Flamethrowers VSU RPO-18.20 characteristics with a firing range of 1.5 km and thermobaric shot

Hell fire. Flamethrowers of the First World War

The appearance of flamethrowers on the fronts of the First World War was not a surprise for the Russian military. Back in 1898, the 1st Engineer Brigade carried out experiments on creating fire obstacles with burning jets of kerosene based on the idea of Captain Mikhail Antonovich Siegern-Korn, which showed good results. But the Main Engineering Directorate (GED) had doubts about the safety of the pipelines laid in the parapets when the fortification was shelled by enemy artillery. Siegern-Korn's invention had a number of weaknesses, in particular the method of igniting the liquid when it is ejected from the pipeline and the design of the device for squeezing the liquid from the reservoir into the pipeline. But the officer could not further improve his flamethrower, since he volunteered to fight on the side of the Boers in the Anglo-Boer War. The idea of flamethrowing was returned to in Russia 10 years later thanks to the persistence of the German engineer Richard Fiedler, who created a modern type of flamethrower. However, there was no one to evaluate the prospects of the new weapon.

In 1901, the German Patent Office issued Fiedler patent No. 134348 for “Method for producing large masses of flame,” and now he had to find buyers for this invention. Having unsuccessfully traveled around the main European capitals in an attempt to interest at least someone in his know-how, in January 1909 Friedler turned to Emperor Nicholas II with a request to test his flamethrower apparatus. The German claimed that they were capable of throwing jets of burning liquid over considerable distances, and therefore could be used in military affairs when storming forts and fortifications, defending and attacking positions. The Emperor instructed the State Research Institute to conduct testing of Friedler's devices at the test site in Ust-Izhora in March 1909 in the presence of the head of the department. The inventor demonstrated three types of flamethrowers:

small - was a steel backpack containing a flammable liquid, and a device for wearing it on the back with the help of belts. A steel vessel with liquid carbon dioxide was screwed to a steel cylinder with a flammable liquid. Working pressure is 6-8 atmospheres, the weight of the empty apparatus is 10 kg, filled with liquid - 30 kg;

medium - portable by four people. It had the same design as the lightweight one, but was larger in size. The weight of the empty apparatus is about 60 kg, with liquid - about 200 kg, operating pressure 6-8 atmospheres, hose length - 20 m;

heavy - transportable, consisting of a tank with liquid 1.6 m long, 1 m in diameter, two cylinders with liquid carbon dioxide, a sleeve 20 m long and a metal pipe throwing out the liquid. The latter was placed on a tripod with a metal shield with slits covered with mica to protect the flamethrower’s face from the heat. Without liquid, the weight of the flamethrower was 500 kg, and with liquid - 1200 kg. Fiedler argued that medium and heavy devices could be equipped with a hose several hundred meters long and they would work.

Testing of the first German trench flamethrower at the Ust-Izhora training ground near St. Petersburg, 1909 (photo from the work of Karagodin K.N., 1919).

Fiedler's flamethrowers differed from the Siegern-Korn flamethrower by the presence of an automatic igniter and the use of compressed gas to eject the fire mixture. In general, all three devices performed well in tests, but the military department did not purchase a patent for the following reasons.

The small apparatus did not have a mechanism for stopping its operation in the event that the person operating it was killed or injured. In this situation, the fiery stream could turn on its own. Medium and heavy flamethrowers were considered unsuitable for field and siege warfare due to their weight, the need to carry large reserves of flammable liquid, and the large amount of time required to load and install them. There were fears that people using them in siege warfare would be exposed to enemy shells and bullets, while the devices themselves would be easily pierced and flammable liquid under pressure would spill into the trenches.

Experiments with Fiedler's devices at the Ust-Izhora test site cost the Russian treasury 4.5 thousand rubles.

A year and a half later, the German engineer again turned to the State University of Engineering with a request to pay attention to his inventions, emphasizing the fact that their designs had been significantly improved. The inventor expressed a desire to supply his devices to the Russian War Ministry at a price: for a small one - 250 rubles, for a large one - 10 thousand rubles. The second test of Fiedler's flamethrowers was carried out near Berlin in the presence of the assistant head of the State Institution, professor of the Nikolaev Engineering Academy, Lieutenant General K. I. Velichko and former military agent in Germany, Major General A. N. Mikhelson. They recognized the design of the backpack flamethrower as successful, and the fortress and siege apparatus as in need of improvement.

Based on this report, on October 7, 1910, the engineering committee of the State Research Institute recommended that the management of the department contact the inventor with a view to purchasing from him at least 10 complete sets of backpack devices, with the corresponding amount of smoke and smokeless compositions emitted by him. The engineer was also required to reveal to the Russian military department the secret of all chemical compositions and the automatic igniter. The total amount of funds allocated to the inventor was 10 thousand rubles. Fiedler agreed to all the conditions. But the head of the State Institution, engineer-general N.F. Aleksandrov, in a report to Minister of War A.A. Polivanov on March 20, 1911, gave the same arguments against Fiedler’s flamethrowers that his predecessor made after tests near Izhora. He suggested not purchasing the devices, “but for now follow the results of experiments on them abroad.”

The results were not long in coming. After the appearance of German flamethrowers on the Western Front in February 1915, which made a stunning impression on the defenders of Fort Vaux, the Russian and Allied governments hastily set to work creating crude samples of a new type of weapon in their armies.

Flamethrowers of the First World War (with the exception of the Russian high-explosive flamethrower) were structurally consistent with the three types of Fiedler flamethrowers tested at Izhora. They were reservoirs containing flammable liquids, ejected by the force of compressed air or some other gas through a flexible hose ending in a fire hose. When exiting the fire nozzle, the liquid was set on fire using a special automatic device. The fiery jet was thrown at a distance from 15-35 m (backpack flamethrowers - there were two types: small and medium), to 40-60 m or more (heavy flamethrowers - half-trench and trench). The stream of fire mixture ejected by heavy flamethrowers also had great impact force. In addition to their destructive effect, flamethrowers had a demoralizing effect on the enemy.

For successful flamethrowing, it was necessary that the flammable liquid have the following qualities: 1) easy flammability; 2) the ability to reach high temperatures during combustion; 3) the ability to produce a visual effect; 4) cheap. Typically, the flammable liquid for equipping flamethrowers was a mixture of oil with gasoline and kerosene. The quantitative ratios of substances in the mixture varied depending on the time of year, the quality of petroleum products, the flamethrower system, etc. The British used a solution of yellow phosphorus in carbon disulfide for flamethrowing, and this solution was diluted with a large amount of turpentine. Once on skin or clothing, it spontaneously ignited after a few seconds, without being ignited. The French used a mixture of light coal oil and benzene in various combinations depending on the time of year. The “blue”, “yellow” and “green” oils used by the Germans consisted of a mixture of various products obtained from the distillation of coal tar.

