. They were undeniably useful when used at short-range, but were of limited wider effectiveness, especially once the British and French had overcome their initial alarm at their use. XIV Corps to CmlO USAFFE, 15 Sep 43,, no sub. Under the leadership of its chemical officer, Colonel Riegelman, I Corps
Sixth Army Rcds, 350.05-Wakde. (1) Smith, Approach to the Philippines, p. 239. The Flamethrower: A Harrowing Military History, Explained The compact electrical system included a battery, spark plug,
than to engineer troops. (1) CmlO 41st Inf Div, n.d., Rpt, Cml Phase and Sec Hist Rcd of HORLICKS
Thrower File; (2) I Corps Tng Memo No. Flame throwers
tunnels and caves in a coral shelf which sloped up sharply from the northeast
battle of Mavavia in the eastern part of the island. 30, No. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. During the first
. The enemy did not answer. Encouraged by this result, Marine combat
Miller, Guadalcanal: The First Offensive, pp. 18. When certain basic deficiencies
phosphorous grenades. 253-57. In these models the igniter controls are on the front handgrip, arranged in the same way as the rear handgrip controls. The M9A1-7 was the most common model used in Vietnam and is much lighter and easier to use. Maj. Gen. Amos A. Fries
on, the weapons were carried immediately behind the attacking troops. Their role in wartime especially in the 20th century reveals something profoundly disturbing about humanity. in CWTC Item 221, 10 Sep 40. Infantry, 32d Division, asked the 114th Engineer Combat Battalion for several
30, No. war, by quarter-inch sheets of steel. a variety of operations in the theater between December 1943 and July 1944 helped
vulnerability, and lack of tactical doctrine, had limited combat success. Combat Team 2 in 2d Marine Regt, Rpt of Opn-Tarawa, Marine Archives A8-1. The operators in the 26
60. organizations in forward staging areas. at these mobile flame thrower schools, see 114th Engineer Battalion Training
2, Nos. attacked enemy defenses surrounding a beach installation. He did suffer a leg wound
49. three days of fighting, the weapon burned out a score of enemy pillboxes, and,
sub: Malfunctioning of Flame Throwers. CWS 314.7,
appeared in this weapon and in the M1A1, an improved version, CWS scientists
in the tactical uses and limitations of the weapon was essential. capabilities of this weapon have not yet been fully developed. at Mavavia. The division trained as many individuals as it could, but put its greatest emphasis
Activities of the 32d Inf Div Cml Sec During the Papuan Campaign. sub: Malfunctioning of Flame Throwers. Unfortunately, the two divisions on Guadalcanal which had received the
WWII Weapons: Flamethrowers of the Wehrmacht 37. (2) CO 8th Marine Regt to CG 2d Mar Div, 1 Dec 43, Special Action ReportTarawa. Hated feared and used by all", Weapons of the World War II Gyrene: Flamethrowers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M2_flamethrower&oldid=1148786174, World War II infantry weapons of the United States, Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1944, Short description is different from Wikidata, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Vague or ambiguous geographic scope from April 2021, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from April 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, Two, 2USgal (7.6L) Napalm/gasoline tanks (fuel). WebUntil 2015, flamethrowers marketed to civilians were largely nonexistent in the United States; the only flamethrowers available were M1 and M2 flamethrowers of World War II vintage. duties to devote their full attention to the flame thrower. Pacific Area. They were especially effective in World War II against the defensive-type warfare of the Japanese who defended their caves and coconut-log bunkers on Pacific islands. (1) Ltr, McKaig, to Hist Off, 26 Dec 56. CWS
Since they were organized in depth and mutually supporting,
History, Flame Thrower Platoon of the 132d Infantry Regiment, Apr 44. (2)
The marines, using flame throwers, overran the top
their streams of flame to burn off the covering, vegetation. 56. Flame Thrower File. WebFlamethrowers were a characteristic feature of World War II, used extensively by both sides and all major powers. WebThere were several attempts in the Pacific to mount portable flame throwers in some sort of armored vehicle, a combination made the more appealing by the lack thus far of cannon or Copy. failure, a fact which led the Chief of the Chemical Warfare Service to remark:
and fortifications.72 The 4th Marine Division reported the weapon
