Flame thrower is a device that shoots a stream of burning fuel, much as a fire hose shoots water. A flexible tube connects the flame gun to fuel tanks on the operator’s back. A tank of compressed air between the fuel tanks provides the pressure to squirt the fuel through the gun. Portable flame throwers weigh a total of about 50 pounds (23 kilograms) when they are ready to fire.
The Germans introduced flame throwers during World War I (1914-1918). But the weapons were not widely used until World War II (1939-1945), when United States soldiers used them against the Japanese. Soldiers used flame throwers against fortifications that could not be captured with rifles alone. The weapons terrified enemy soldiers. Soldiers often panicked and fled at the sight of long, searing tongues of flame coming toward them. American soldiers called the weapon the GI hotfoot.
During World War I, flame thrower fuel was a mixture of gasoline and oil. During World War II, a jellied gasoline called napalm was developed (see Napalm). By using napalm, soldiers could shoot portable flame throwers 150 feet (46 meters). Flame throwers mounted on tanks could reach targets 750 feet (230 meters) away. When the jellied fuel hit a target, it scattered into sticky blobs. These blobs bounced through small openings into fortifications. The napalm stuck to the target and was difficult to extinguish.
Since the 1940’s, flame throwers have served several functions in civilian life. For example, some farmers use them to burn away tough weeds and to destroy such harmful insects as tent caterpillars. Flame throwers can also be used to break rocks and melt snow.