Flamethrowers were considered as an auxiliary weapon that required particularly favorable conditions for their use in trench warfare. Backpack flamethrowers were used almost exclusively during an offensive on a relatively narrow section of the front, when the offensive had the nature of a swift strike (raid) and solved the problem of capturing a small section of positions. If it was possible to bring the flamethrowers to a distance of 30-40 steps from the first line of trenches, then the success of the attack was almost always ensured.

Trench flamethrowers were adapted to the conditions of trench warfare, when the distance between the lines of the trenches of the warring parties was insignificant. When the trenches were 50 to 300 steps apart from each other, such flamethrowers were used to demoralize the enemy and inflict heavy losses on him. Then, with a quick raid of infantry units with light flamethrowers, it was possible to break into the attacked area and occupy it.

The design of domestic flamethrowers resumed in the spring of 1915. In September, the Chemical Committee began testing 20 backpack flamethrowers of Professor Gorbov. The first combat use of Russian flamethrowers occurred on March 21, 1916, 140 km southeast of Riga. Details unknown. In total, nine flamethrower systems were used in Russia:

backpack: Tovarnitsky, Gorbov, Alexandrov, Tilly-Gosko, Lawrence;

heavy: Vincent, Tovarnitsky, Ershov, Moscow fire mines "SPS" (SPS).

Vincent's flamethrower battery (photo from Thomas Wictor's book "Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers", 2010)

In June 1916, the Tovarnitsky backpack flamethrower (T system) was adopted by the Russian army. It was an oval steel tank, two-thirds filled with flammable liquid and one-third with air compressed to 12-15 atmospheres. A lighter was put on the fire hose. The empty flamethrower weighed 11.4 kg, loaded - about 24 kg. The flight range of the fire mixture jet reached 15-30 m, the duration of the continuous jet was 50-55 seconds. The flamethrower was attached to the soldier's back using two belts. The “T” system had many deficiencies and a low safety margin. Its adoption was a necessary measure. Since the fall of 1916, infantry regiments of the Russian army have been equipped with this flamethrower in flamethrower teams (12 flamethrowers each).

Tovarnitsky backpack flamethrower.1 - reservoir with flammable liquid; 2 - tap; 3 - hose; 4 — fire hose; 5 — lighter; 6 — striking knife; 7 — lighter mounting stand; 8 — control lever; 9 - shield. According to Ya. M. Fishman (1929).

Tovarnitsky half-trench flamethrower. 1 - tank with flammable liquid; 2 - tap; 3 — tap handle; 4 — container with compressed air; 5 — air tube; 6 — pressure gauge for determining the pressure in the tank; 7 - long canvas hose; 8 — fire hose; 9 — lighter; 10 — stick for controlling the fire hose; 11 - tee; 12 - pin; 13 — outlet tube; 14 - lifting device. According to Ya. M. Fishman (1929).

Lieutenant Lawrence's flamethrower (“Lawrence”) turned out to be the best backpack flamethrower of those in service with the Russian army. It was durable, reliable and safe for a soldier. The flight range of the fire mixture jet reached 55 steps. It could be used to release toxic substances. The weight of the equipped flamethrower is 28.8 kg, empty - 17.6 kg. A thousand of these flamethrowers were ordered in the United Kingdom, but the order was abandoned due to lack of money.

The Tilly-Gosco flamethrower was of British origin. After the Lawrence flamethrower, it was considered the most advanced. It consisted of one large tank into which another tank of smaller diameter was welded. The large tank was filled with flammable liquid, and the small one with compressed air. The latter was filled using a manual air pump through a pneumatic valve placed in the tank lid. The containers were connected to each other by a tube and a valve, which was opened before the operation of the apparatus began. A bayonet was mounted on the fire hose. The range of throwing a jet of fire mixture reached 50 steps, the duration of action was with breaks of up to three minutes, without breaks - up to 25 seconds. The system weighed 15 kg (without liquid). The Tilly-Gosko flamethrower was demonstrated to Emperor Nicholas II in May 1916.

Emperor Nicholas II testing the Tilly-Goskin flamethrower. Pay attention to the anthropological type of these people, their military bearing and the dignity with which they wear their military uniform (photo from the book Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers, 2010 by Thomas Wictor)

The backpack flamethrowers of Alexandrov and Gorbov, due to an unsuccessful design, were not widely used. Both flamethrowers gave an insignificant range of the fire mixture jet - 15-20 steps.

The Russian semi-trench flamethrower of the “T” system differed from the backpack flamethrower in its size. The compressed gas was stored here in a separate container and, using a rubber connecting tube, tee and pressure gauge, was supplied to the tank throughout the entire duration of the flamethrower's operation. A constant pressure was always maintained in the tank (10-13 atmospheres). An arched outlet tube with a tap was attached to the bottom of the tank, to which was attached a thick canvas hose about 8.5 m long, with a fire hose and a lighter at the end. The fire hose, with the help of a special lifting device, was movably fixed in a metal pin driven into the ground. The weight of the empty flamethrower (without a hose and lifting device) was about 95 kg, and when loaded it was about 192 kg. The flamethrower was serviced by a crew of eight people (together with the head of the flamethrower). The flight range of the fire mixture jet is 35-55 m.

The most effective and original Russian flamethrower was the high-explosive piston flamethrower SPS, proposed in June 1916 by engineers Stranden, Povarnin and Stolitsa. It was an oblong iron cylinder - a chamber for fuel, inside which a piston was placed motionless. A grating incendiary cartridge was put on the nozzle, and a powder ejecting cartridge was inserted into the charger. An electric fuse was inserted into the cartridge, the wires from which went to the blasting machine. The flamethrower weighed about 16 kg, when equipped - 32.5 kg. The range of action reached 35-50 m, the duration of action was 1-2 seconds. In similar flamethrowers of foreign designs, which had worse characteristics, the expulsion of the fire mixture was usually carried out using compressed air or hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The principle of using the pressure of powder gases to push out the fire mixture remains basic to this day.

High-explosive flamethrower "SPS". 1 — chamber for fuel; 2 - piston; 3 - nozzle; 4 — grating spark plugs of the incendiary cartridge; 5 - charger; 6 — powder ejecting cartridge; 7 — wires from the blasting machine; 8 - pin. According to Ya. M. Fishman (1929).

A camouflaged high-explosive flamethrower "SPS" in position. A - flamethrower; B - wires going to the blasting machine; C - demolition machine. According to Ya. M. Fishman (1929).

At the beginning of 1917, the SPS high-explosive flamethrower entered mass production. It was charged at the Kazan Oil Refinery, built in 1915, where for the first time in Russia the industrial production of aromatic hydrocarbons necessary for the production of explosives was organized. High-explosive flamethrowers were supposed to be installed in one or several lines with distances between lines of 100-150 m and with intervals between individual flamethrowers in a line of 35-50 m. The first use of high-explosive flamethrowers in the history of military art occurred during the defense of the Kakhovka bridgehead by the Red Army in the fall of 1920 .

By the end of 1916, flamethrower units were created in the Russian army for joint operations with infantry (mainly in the offensive), included in infantry regiments, as well as heavy flamethrower units assigned to the fronts as a means of strengthening defense.