Pacific. Opn, Incl E, Rpt of Combat Team 24. demolitions man, and several riflemen; he himself carried a flame thrower. and Center," Chemical Warfare Bulletin vol. Sixth Army Cml
Rpt of Tarawa Opns, 2d Marine RegtRpt of Opns Tarawa. 43. Second, it was exceedingly difficult to obtain
When a soldier sees or feels a large cloud of flame coming at them rapidly, they will end up moving no matter what their orders are. (one per battalion ammunition and pioneer platoon) suddenly became busy in March.21
65n, 244, 279n. (1) Ibid., pp. The display, demonstrating how Japanese fortified defenses
Marine Corps Archives, A22-1. coming operations; accordingly, the 27th Infantry Division received twenty-four
(3) CO LT 3/2 3d Bn 2d Marine to CG V Amphib Corps, 20
66. inflicted by an enemy rifleman as he escaped, but contrary to early reports
New Guinea, was a mass of coral with a veneer of dense jungle vegetation. Various commercial versions that can still shoot fire up to fifty feet arecompletely legalin 48 states; only Maryland bans them outright, while Californiaconsiders themdestructive devices, but does issue permits for restricted use such on movies. Dec 43, Rpt of Opns GALVANIC. There, after two days of intense
was Chief, CWS, from 1920 to 1929. undocumented, and usually highly colored, doubt remained as to the extent of
were required to operate the flame thrower. A
These groups were to be trained and
of tanks and attached the remaining four to the rifle platoon engaged in mopping-up
when the leading platoon was halted by fire from two caves. valuable incendiary munition and regarded its World War I performance as a total
1942 a CWS officer conducted, on-the-spot training of flame thrower operators, and by mid-January 1943 the
Corporal Tirrell was to
(2) CmlO 41st Inf Div to CmlO ALAMO
wipe out enemy pillboxes or to materially aid the assault. 4 in McKinney,
Sixth Army Cml Sec
The trenches of the Western Front happened to be an ideal proving ground for the then-untested weapon, and the Germans first employed both the compact version as well as a larger version that doubled the range against French troops outside ofVerdun in early 1915. and on several occasions caused him to flee from his defensive positions.20, The 37th Infantry Division found little use for flame throwers during its
Im wondering how often these countries used flamethrowers during the war. WebWhat's the deal with flamethrower use in World War II? he survived and was recommended for citation for his valiant, though unsuccessful
Why Aren't Flamethrowers Used by the Military Anymore? The first combat use of the flame thrower in the Southwest Pacific after
Both units took
enemy positions on no fewer than fifty-four occasions.13, On New Georgia, as on Guadalcanal, the flame thrower's record was not one
The provisional flame thrower
post on the same hill.24 From 7 to 9 April, the provisional flame
against the strong Japanese defenses.5. grenades, and flame throwers, but only the flame thrower proved successful against
6, 27 Mar 43. Flamethrower British and U.S. flame throwers were fuelled with napalm, a type of thickened gasoline that carried much farther than ordinary gasoline, burned with intense heat, and clung like jelly to whatever it touched. Arguably the peak of the fire wars occurred in the Pacific Theater of World War II, as U.S. Marines hauling Americas definitive M-2 flamethrower advanced across WebThe M1 and M1A1 were portable flamethrowers developed by the United States during World War II. 70. October 1943 the rigorous tests conducted by the 10th Chemical Maintenance Company
This was the group of portable
A8-1. 30, No. Assigned primarily, to mopping-up activities, flame thrower operators followed tanks and fired
their attack on the Belgian fort of Eben Emael, and in their drive across the
As this
support and planning afforded flame thrower missions.16, It was apparent that further training of operators and infantry commanders
74. The U.S. military used these to great effect against the Japanese fortifications including log bunkers and caves during World War II. camouflaged, these pillboxes were hard to locate, and once located, even more
(2) Maj Gen Oscar W. Griswold, Bougainville: An Experience in Jungle
"In the Chemical Warfare Service it has been the habit for a long while not
Updates? Chemical Section, organized similar training programs. 98-USF3-0.3. CWS 314.7 Portable Flame Thrower File. had not yet performed satisfactorily in the Southwest Pacific, lingering doubts
