Since ancient times, people have experienced not only a mystical fear of fire, but also tried to direct it against enemies. Fire pits before the fortresses, arrows and spears tipped with burning, catapult, CIDA vats with flaming oil - it is not a complete list of weapons, preceding the emergence of the modern flamethrower, which 1913 It was invented by the German Richard Fiedler. this engineer, in his own words, bridled pure flame (pure flame) and made it manageable, that will transform the field of World Wars 20 century in the real Dante's Hell.
Richard Fidler
Actually antediluvian flamethrowers were used as early as the 5th century BC and were a long pipe, through which rained down on the heads of his enemies live coal or burning oil poured. But on the eve of the First World War, the German engineer Richard Fidler embodied diabolical idea of destroying the enemy aimed a jet of burning fuel - and, So, the attacker did not get burned. A prototype of its flamethrower he presented in 1901 year, but he was refused the General Staff of the Kaiser's army. Nevertheless, the inventor did not give up and after 12 years persuaded the German military, that its two models - the small and large flammenwerfer (translated from German - flamethrower) can be very useful in war.
Small flamethrower
Small flamethrower, ie backpack "small flamethrower Fiedler", postponed one infantryman. He throws a stream of fire at 18 meters and was designed for 2 minutes of total time. As described by contemporaries, flamethrower before the next shot changed the ignition device, as the former simply burned. More powerful models - Grossflammenwerfer beat more, but acted all 40 seconds. They were so heavy, that they were carrying two infantry.
Medieval terror in October 1914 of the year
These models are the Germans first used in October 2014 year against the French troops, causing those medieval terror. Paris called German miracle weapon unchristian, passing any moral boundary. Nevertheless, the very Entente, eventually, too, has adopted a flamethrower. In general, its implementation was in the spirit of the 1st World War, when opposing sides regularly raised the level of cruelty.
Ognemetchiki, as a legitimate goal
30 July 1915 year 3 AM German flamethrower suddenly attacked British forces in the area of the cemetery Hooge Crater (Belgium), bedrooms in total, 751 Englishman, including 15 officers. After this success, the German army took a flamethrower to arms on all fronts. Special groups have been established in six soldiers, where one unit served by two fighters. It soon became clear, that the military profession flamethrower fraught with enormous risk. Little of, that the cylinders exploded spontaneously, so more soldiers with characteristic knapsacks behind were subjected to massive bombardment, As soon as the field of view. Getting captured by the enemy, too furious guaranteed cruel death flamethrower. In this way, life of a soldier with devices Fiedler on the fronts of the 1st World War seldom exceeded two fights.
Schilt VS Wex М1917
In preparation for the Battle of the Somme in 1916 , the British built the four giant flamethrower weighing nearly two tons each. These devices are discarded flames directed toward an enemy to 80 m. They were taken in part and secretly gathered in 50 meters from the German trenches. Need to say, that the Germans spotted two plants and destroy them before the onset of the British and French. It soon became clear, that the benefits of fixed fire-breathing giants almost was not, since mobility and compactness are the main trump cards Fiedler machines.
The French, in turn, have developed a model Schilt Knapsack system, taking as a basis the German captured flamethrower. The Germans also do not sit idle and improved Kleinflammenwerfer, naming a new light machine Wex M1917. In the 1 st World War, they carried about 650 effective attacks flamethrowers. As for the French, the exact data on the number of successful application of Schilt No.
"Wet Shot"
Even then, deadly practicality flamethrowers no doubt among military experts. The easier and, so, Mobility is a flamethrower, the higher the lethality of its application. In particular, These phones have become used to "burn" the infantry outside the line of sight - just "fired" the flame in the opening strengthen, eg, through the windows of home, where defending the entrenched soldiers. Even when the jet did not reach its goal, enemy fighters suffocated, remaining combusted without oxygen. Soon came the so-called "wet-shot", when first sprayed fuel, then ignites, causing huge effect fireball. By the end 1917 year flamethrowers were installed in the tanks, and this innovation was transferred to the 2nd World War.
Flamethrowers in the 2nd World War
During the 2nd World War the Germans, surprisingly, limited used flamethrowers in combat. In the 3rd Reich believed, blitzkrieg strategy that does not allow the enemy to build fortifications and stay long in the trenches, as it was in the 1st World War. Besides, military profession flamethrower is considered very dangerous. However, there were in the Nazi arsenal 10 different models. The Wehrmacht used the diabolical weapons in the Soviet Union for the monstrous repression against the civilian population or to destroy the Red Army liberated cities and villages, first of all, at 1944 , as part of the Nazi program of "scorched earth".
At the same time, "famous" American models M1 and M2, which went down in history because of horrible pictures horrible consequences of their use against the Japanese. Just put the Yankees in their troops 25 thousand flamethrowers. But they were unreliable machines, often American flamethrower torched directed jets personal Zippo lighters.
The arsenals of armies
M2 flamethrower series was improved and is actively used in the Korean War, but in 1956 year has been replaced by model M9A1. Subsequently, the flamethrower was used widely and terribly in Vietnam, where the underground tunnels of the Vietnamese soldiers of the US Army created the same problems, and that the Japanese bunker during the 2nd World War. The Americans said, M9A1 that was incredibly effective in offensive operations in the areas of Vietnamese villages, house in which they are built of dry reeds.
Today flamethrowers are in the arsenals of almost all armies and, most likely, a long time will be used as a weapon of the devil, burning people alive.