In total, during the First World War, 10 thousand backpack flamethrowers, 200 trench flamethrowers and 362 SPS were manufactured in Russia. 86 Vincent system flamethrowers and 50 Livens system flamethrowers were received from abroad. On June 1, 1917, Russian troops received 11,446 flamethrowers.

Major Bernhard Reddeman (photo from Thomas Wictor's book "Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers", 2010)

In Germany, a volunteer sapper squad to test a flamethrower in combat conditions (Flammenwerfer Abteilung) was formed on January 18, 1915. Major Hermann Reddemann, the former chief of the Leipzig fire department, was appointed its commander. In February 1915, a backpack flamethrower was tested near Verdun against the French, and in June of the same year - against the British. In both cases, the flamethrower caused panic among the enemy infantry, and the Germans managed to take enemy positions with relatively few losses. The third guards engineer battalion was reorganized into the Flammenwerfer Abteilung. The battalion initially consisted of six companies, but by 1917 the number of companies had increased to twelve. Each company had 20 large and 18 small flamethrowers. Each assault battalion included a flamethrower platoon (Flam-menweriertrupp), numbering from four to eight backpack flamethrowers.

The German army used two types of backpack flamethrowers: small and medium. The Vex small flamethrower consisted of a carrying device, a tank for flammable liquid and a gas cylinder (nitrogen). The reservoir for flammable liquid was in the form of a lifebuoy with a capacity of 11 liters. The gas cylinder was attached to the tank using a special screw, and gas was supplied from the cylinder to the tank using a balloon tube equipped with a valve. The weight of the equipped flamethrower is 24 kg, empty - 13 kg. Watering with a continuous burning stream - 20 sec. The range of the jet is about 25 m. The working pressure is 23 atmospheres.

German Vex flamethrowers with American soldiers, March 1918 (photo from the book Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers by Thomas Wictor, 2010)

German flamethrowers with the Kleif M.1915 flamethrower. (photo from the book “Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers” by Thomas Wictor, 2010)

German soldier with a flamethrower “Kleif M. 1915” (photo from the book “Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers” by Thomas Wictor, 2010)

The medium flamethrower "Kleif" consisted of the same main parts as the "Vex", and differed from it mainly in its size. The weight of the equipped flamethrower is 33.5 kg, empty - 17.5 kg. A continuous stream was possible for 25 seconds. Its range is about 22 m. Working pressure is 23 atmospheres. The connection of two “Kleif” devices gave a “double Kleif” with a fire jet range of 35-40 m and a duration of about 22 seconds.

Shot from a flamethrower “Kleif M. 1915” (photo from the book “Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers” by Thomas Wictor, 2010)

The German large flamethrower "Grof" consisted of a tank with flammable liquid, a container with compressed nitrogen, an igniter hose and a carrying device (two flamethrowers). The reservoir held 100 liters of liquid. The weight of an empty tank (without a carrying device) is 35 kg, when filled it is about 135 kg. The burning duration of a continuous jet is 10 seconds, the range is 30-40 m. By combining several of these flamethrowers through a connecting hose, the Germans created a battery of “Groffs”. Watering the stream was carried out with one fire hose.

On the Eastern Front, the Germans used flamethrowers for the first time on a massive scale on November 9, 1916 in battles in the Skrobovsky Stream area (north of Baranovichi) against units of the 218th Gorbatovsky Regiment, 217th Kovrovsky Regiment, 321st Oksky Regiment and 322nd Soligalichsky Regiment . Since the Germans were expecting a flamethrower attack, it did not make much of an impression on the Russian troops.

The Trench Warfare Department of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Munitions Supply began flamethrower research in April 1915. In January 1916, the British began forming the first flamethrower teams within chemical units. At the end of June, flamethrower units were sent to the British 4th Army in the Somme area. On July 1, 1916, British flamethrowers made their debut with 10-second salvos from two batteries of Livens flamethrowers, killing up to 40 German soldiers.

Large flamethrower battery of Livens in Russia (photo from the book Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers, 2010)

A salvo from Livens' large flamethrower battery (photo from Thomas Wictor's book "Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers", 2010)

The British flamethrower of the Livens system was a bulky and heavy apparatus that could only be used in trench warfare in the defense of a heavily fortified position. The weight of the flamethrower is 2.5 tons. It was designed for three releases of the fire mixture, following one after another. With each release (under a pressure of about 24 atmospheres), about 320 kg of flammable liquid was released. Range - 150-200 m.

A salvo from Livens's large flamethrower gallery (photo from Thomas Wictor's book "Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers", 2010)

The British heavy flamethrower of the Vincent system was a battery of four tanks connected to each other by means of short copper flexible hoses. A long ejection hose with a fire hose at the end extended from one of the tanks. The height of each tank is about 4 feet, the operating pressure is 16-18 atmospheres. Compressed air was located in separate containers, connected to the tanks using special belts, and was supplied through copper air tubes. The weight of one empty tank is 130 kg, filled with liquid - 225 kg. The flight range of a jet of burning liquid is 65-80 m. At the end of 1917, three heavy flamethrower batteries of the Russian army were armed with this flamethrower, and a fourth was being formed.

Captain Vincent's flamethrower system

In the French army, the first flamethrower company was formed in May 1915, and on June 6 the French launched the first flamethrower attack against German positions in Lorraine. But the wind changed and carried the flames to the French positions.

French backpack flamethrowers (No. 1 bis, No. 2 and No. 3 bis) consisted of reservoirs of flammable liquid and compressed air cylinders. The weight of the equipped flamethrower is about 23 kg, the jet range is 25-30 m; Flame throwing duration is from 8-10 to 25-30 seconds.

The first French flamethrower No. 1 (photo from the book “Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers” by Thomas Wictor, 2010)

French heavy flamethrower No. 1 had one tank with a capacity of 80 liters. The weight of the entire flamethrower when charged is 125 kg. Range of action - up to 30 m. The “combined apparatus” of flamethrowers No. 3 bis had a range of action from 40 to 50 m. The duration of the fire mixture jet was 20-25 seconds.

French sappers fire from flamethrower No. 1 (photo from the book “Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers” by Thomas Wictor, 2010)

French flamethrower No. 3 bis with an Italian army soldier (photo from the book “Flamethrower Troops of World War I: The Central and Allied Powers” by Thomas Wictor, 2010)

The development of flamethrower weapons is an excellent example of the foresight of individuals in the development of military equipment, and the shortsightedness of those who are responsible for rearming the army with new means of warfare. Fiedler with his invention traveled around European capitals for more than 10 years (!), demonstrating the capabilities of actually working samples, offering favorable conditions for acquiring the exclusive right to his invention, and he did not receive support anywhere. But after the First World War, it was no longer possible to imagine combat operations without flamethrower systems of various types. True, their inventor himself disappeared into the abyss of time. You will not find any photographs of him, nor the dates of his birth or death... Only descriptions of his patents have survived - manuscripts do not burn.