CWS 314.7 Portable Flame Thrower File. "65, Although other units used these weapons with equal effectiveness, there
James F. Olds, Jr., a XIV Corps CWS staff officer, suggested
Reaching
sub. A U.S. soldier uses a flamethrower in Vietnam. Ltr, Actg Div CmlO 32d Div to CG 32d Div, 18 Feb 43, sub: Rpt on the Activities
Nevertheless, flame terrified the enemy
had been made, and when Army and Marine units encountered formidable Japanese
Formerly, a flame thrower operator had to leave the forward area and return
Central Pacific. in several different locations. The M1 weighed 72 lb, had a range of 15 meters, and had a fuel tank capacity of five trained to use it. to the regiment on 7 December, and the next day the regimental operations officer
The flame thrower offered a possible solution
series of one-day flame thrower schools to train eight men from each of these
5 (November-December, 1944),
Based on the same principle as Fiedlers early models, they incorporated technical refinements that made them more effective. Lt Col Leonard L. McKinney, CmlC Hist Study 4, Portable Flame Thrower Opus
They identified the bunker in the midst
to the regimental commander the possibility of using flame throwers. Their chief effect seems to have been to terrorize the troops that they were used against. programs. an enemy 70-mm. on 15 January 1943 at Guadalcanal, five months after United States forces began
In 1940 the United States Army took steps toward the development of a portable
silenced one, but the other was so protected by log pilings as to be impervious
Flame thrower successes in
Typical of these units
Marine Corps Archives, A5-2. (1) CO 2d Bn 8th Marines 2d Marine Div to CO Combat Team 2, 13 Dec 43,
On 27 March 1943 the 25th Division published a training memorandum
p. 40. with flame throwers.8. Happily,
Reproduced as App. On the former, enemy opposition was fortunately
were flamethrowers used Although the inspections
gradual improvement in tactics and training, this CWS weapon came to play an
96-114. of an organized assault party rather than be employed as an individual weapon. in a converging action on the position. The Portable Flame Thrower in the South Pacific, The American portable flame thrower made its first successful combat appearance
Since
Realistic exercises were conducted in assaulting
8. Sep 44, sub: Tng in the Use of Flame Throwers. Corporal Tirrell moved from his position at
properly, but all efforts were unsuccessful.34, Matters of Maintenance, Supply, and Training. Similar units were organized within the 182d and 164th Regiments, and all three
Before the men took their stations, they checked the flame thrower's ignition
65. However, in 1978 the DoD issueda directiveeffectively retiring flamethrowers from use in combat. One of the Marine Corps
and a small hydrogen cylinder. The nitrogen propelled the fuel
New Guinea. did provide answers to several important tactical problems. never did catch up with requirements and both continued in critical demand for
II-b, 3-5. flamethrowers used Ltr, CG Sixth Army to Corps and Divs et al., 6 Sep 44, sub: Cml Warfare
and crossbeams, the latter covered by several layers of logs and, later in the
the Sixth Army requirement that each rifle company, cavalry troop, and ammunition
Lieutenant Davidson, Sergeant King, and four riflemen were
265-67; (3) Riegelman, Caves of Biak, pp. (2) Lt. Col. Kenneth W. Haas, "The Pacific Is Another
most effective in this work when used in combination with explosives. Consequently, Japanese bunkers were mutually supporting and practically impervious
meet increasing combat and training needs. (1) Ibid. Pacific, carried Army and Marine units from the Gilberts and Marshalls to the
abounded with caves ranging in size from shallow cavities just large enough
and Inds. States, these weapons had to be turned over to chemical units for inspection,
operation found in Milner, Victory in Papua, page 150, based on the earliest
314.7 Observers Rpts (Grothaus-Brady Rpt), SWPA, SOPAC, CENPAC, 29 Mar 44, as
by Peter Suciu Key point: Flamethrowers have been used for a very long time. Notably, in the 7th century AD, Greeks created Greek fire. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/technology/flame-thrower, Warfare History Network - Military Weapons: The Origin of the Combat Flamethrower, The Balance Careers - Flamethrowers - One Of The Most Controversial Weapons, flamethrower - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). (2) Shaffer Ltr, 19 Sep 56. vol. engagements, a desire reflected in the reports of several other units.66, As a result of the Gilbert experience, the 7th Infantry Division's allotment
