Standard Toy Soldier Poses: The Flamethrower Guy

One of the more spectacular weapons is the flamethrower. Films from actual combat are quite stunning, insofar as jets of flame. Whether carried on a backpack or mounted in a tank, the Flamethrower is both fascinating and terrifying

Mankind has used flame weapons since ancient times. Flaming arrows were used to cause terror and ignite fires among the enemy ranks. Pots of burning pitch were hurled by trebuchets at fortresses and formations of troops. Greek fire was used against ships. Boiling oil, very often lit afire, was poured from castle battlements upon besieging troops.

In World War I, the Germans introduced the flamethrower as a shock weapon. It was used by their elite Storm troop units. By the end of the warm, the flamethrower found a place in the arsenals of all armies. Most considered it a combat engineer’s weapon for clearing our enemy emplacements.

Until World War II, the flamethrowers spurted burning oil. That was replaced with jellied gasoline. which stuck to its target and burned longer.

The problem with the flamethrower was that it was big enough to call attention to oneself. A bullet that clipped a flamethrower could ignite it, killing the flamethrower man and anyone near him with his own weapon. That is one of the reasons flamethrowers were eventualyl repalced with weapons that shot incendiary projectiles.
The Flamethrower Guy

One of the more spectacular weapons is the flamethrower. Films from actual combat are quite stunning, insofar as jets of flame. Whether carried on a backpack or mounted in a tank, the Flamethrower is both fascinating and terrifying