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Infantry flamethrowers - flamethrowers
Jet flamethrowers
A flamethrower is a device that emits a stream of burning liquid. A flamethrower in the form of a cauldron with wooden pipes was used 2500 years ago. However, it was only at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries that the development of technology made it possible to create flamethrowing devices that provided sufficient range, safety and reliability in operation.

Flamethrowers are intended for destruction in defense with the aim of causing direct losses in manpower to the attacking enemy or during the offensive to destroy the defending enemy, especially those entrenched in long-term defensive structures, as well as for moral influence on the enemy and setting fire to various flammable objects and creating a fire in the area. Flamethrowers are used with great success in special combat conditions (in populated areas, in the mountains, in the fight for river barriers, etc.), as well as for clearing captured trenches from the presence of remaining enemy fighters in them. The flamethrower is perhaps the most effective melee weapon.

World War I backpack flamethrower:

a - steel tank; 6 - tap; c - handle; g - flexible hose; d — metal fire hose; e - automatic ignition

Flamethrowers are the first new incendiary weapons developed in the industrial 20th century. It is interesting that they initially appeared not as military weapons, but as police weapons - to disperse violent crowds of demonstrators and other unauthorized gatherings (a rather strange idea, it must be said, to pacify restless citizens - to burn them to the ground). And only the beginning of the First World War forced the world powers to urgently look for new weapons of war. And this is where jet flamethrowers came in handy. And although they were quite simple in design (even compared to their contemporary, the tank), they immediately proved their enormous effectiveness on the battlefield. The only limitation is the flamethrowing range. After all, when shooting at hundreds of meters, enormous pressure in the device is required, and a freely flying and burning jet of fire mixture may not reach the target - it may well burn out completely in the air. And only at short distances - tens of meters - the jet flamethrower has no equal. And the huge fiery and smoky plume of the burning jet makes an indelible impression on both the enemy and “friends”; it puts the enemy into a state of shock, and inspires “friends”.

The use of flamethrowers is based primarily on the fact that they are a means of close support for infantry and are intended to destroy targets that infantry cannot destroy or suppress with conventional fire. However, given the enormous psychological impact of flamethrowers, military experts recommend using them en masse against targets such as tanks, infantry in trenches and in combat vehicles. To combat individual firing points and large defensive structures, as a rule, one or more flamethrowers are allocated. To support the combat operations of flamethrower units, it is recommended to use artillery and mortar fire. If necessary, flamethrowers can be attached to infantry (motorized infantry) units.

Regardless of the type and design of flamethrowers, the principle of their operation is the same. Flamethrowers (or flamethrowers, as they used to say) are devices that emit jets of highly flammable liquid over a distance of 15 to 200 meters. Ejection from the tank through a special fire nozzle is carried out by the force of compressed air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen or powder gases. The liquid is ignited when it exits the fire nozzle (the metal tip of the ejection arm or hose) by an automatically operating igniter. Combustible liquids used for flamethrowing are mixtures of various flammable liquids: a mixture of oil, gasoline and kerosene, a mixture of light coal oil with benzene, a solution of phosphorus in carbon disulfide, etc. The working effect is determined by the range of ejection of the hot jet and its burning time. The range of the jet is determined by the initial speed of the flowing liquid and the angle of inclination of the tip.

The tactics of modern combat also required that the infantry flamethrower not be tied only to the ground, but also rise into the air (German paratroopers with fire) and, descending, act on reinforced concrete pillboxes (Belgium, Liege).

Siphons, which spewed a burning mixture at the enemy, were used in antiquity, being, in essence, jet flamethrowers. And the legendary “Greek fire” was used precisely in these flamethrowers, which were still very simple in design.

Heavy flamethrower from the First World War:

a - iron tank; b - arcuate pipe; c - tap; g - crane handle; d - staples; k - canvas hose; l - fire hose; m - control handle; n - igniter; o - lifting device; p - metal pin

High explosive flamethrower from the First World War:

a - iron cylinder; b - piston; c - nozzle; g - grating incendiary cartridge; d - charger; e - powder ejecting cartridge; g - electric fuse; h - electric drive; and - source of electric current; k - pin

High explosive flamethrower device

In 1775, the French engineer Dupre invented a flame-throwing apparatus and mixture, which, by order of Louis XVI, were tested in Marseille and in some other French harbors to repel enemy landings. The king was horrified by the new weapon and ordered that all papers relating to it be destroyed. Soon, under unclear circumstances, the inventor himself died. Rulers at all times have been able to reliably keep their secrets and remove their bearers...

The armies of the 17th–19th centuries were armed with artillery incendiary bombs (brandskugels, frames), which were equipped with mixtures consisting of saltpeter and sulfur with the addition of gunpowder pulp, black powder, resin or lard.

Finally, in 1861–1864. In America, an unknown inventor proposed releasing a self-igniting mixture of carbon disulfide and phosphorus (solution) from special devices under pressure, but due to the imperfection of this apparatus and the lack of devices for creating pressure, this proposal was not used. And only at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, when technology had reached significant perfection, it became possible to produce complex flamethrowing devices (flamethrowers) capable of withstanding high pressure, having precisely calculated pipelines, nozzles and taps.

During the First World War, incendiary devices were particularly developed.

The creator of the backpack fire device is the famous Russian inventor Sieger-Korn (1893). In 1898, the inventor proposed a new original weapon to the Minister of War. The flamethrower was created according to the same principles on which modern flamethrowers operate. The device was very complex and dangerous to use and was not accepted for service under the pretext of “unrealism.” An exact description of its design has not been preserved. But nevertheless, the creation of the “flamethrower” can begin in 1893.

Three years later, the German inventor Fiedler created a flamethrower of a similar design, which was adopted without hesitation. As a result, Germany managed to significantly outstrip other countries in the development and creation of new types of these weapons. For the first time in large numbers, flamethrowers (or flamethrowers, as they said then) of Fiedler's design were used on the battlefield by German troops in 1915 during the First World War. The German army was then armed with three types of flamethrowers: the small backpack "Weke", the medium backpack "Kleif" and the large transportable "Grof", and used them with great success in battle. In the early morning of July 30 (according to other sources - 29), 1915, the British troops were stunned by an unprecedented spectacle: huge tongues of flame suddenly burst out from the German trenches and, with a hiss and whistle, lashed towards the British. Here is what one of the eyewitnesses said about the first major German flamethrower attack against British troops on July 29, 1915:

“Completely unexpectedly, the first lines of troops at the front were engulfed in flames. It was not visible where the fire came from. The soldiers only saw that they seemed to be surrounded by frantically spinning flames, which were accompanied by a loud roar and thick clouds of black smoke; here and there drops of boiling oil fell into the trenches or trenches. Screams and howls shook the air as individual soldiers rose in the trenches, trying to advance into the open, feeling the force of the fire. The only salvation, it seemed, was to run back, and this is what the surviving defenders resorted to. Over a wide area the flames pursued them, and the retreat turned into... defeat.”