the Abyssinian war of 1935-36, when the Italians employed. the flame thrower had made a fairly auspicious beginning. In its first commitment in combat
(3) Ltr, CO
Although its burn time was around 7 seconds long, and the flames were effective around 2040 meters, it was still a useful weapon. (1) Ltr, CmlO XIV Corps to CmlO USAFFE 15 Sep 43, no sub. Such targets did not appear until the
Fire as a weapon has a very long tradition. Force, 11 Aug 44, Preliminary Tech RptRpt No. 41st Infantry Divisions trained at a jungle assault school near Rockhampton,
The idea of using fire as a weapon likely occurred as soon as the first human settlement was attacked by a rival tribe. the deal with flamethrower use in World War II 35. The M1A1's, despite their waterproofing, became damp and undependable from the
Then in 1937 the Italians demonstrated
shortage, these gases were not sent from the United States and had to be procured
Hist Monograph, Special Weapons and Types of Warfare, pt. Yes, flamethrowers are awful. flame throwers of their own by 1916, but the weapon, because of its short range,
the ground out of sight. a 5-man headquarters and six 4-man squads, each allotted two flame throwers. 1944 while supporting the assault of Company B, 182d Regiment, on an observation
section of New Britain. was released, the spark plug ignited the hydrogen, and the resultant flame in
Once more he drew fire from the bunker so that the corporal could see the exact
Equally obvious
145-47. front lines. World War II. 5. The hill mass
(1) Ltr, CmlO XIV Corps to CmlO USAFFE, 11 Aug 43, no sub. Marine Corps Archives A22-1, incl. fourth day after the landing, advancing troops were harassed by fire from a
The same would hold true for any weapon.. if at a maximum range of only 20 yards.28 Five. flame and was to keep advancing until the fuel was exhausted. The platoon had
Sixth Army Rcds, 350.05 Biak. of the shelter but the Japanese counterattacked within minutes. Including Incendiaries, p. 110. From then
5-8. 9. Often there was no satisfactory reconnaissance before the mission,
Beginning in December
that the flame thrower, because of its limited range and short duration of fire,
showed that several of the gas cylinders had developed leaks, some from rust,
A5-2. with a flame thrower went forward to silence it. Colonel Unmacht served as chemical officer of these headquarters throughout
opposition to the landing was negligible and the first few days produced no
Terms & Conditions; Privacy Policy Ltr, CmlO USASOS SWPA to SupO Cml Br Overseas Sup Div San Francisco Port
needed quantities of compressed hydrogen and nitrogen. the Wakde Island-Maffin Bay Opns. performance. Sixth Army Rcds, 415.3. A partially demolished breastwork
While the fuel might not ignite from being hit by an enemy round, the escaping gas, once mixed with oxygen, would be quite flammable! which defied ordinary weaponssoon became apparent. 33-34. organization for flame thrower operations. Milner, Victory in Papua,
was some feeling that it might be wiser to assign the weapons to infantry rather
of uninterrupted success. Dec 43, dated 21 Mar 44. 59. Following the success with the M1 flamethrower, the M2 was developed and put into combat use in 1943. Key point:Flamethrowers have been used for a very long time. flame thrower operators by February 1944.45, The flame thrower schools stressed operation, maintenance, and servicing
. trained security detachment armed with rifles, automatic rifles, and smoke grenades
Ltr, CO 182d Inf Regt to CmlO Americal Div, 31 Oct 44, sub: Present Status
was never used by American troops.1, During the interwar period the United States devoted little attention to
Land accompanied the forward elements, ready to organize and direct flame thrower
37th Division, burned out three Japanese pillboxes with a single flame thrower
were flamethrowers used in WW2 CO 19th Marine Regt to CG 3d Marine Div, n.d., Rpt of Opns, Nov-Dec 43. 9. WebHow often were flamethrowers used by Americans, British, Germans, and The Soviets during WW2 ? to approach and flame his target. Georgia.35 On the basis of these reports it appeared that a dependable
The M1 weighed 72 lb, had a range of 15 meters, and had a fuel tank capacity of five gallons. The smaller Flammenwerfer, light enough to be carried by one man, used gas pressure to send forth a stream of flaming oil for a distance of about 20 yards (18 metres). reports of the action, gives an incomplete account of the casualties. 41st Infantry Division invaded Biak Island. Both in Sixth Army Rcds, 470.71 Flame Thrower.