Flamethrowers are weapons that shoot flaming liquid at enemy positions. They are typically short in range, rapidly exhaust their fuel, and are hazardous to employ; but they proved very effective at reducing fortifications. They were little used by the Japanese, who rarely found themselves in a tactical situation requiring the reduction of Allied fortifications, but they found extensive use in the hands of Allied forces in the Pacific theater.
Flamethrowers originally took the form of a man-portable weapon. The operator carried two or three cylinders on his back. One contained an inert propellant gas such as nitrogen and the other one or two cylinders contained the incendiary mixture. The propellant gas forced the incendiary through a hose and nozzle held by the operator. Some arrangement was made for igniting the fuel as it left the nozzle, such as an electrical ignitor or a pilot flame. Later in the war, flamethrowers were mounted on armored vehicles that protected the operator and made it safer to approach within range of the target. Flamethrower tanks were extensively, and effectively, used at Okinawa.
The incendiary mixture was originally gasoline,
kerosene, or some other flammable oil. The Americans replaced this with
napalm, a thick mixture of gasoline and fatty acids similar to those in
soap. The thicker mixture could be shot to a longer distance and burned
more effectively.
Flamethrowers were effective against bunkers
because they did not need to actually hit the soldiers inside to be
effective. The burning fuel could be splashed against walls or ceiling
to spread flames throughout the bunker, and the burning fuel rapidly
consumed the oxygen within the confined space. A person hit directly by
the fuel suffered a cruel but swift death, but those not hit were still
forced to either evacuate the bunker or suffocate.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia (c) 2008 by Kent G. Budge. Index