It seemed that everything around was on fire and nothing living could escape in this raging sea of fire. Fear gripped the British. Throwing down their weapons, the British infantry fled in panic to the rear, leaving their positions without firing a single shot, although they had almost no casualties from the fire. This is how flamethrowers entered the battlefield, first used by the Germans in large numbers against the British army.

The fact is that after the first successful gas-balloon “chemical” attacks launched by the Germans in April-May 1915, the use of poisonous gases was no longer successful, since the British and French troops quickly acquired means of protection against them - gas masks, as well as the Allies' response to the Germans - military poisonous gases. In an effort to maintain the initiative, the Germans used new weapons - flamethrowers, hoping to achieve success by the surprise of their use and the strong moral impact on the enemy.

On the Russian front, the Germans first used flamethrowers on November 9, 1916 in a battle north of the city of Baranovichi. However, here they were unable to achieve success. Russian soldiers of the 217th and 322nd regiments, unexpectedly exposed to weapons that were new to them, were not at a loss and stubbornly defended their positions. The German infantry, which rose to attack under the cover of flamethrowers, encountered heavy rifle and machine-gun fire and suffered heavy losses. The attack was thwarted. The Russian commission, which investigated the results of the enemy’s first flamethrower attack, came to the following conclusion: “The use of flamethrowers with success is possible only to complete the defeat of a shocked and upset enemy.”

In the First World War, two types of flamethrowers appeared, backpack (small and medium, used in offensive operations) and heavy (half-trench, trench and fortress, used in defense). Between the world wars, a third type of flamethrower appeared - high-explosive.

Of course, fire can be brought to the target, for example, by aircraft incendiary bombs, artillery incendiary shells and mines. But airplanes, howitzers, guns and mortars are long-range weapons. Fire is transported over long distances, figuratively speaking, in a “packaged” form: a ready-to-use incendiary composition is “hidden” inside a bomb, shell or mine. A flamethrower is a melee weapon.

Subsequently, flamethrowers were adopted by all warring armies and were used to enhance infantry fire and suppress the enemy where the effect of rifle and machine-gun fire was insufficient. By the beginning of 1914, the armies of Germany, France, and Italy had flamethrower units. Light (backpack) and heavy (trench and half-trench) flamethrowers were also widely used in the Russian, French, English and other armies.

Russian hand flamethrower from the First World War of the Sieger-Korn system

Attack with a backpack flamethrower of a long-term firing point

Attacking a pillbox embrasure from its roof (dead zone of fire) using an L-shaped nozzle on a flamethrower nozzle

The construction of flamethrowers in Russia began only in the spring of 1915 (that is, even before their use by German troops - the idea, apparently, was already in the air). In 1916, a backpack flamethrower designed by Tavarnitsky was adopted by the Russian army. In the same year, Russian engineers Stranden, Povarin, and Stolitsa invented a high-explosive piston flamethrower, from which the combustible mixture was ejected by the pressure of powder gases. In its design, it was superior to foreign flamethrowers, in which the fire mixture was expelled using compressed air. It weighed 32.5 kg when loaded. The flamethrowing range was 35–50 meters. At the beginning of 1917, the flamethrower was tested and entered mass production under the name SPS. The SPS flamethrower was successfully used by the Red Army during the Civil War.

For the purposes of offensive combat and smoking out enemy forces from bunkers, the flamethrower's fire nozzle was redesigned and lengthened, where instead of the usual conical nozzle it was replaced by an L-shaped, curved one. This form allows the flamethrower to effectively operate through embrasures from behind cover, standing on the side of the embrasure in the “dead”, non-shootable zone, or on top of the pillbox, from its roof.

After the end of World War I, flamethrower-incendiary weapons, as one of the types of tactical weapons, continued to develop intensively and by the beginning of World War II they occupied an important place in the general armament system of the armies of many countries around the world.

In 1936, in the mountains and forests of Abyssinia, where the operations of flamethrower tanks were difficult, Italian troops used backpack flamethrowers. During the intervention in Spain in 1936–1939. The Italian Expeditionary Force used backpack and trench flamethrowers in the battles of Madrid, Guadalajara and Catalonia. The Spanish Republicans also used backpack flamethrowers during the siege of the Alcazar fortress, during the battles in Toledo.

Let's look at the basic designs of flamethrowers using the example of models from the period between the great wars, when flamethrower weapons developed especially rapidly.

The backpack flamethrower was an oval or cylindrical steel tank with a capacity of 15–20 liters. Through the tap, the tank is filled 3/4 with flammable liquid and 1/4 with compressed gas. In some systems, pressure is created by releasing compressed gas from a special small cartridge inserted into the reservoir before operation; in this case, the drummer of the can comes out through the tank lid. The tank is designed for pressure up to 50 atmospheres, operating pressure - 12–20 atmospheres.

When the tap is opened using the handle, the liquid is thrown out through a flexible rubber hose and a metal nozzle and activates the automatic ignitor. The igniter is a box with a handle. In the front part, a stand with a cover is mounted on hinges. On the underside of the lid there is a hook-shaped striker riveted, which serves to break the ampoule with sulfuric acid.

When exiting the fire nozzle, a jet of liquid hits the igniter stand, which overturns and carries the lid along with it; The impact of the lid breaks the ampoule with sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid, acting on tow dipped in gasoline and sprinkled with incendiary powder, gives fire, and the flowing liquid, ignited, forms a fiery stream. The backpack flamethrower is carried using straps over the shoulders. The direction of the liquid stream is determined using a control handle attached to the fire hose. You can control the jet by holding your hands directly to the fire nozzle. For this purpose, in some systems there is an outlet valve on the fire hose itself. The weight of an empty backpack flamethrower (with a hose, tap and fire hose) is 11–14 kg, loaded — 20–25 kg.

Incendiary ampoule AZh-2

Soviet ampulomet from the period of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War:

1 — sight; 2 - ampoule with a self-igniting mixture; 3 — ampulomet body; 4 — powder cartridge; 5 — striker; 6 — trigger; 7 — handle for turning and aiming; 8 - spring; 9 - tripod

The heavy flamethrower was an iron tank with an arc-shaped outlet pipe, a tap, a tap handle and brackets for manual carrying. Its height is 1 meter, diameter is 0.5 meters, total capacity is 200 liters, useful capacity is 160 liters. The compressed gas is in a special bottle and, using a rubber connecting tube, a tee and a pressure gauge, is supplied to the tank during the entire duration of the flamethrower’s operation, i.e. a constant pressure is maintained in the tank (10–13 atmospheres). A thick tarpaulin hose 8.5 meters long is attached to the tap. The fire hose with the control handle and igniter is movably mounted in a metal pin using a lifting device. The igniter in a heavy flamethrower can be the same device as in a backpack one, or ignition is carried out by electric current. The weight of an empty heavy flamethrower (without a hose and lifting device) is about 95 kg, when loaded it is about 192 kg. The flight range of the jet is 40–60 meters, the sector of destruction is 130–180°. Continuous action time is about 1 minute, with breaks - up to 3 minutes. Serviced by a crew of seven people. A shot from a flamethrower hits an area of 300 to 500 m2. When flanking or obliquely aiming flamethrowing at an attacking enemy, one shot can incapacitate a platoon of infantry. A tank caught in the flamethrower's stream stops and in most cases catches fire.

