( Baglole )

The History of the Flamethrower

Marcus Price Personal Project American Internationals School of Mozambique March 17, 2013

Table of Contents
The History of the Flamethrower ................................................................................................................... 1
The Origin of the Flamethrower .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Military Use in the 20th Century ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 Why the Flamethrower was decommissioned in the United States Arsenal ............................................................... 2 How the Flamethrower Works ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Non-Lethal Uses .................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

The History of the Flamethrower

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Marcus Price

The History of the Flamethrower

The Origin of the Flamethrower Throwing flame, as a weapon, is a concept that has existed for thousands of years. Early Flame projecting devices date back to the Byzantine era where hand-pumped flamethrowers were used aboard naval ships in the 1st century AD. Greek Fire (Equivalent to Napalm today) was used extensively by the Byzantine Empire in their hand-pumped siphon flamethrowers. Greek fire was said to burn on the surface of water, which lead to a substantial military advantage at sea. (Howstuffworks) Military Use in the 20th Century The flamethrower is a good example of a modern weapon that was not invented in times of war but reinvented from earlier models. The German military began experimenting with the weapon in the 1900s and it wasnt issued to battalions until 1911. (SparticusEducational) German scientist Richard Fielder developed both a single manned flamethrower and a significantly heavier two-manned flamethrower Flamethrower 1917, Western Front WW1 in 1901. The single manned flamethrower shot (Wiki) as far as 18 meters, and the two manned device shot approximately twice the distance of the smaller model. The Germans launched over 650 flamethrower attacks during WW1. (firstworldwar) Many models of the flamethrower either carried by man or vehicle were developed after the First World War by countries such as Britain, the United States, Japan, etc. It was used extensively in World War Two and in other lesser wars. It remained part of the U.S arsenal until 1978 when the Department of Defense ceased using them lack of modern effectiveness. (baglole)
The History of the Flamethrower 1

Image from Byzantine Military Manual .

(Harris)

Why the Flamethrower was decommissioned in the United States Arsenal

Despite the power and effectiveness of the flamethrower, it did have a number of fatal disadvantages. Flamethrowers are anything but user-friendly; they pose many risks to the operator as listed below: Often weighing over fifty pounds (filled with fuel), flamethrowers encumber soldiers and reduce their mobility. The weapon calls a lot of attention due to its size and the flame it projects, making the operator a target for infantry and snipers. The weapons munitions depletes rapidly, which means the operator doesnt have much leeway, forcing him to be conservative and exact. The range of the one-man flamethrower is relatively short compared to most weapons, which means the operator has to get in close to the enemy. The flamethrower isnt cost effective burning fuel so rapidly.

(Baglole)

How the Flamethrower Works The basic components of any flamethrower include a compressed Gas Tank, often containing CO2, a fuel supply, a fuel hose connecting the supply to the gun, a gun with a fuel release trigger, and some form of a lighter for the ignition of the flame. There are many variations in size, type of nozzle, included features, etc. but they all follow a basic guideline. The gas (often CO2, Argon on Occasion) pressurizes the fuel vessels, the fuel hose fills with the selected flammable fluid or gel, and upon trigger release the fuel shoots out of the gun. The fuel is then ignited either by a lit flame or another form of ignition at the nozzle of the flamethrower. In military grade flamethrowers the igniter is often activated by a trigger that sparks an inter-nozzle ignition as seen in the M2A1-7 USA army Flamethrower to the right. (Baglole)

The History of the Flamethrower

Non-Lethal Uses

Wildfire Prevention Foresters and fire fighters use flamethrowers for controlled burns of brush and flammable materials to minimize the chance of an actual wildfire. This helps prevent seasonal forest fires by mimicking the natural fires that routinely occur in certain environments.

(calfire)

Row Crop and Weed Flaming In 1938 an Alabama farmer by the name of Price McLemore discovered that the flame from a kerosene burner would destroy the weeds in his cotton and corn. A flame-projecting
machine was assembled and used across several acres of land where the corn and cotton were flamed cultivated. (flameengineering).

Flamethrowers are used in farms for various crops, to conduct controlled burnings of unwanted weeds. The flamethrowers used are on much smaller scale and there are different techniques depending on the subject crop.

(flameengineering).

Human Flamethrower Breathing fire is an act that has been performed for decades by circus performers, magicians, and other similar show artists. It follows the same concept as the common flamethrower with the lungs as the air source, and a torch as an igniter. It can be dangerous, but with the right amount of training risks can be minimized.
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(wiki)
The History of the Flamethrower

Works Cited
"About CAL FIRE." CAL FIRE. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. <http://calfire.ca.gov/about/about.php>. Baglole, Joel. "Flamethrowers - One Of The Most Controversial Weapons." About.com US Military. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. < http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyweapons/a/flamethrower.htm> Duffy, Michael. "Firstworldwar.com." First World War.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. <http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/flamethrowers.htm>. "Flame Engineering's Agricultural Flaming Guide." Flame Engineering's Agricultural Flaming Guide. Red Dragon, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. <http://www.flameengineering.com/Agricultural_Flaming_Guide.html>. "Flamethrower Expert." Flamethrower Expert. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. <http://flamethrowerexpert.com/history.html>. "Flamethrower." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. Harris, Tom. "How Flamethrowers Work." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/flamethrower.htm>. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWflame.htm>.

The History of the Flamethrower