Flamethrower

Flamethrower, military weapon used to project flame at the enemy. A flamethrower consists of a fuel container filled with oil, a cylinder containing a gas propellant (usually carbon dioxide) under high pressure, and a discharge tube with an adjustable nozzle and an ignition device. During World War I two styles of flamethrowers were used: a heavy one mounted on a tank and a light, portable, hand-carried one.

The flamethrower had great psychological impact during World War I because it succeeded in frightening the enemy. As a weapon, however, it was limited by its short range, uncertain aim, and high consumption of fuel. By World War II the nozzle design had been improved, allowing for greater range, and, because a thickened fuel, napalm, was used, almost 90 percent of the fuel reached the target. The standard U.S. Army portable flamethrower could project an 18-m (60-ft) flame for about 9 sec. Pack flamethrowers were most often used in combat and were important in the Pacific theaters of war because they effectively drove troops from caves and pillboxes.