Due to the high operating pressure (one and a half to two times higher than that of backpack flamethrowers), the jet of fire mixture ejected by heavy flamethrowers has a high impact force. This allows you to suppress enemy fire installations by throwing flames at the embrasure walls. Fire can be thrown from positions located outside the field of view and fire of the suppressed structure. A stream of burning fire mixture, hitting the slope of its embankment, ricochets and is thrown into the embrasure, destroying or hitting the entire combat crew.

When conducting combat in a populated area adapted for defense, flamethrowing from a flamethrower allows you to set fire to a building occupied by the enemy with one shot at a loophole, window, door or breach.

The high-explosive flamethrower differed in design and principle of operation from backpack flamethrowers. A high-explosive flamethrower does not have a compressed gas cylinder, and the fire mixture is ejected from the tank by the pressure of gases formed during the combustion of the powder charge. There are two types of high-explosive flamethrowers: piston and pistonless. A high explosive flamethrower consists of an iron cylinder and a piston. A grating incendiary cartridge is put on the nozzle, and a powder ejecting cartridge with an electric fuse is inserted into the charger. An electric or special sapper wire is connected to the fuse, stretched at a distance of 1.5–2 kilometers to a source of electric current. Using a pin, the high-explosive flamethrower is fixed in the ground. The weight of an empty high-explosive flamethrower is about 16 kg, when loaded it is about 32.5 kg. Powder gases resulting from the combustion of the ejecting cartridge push the piston and throw the liquid out. Action time is 1–2 seconds. The jet's flight range is 35–50 meters. High-explosive flamethrowers are installed on the ground in groups of 3 to 10 pieces.

These are flamethrower designs from the 20s and 30s. The fire weapons created later moved far from these first samples, but their classification was generally preserved.

The first Soviet backpack flamethrower ROKS-1 was created in 1940. In July 1941, FOM high-explosive flamethrowers were also field tested.
They were a cylinder with 25 liters of flammable mixture. Flame throwing at 80-100 meters occurred due to the pressure inside the cylinder of powder gases when the charge was fired. FOM is a single action flamethrower. After the shot, the device was sent to a reloading point. During the war, their modifications appeared - ROKS-2, ROKS-3, FOG-2. ROKS-2, with a loaded device weighing 23 kg (a back-mounted metal tank with a flammable mixture, a flexible hose and a gun that fired and ignited the charge), “threw fire” at 30–35 meters. The tank capacity was enough for 6–8 starts. ROKS-3 was equipped with 10 liters of viscous fire mixture and could fire 6–8 short or 1–2 long fire shots at a distance of 35–40 meters using compressed air. Basic data on flamethrowers of various armies of the interwar period

Flamethrower name	Flamethrower weight, kg	Working pressure, atm	Jet flight range, m	Flammable liquid	Gas exerting pressure on liquid
Empty	Curb
Germany	Backpack	"Veke"	10,5	21,5	23	25	A mixture of coal tar with light and heavy hydrocarbons, coal oil and carbon sulphide	Carbon dioxide
Germany	Backpack	"Cleif"	14,0	30,0	23	22
Germany	Heavy	"Goof"	35,0	135,0	15	35-40
France	Backpack	"No. 1 encore"	—	23,0	50	18-30	A mixture of coal tar and benzene	Compressed air
France	Heavy	"No. 1 and 3 bis"	—	30,0	—	—
France	Heavy	"Flamethrower No. 1"	—	125,0	140	30
England	Backpack	"Lawrence"	17,6	28,0	15	30-35	A mixture of phosphorus, carbon disulfide and turpentine	Carbon dioxide
England	Heavy	"Vincent"	OK. 1000	OK. 1500	15-81	60-80	Oil, gasoline and kerosene	Compressed air
England	Heavy	"Fortress Livens"	OK. 2500	3700	24	Up to 200
Italy	Backpack (6l)	"DLF"	~	—	—	25	—	—
USA	Heavy (16l)	"Boyd A193"	—	15	35	—	Hydrogen

Infantry flamethrower of the Red Army ROKS-3:

1 - reservoir; 2 — compressed air cylinder; 3 - gearbox; 4 - flexible sleeve; 5 — fire hose gun

High-explosive flamethrowers FOG-2 were installed at a firing position stationary in the ground and, without reloading, could fire only one shot, ejecting 25 liters of burning fire mixture under the action of powder gases from an expelling powder charge at a distance of 25 to 110 meters.

During the war years, our industry established mass production of flamethrowers, which made it possible to create entire flamethrowing units and units. Flamethrower units and units were used in the most important directions, both offensively and defensively, in small groups and in large numbers. They were used to consolidate captured lines, repel enemy counterattacks, cover tank-dangerous areas, protect the flanks and joints of units, and to solve other problems.

In Stalingrad in November 1942, flamethrowers were part of the assault groups. With backpack devices on their backs, they crawled up to Nazi positions and brought down a barrage of fire on the embrasures. The suppression of the points was completed by grenade throwing.

Here is a far from complete list of losses that the enemy suffered from Soviet backpack flamethrowers: manpower - 34,000 people, tanks, self-propelled guns, armored personnel carriers - 120, pillboxes, bunkers and other firing points - 3,000, vehicles - 145... The main one is clearly visible here The area of application of this weapon is the destruction of field forts.

Literally on the eve of the war, the high-explosive flamethrower of the brothers BC and D.S. was patented. Bogoslovskikh, who did not turn advancing tanks into piles of charred metal, but only “incapacitated the crews” (as stated in the description of the invention). In addition, it was much cheaper than anti-tank mines and was quite safe to use. Before the battle, a metal or rubber tank with a long tube filled with a self-igniting liquid was buried in the ground or snow so that only its front curved end with an outlet hole stuck out. When an enemy tank drove onto a barely noticeable hill, it was immediately doused by a powerful stream of flammable mixture bursting out of the ground. A field mined with such flamethrowers, when an enemy tank unit passed, dozens of fiery fountains spewed out, splashing in all directions. But the author did not find any evidence of the use of this weapon on the battlefield.

At the beginning of the war, our troops used an “ampulomet”, a kind of mortar with a slightly modified device, as an incendiary weapon for close combat. It consisted of a trunk on a tripod. The expelling charge—a 12-gauge hunting cartridge—threw an AZh-2 ampoule or a thermite ball at a distance of 240–250 meters at a distance of 150–250 meters.

ditch The AZh-2 ampoule was a glass or thin-walled metal sphere with a diameter of 120 mm and a capacity of 2 liters, with a hole for pouring the mixture, which was hermetically sealed with a tightly screwed cap and gasket. The ampoules were filled with CS or BGS liquid. Upon impact with an obstacle, the shell was destroyed and the liquid spontaneously ignited in air. The weight of the ampulomet was 28 kg, the rate of fire was up to 8 rounds/min, the crew was Zchel.

