The flamethrower was developed during WWI and by the second world war, was a staple in infantry combat, though on a somewhat limited scale. There were issues with the equipment, and those who carried the flamethrower were quickly targeted by the enemy once it was used for the first time.

There was also the issue that these did not have all that much range so the operator had to get fairly close to effectively use it. But it was very effective as a device of terror as much as it was useful in clearing out defensive positions that standard weapons were unable to clear.

In order to make it more useful, it was decided to attach it to motorized equipment. This had the benefit of allowing a more powerful weapon that could cover greater distance, carry more fluid and offer the folks deploying it some protection. Ideally, this meant a tank.

However, there were both technical and ideological hurdles to pass. Many brass did not think it was a worthwhile piece of equipment. There was also the debate on the method of propellant and what sort of vehicle to use. Initially, light tanks were utilized with the flame thrower taking the place of the hull mounted machine gun. However, this meant no close defense gun, though they could be switched out. There was also the issue of the tanks for propellant and fluid taking up a lot of room inside the tank. Then there was the tank itself. Light tanks, such as the Stuart, were not exactly larger nor were they able to withstand a lot of damage. Even light anti-tank guns would be able to knock one out and an explosion inside the tank would douse everyone nearby with flaming fluids.

Despite slow going at home, in the field, conversions were made. This was pretty well driven by the war in the Pacific. Here, the Japanese were well dug into caves and well protected defensive positions. It was discovered that the flamethrower was able to clear out these positions when everything else failed. In terms of caves, the fire sucked out all the oxygen, killing its occupants by asphyxiation as much as by the burning fluid itself.

Eventually, through the usual trial and error, a workable solution presented itself with most set-ups occupying the hull machine gun position, though later in the war, the flamethrower itself was the main armament, taking place of the tank's gun. These weapons were extremely successful with the Army and Marines in the Pacific demanding more and more of these weapons; often having to share resources.

In Europe, Patton felt they were a waste of time so programs in that theater stumbled along, not being used very much at all and even then late in the war. Often times the Army borrowed British Crocodile units to take care of the lack of flamethrower tanks.

Author Steven J. Zaloga covers the design, development and deployment of these weapons. This was an area that was rife with ideas, many of which did not function as planned or was not liked by the soldiers that used it. It is interesting to note that while flamethrower tanks (most based on Sherman or Stuart chassis) were used in Korea, they seem to have lapsed into non-use shortly thereafter. It is a fascinating look at an area of military equipment that was relatively short lived and not well known by most enthusiasts. Highly recommended reading.

November 2013

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