Ampoule guns were used against enemy tanks, pillboxes, bunkers, and dugouts to “smoke out” and “burn out” the enemy.

Victor BAKURSKY

Table of contents

"Sarafan News"

Soviet LPO-50 - later the same “Type 58” appeared. Photo War-time.ru

To date, the leading armies of the world have recognized the jet flamethrower as hopelessly outdated and abandoned it. The exception is the People's Liberation Army of China, which still has similar systems in service. However, these samples are quite old, and replacements for them are not being created.

Soviet assistance

At that time, the USSR actively shared finished military products and technologies for their production with the young PRC. Among other things, light and heavy infantry flamethrowers LPO-50 and TPO-50, as well as documentation for their production, went to China. These supplies predetermined the development of Chinese flamethrower weapons for several decades to come - right up to our time.

Heavy TPO-50. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Soviet assistance included the supply of several thousand finished products of two types. In addition, the Chinese industry managed to master their independent production, and by the early sixties, two flamethrowers with the common name “Type 58” appeared in the PLA arsenal. Soon relations between the two countries deteriorated, as a result of which the supply of imported weapons ceased. However, China already had the ability to independently provide for its army.

First samples

LPO-50 included a backpack unit with three cylinders for a fire mixture and a starting device in the form of a “gun” with a bipod. The flamethrower had three cylinders with a capacity of 3.3 liters, each of which was equipped with its own squib-pressure accumulator and was connected to a common pipe system. When the trigger was pressed, the electrical system ignited the cartridge, and it released gases that pushed the fire mixture through the pipes and the starting device. For ignition there were three separate squibs in the muzzle of the “gun”.

An experimental flamethrower tank using Type 58 barrels. Photo Reddit.com

A flamethrower with a loaded weight of 23 kg could fire three shots lasting 2-3 seconds. The flamethrowing range, depending on the type of mixture, is 20-70 m. After using up three cylinders, reloading was required with filling the fire mixture and installing new cartridges.

The heavy TPO-50 was a towed high-explosive system. Three identical barrels were attached to a common carriage, each of which was made in the form of a cylinder with a head equipped with the necessary devices. A powder chamber was attached to the head, in which the charge burned to form gases. The gases entered the cylinder and acted on the piston, which pushed the fire mixture through the siphon to the fire hose.

The mass of the combat-ready TPO-50 was 165 kg, which precluded carrying. It was proposed to move the flamethrower using a tractor or by rolling the crew. When firing direct fire, the flamethrowing range reached 140 m, and when firing at mounted fire, up to 200 m. During the shot, the barrel completely consumed its charge, and without reloading the flamethrower could fire only three shots.

Chinese modifications

As far as we know, the Chinese military appreciated Soviet flamethrowers and introduced them quite widely in infantry and engineering units. In addition, work began almost immediately to improve the designs and search for new options for their use.

A flamethrower with a Type 74 is preparing to fire. Photo Slide.mil.news.sina.com.cn

The bulk of such work affected only the production of two Type 58 products. Technologies have been improved and the design has been optimized, incl. with some increase in basic characteristics. At the same time, fundamentally new projects were proposed. In particular, self-propelled versions of the heavy TPO-50 were developed.

A well-known prototype of a flamethrower tank based on the T-34, located in one of the Chinese museums. On the sides of the turret of this vehicle there are two swinging armored boxes, each of which can accommodate six TPO-50 / “Type 58” barrels. Horizontal guidance was carried out by turning the turret, while the vertical drive was organized using a cannon. However, this option for using a flamethrower did not reach series and mass use in the army.

New Generation

Light flamethrowers "Type 58" / LPO-50 were quite actively used by the PLA until the early seventies, when the decision was made to replace them. It was proposed to carry out a deep modernization of the existing model, improving its operational and combat characteristics, as well as using modern technologies. The work was completed in 1974, as a result of which the flamethrower entered service under the designation “Type 74”.

The flamethrowing process. Photo Slide.mil.news.sina.com.cn

From the point of view of general architecture, principles of operation, etc. "Type 74" is as similar as possible to the previous "Type 58". The most noticeable external difference is the different means of storing the fire mixture. The number of cylinders was reduced to two, but their volume increased slightly. This improved ergonomics and increased the mass of the jet, but reduced the number of shots. The starting device has lost one of the ignition cartridges and has undergone some other changes. The chemical industry has developed new compositions of gasoline-based fire mixtures. Modern additives and thickeners have made it possible to improve the parameters of the range and quality of flamethrowing.

"Type 74" has two cylinders with a capacity of approx. 4 l each and can fire shots lasting up to 3-4 seconds. The total weight of the product is 20 kg. Reloading with liquid filling and installation of new squibs has been simplified and accelerated.

Outdated and modern

The PLA actively used several types of flamethrowers in infantry and engineering units. Such weapons were intended to defeat enemy personnel in open areas and inside various structures. In general, Chinese tactics for using infantry flamethrowers were based on Soviet developments and did not undergo any significant changes in the future.

Twin flame throwing. Photo 81.cn

Until a certain time, Type 58 and Type 74 were used only at training grounds and in exercises. The first episodes of their real combat use date back to the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979. Probably, based on the results of these events, conclusions were drawn that influenced the further use of infantry flamethrower-incendiary weapons.

According to various sources, it was during that period that two Type 58 products began to be removed from service. The light flamethrower based on the LPO-50 was replaced by the modernized Type 74, but the heavy TPO-50 / Type 58 did not receive a replacement - this class of weapons was abandoned. As a result, only one model of jet flamethrower remained in service with the PLA ground forces.

In the early eighties, the People's Armed Police of China (internal troops) was formed, whose task was to protect important facilities within the country. The NVMK received a variety of infantry weapons, incl. backpack jet flamethrowers.

Clear prospects

Oddly enough, the Type 74 remains in service to this day. Such systems are used in the PLA engineering troops and in parts of the NVMK, and flamethrower fighters are still being trained. From time to time, the press services of law enforcement agencies publish photographs and videos of training events, and they always attract attention. Particular interest in such materials is shown in foreign countries, where jet flamethrowers have long been abandoned.

Checking the hardware. Photo Slide.mil.news.sina.com.cn

According to known data, to date only one type of jet flamethrower remains in China's arsenal. Other developments of this class were either considered obsolete and withdrawn from service, or did not reach series production. Over time, the tactics of the army and internal troops change, and the place of flamethrowers in them is reduced.

It can be assumed that in the foreseeable future, Type 74 products will follow their predecessors and will also be withdrawn from service due to moral and physical obsolescence. A replacement for them, apparently, is not being created due to the lack of need.

However, the timing of the complete abandonment of the Type 74 remains unknown. And therefore China is the last developed country to have jet flamethrowers in its arsenal.

Source: tehnowar.ru

PLA Infantry Flamethrowers: Outdated but Modern

Soviet LPO-50 - later the same “Type 58” appeared. Photo War-time.ru

Soviet assistance

It is known that the first Chinese flamethrower-incendiary systems appeared in the 10th century AD.
and were then used for several centuries. However, then such weapons were forgotten, and the revival of this class occurred only in the late fifties of the 20th century. At that time, the USSR actively shared finished military products and technologies for their production with the young PRC. Among other things, light and heavy infantry flamethrowers LPO-50 and TPO-50, as well as documentation for their production, went to China. These supplies predetermined the development of Chinese flamethrower weapons for several decades to come - right up to our time.

Heavy TPO-50. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

First samples

The LPO-50 light infantry flamethrower and its Chinese version, the Type 58, were a backpack-type system designed to engage personnel in open areas or in shelters.
The flamethrower appeared in the early fifties and by the middle of the decade had taken its place in the army; a little later he went to China. LPO-50 included a backpack unit with three cylinders for a fire mixture and a starting device in the form of a “gun” with a bipod. The flamethrower had three cylinders with a capacity of 3.3 liters, each of which was equipped with its own squib-pressure accumulator and was connected to a common pipe system. When the trigger was pressed, the electrical system ignited the cartridge, and it released gases that pushed the fire mixture through the pipes and the starting device. For ignition there were three separate squibs in the muzzle of the “gun”.

An experimental flamethrower tank using Type 58 barrels. Photo Reddit.com

Chinese modifications

As far as we know, the Chinese military appreciated Soviet flamethrowers and introduced them quite widely in infantry and engineering units.
In addition, work began almost immediately to improve the designs and search for new options for their use. A flamethrower with a Type 74 is preparing to fire. Photo Slide.mil.news.sina.com.cn

New Generation

Light flamethrowers "Type 58" / LPO-50 were quite actively used by the PLA until the early seventies, when the decision was made to replace them.
It was proposed to carry out a deep modernization of the existing model, improving its operational and combat characteristics, as well as using modern technologies. The work was completed in 1974, as a result of which the flamethrower entered service under the designation “Type 74”. The flamethrowing process. Photo Slide.mil.news.sina.com.cn

Outdated and modern

The PLA actively used several types of flamethrowers in infantry and engineering units.
Such weapons were intended to defeat enemy personnel in open areas and inside various structures. In general, Chinese tactics for using infantry flamethrowers were based on Soviet developments and did not undergo any significant changes in the future. Twin flame throwing. Photo 81.cn

Clear prospects

Oddly enough, the Type 74 remains in service to this day.
Such systems are used in the PLA engineering troops and in parts of the NVMK, and flamethrower fighters are still being trained. From time to time, the press services of law enforcement agencies publish photographs and videos of training events, and they always attract attention. Particular interest in such materials is shown in foreign countries, where jet flamethrowers have long been abandoned. Checking the hardware. Photo Slide.mil.news.sina.com.cn

However, the timing of the complete abandonment of the Type 74 remains unknown. And therefore China is the last developed country to have jet flamethrowers in its arsenal.

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Soviet assistance

Heavy TPO-50.

First samples

An experimental flamethrower tank using Type 58 barrels.

Chinese modifications

A flamethrower with a Type 74 is preparing to fire.

New Generation

The flamethrowing process.

Outdated and modern

Twin flame throwing.

Clear prospects

Checking the hardware.

However, the timing of the complete abandonment of the Type 74 remains unknown. And therefore China is the last developed country to have jet flamethrowers in its arsenal.

Source

Small-sized jet flamethrower MRO-A

The small-sized MRO-A rocket-propelled flamethrower was developed on the basis of the RShG-2 rocket-propelled assault grenade and is intended for arming flamethrower units of the chemical forces as a lighter and less powerful alternative to the RPO-A "Shmel" flamethrower, while the RShG-2, being according to the domestic classification " grenade", goes into service with conventional infantry units of the Russian army. The main external difference between the MPO-A and the RShG-2 is the sighting devices - on the RShG-2 they are similar to the sight on the RPG-26 anti-tank grenade, while on the MPO-A the sighting devices are similar to those on the RPO-A Shmel rocket-propelled flamethrower. In addition to the basic version MRO-A with a thermobaric warhead, variants MRO-Z with an incendiary warhead and MRO-D with a smoke warhead for instant installation of a smoke curtain are also produced and put into service. MRO-A has been in service with the Russian Army since 2004.

In the photo - Small-sized MRO-A jet flamethrower in combat position.
The MRO-A small-sized jet flamethrower is a rocket with a thermobaric warhead of 72.5 mm caliber (otherwise called “volumetric explosion ammunition”) and a powder jet engine, which is completely exhausted in the barrel of a disposable starting device. Stabilization of the grenade along the trajectory is carried out using folding stabilizers and the axial rotation they impart to the grenade. The starting device is a monoblock pipe made of fiberglass. The trigger device is covered at the ends with rubber caps that can be destroyed when fired. To bring it into the firing position, the safety pin is removed and the safety lever covering the trigger button is brought into the firing position, while the firing mechanism is cocked, and the grenade can be launched by pressing the trigger lever. If it is necessary to transfer the grenade back to the stowed position, the firing mechanism is removed from the cocking mechanism when the safety lever is lowered to a horizontal position and secured with a pin. Sights in the form of a fixed front sight and a folding rear sight with a set of diopter holes for different firing ranges are located on the left side of the launch tube; in the lower front part of the tube there is also a front folding handle for holding the flamethrower. When fired, a dangerous zone is formed behind the launcher with a depth of up to 30 meters and an angle of 90 degrees.

Tactical and technical characteristics:

Caliber: 72.5 mm Type: reactive Length: 900 mm Weight: 4.7 kg Effective firing range: 90 m (maximum 450 meters)

Tag: Weapons_Catalog_of_weapons_Combat_weapons_Flamethrowers Discuss the article on the forum

Flamethrower "TPO-50"

The Soviet Union was the first to adopt high-explosive (powder) jet flamethrowers. Our country continued to maintain primacy in this type of flamethrower-incendiary weapon.

Soon after the end of the Great Patriotic War, a new generation of “infantry” high-explosive flamethrowers - the light backpack LPO-50 and the heavy TPO-50 - entered service with the chemical forces of the Soviet Army.

HEIRS OF THE FOGs

War experience pointed to the need to develop flamethrower-incendiary weapons, in particular, to increase the power and firing range of jet flamethrowers (tank, mobile, backpack). During the war, Soviet chemists-flamethrowers in various types of combat, not without success, used high-explosive flamethrowers of the FOG type, which were distinguished by the “power” of a flamethrower shot and a flamethrowing range of about 100 m. The disadvantages of FOGs included their “disposability” and “stationarity” (which the troops tried compensate by installing FOGs on carts or skids). This was taken into account by the designers when developing a new version of the heavy high-explosive flamethrower immediately after the war (which the troops tried to compensate for by installing FOGs on carts or drags). This was taken into account by the designers when developing a new version of the heavy high-explosive flamethrower immediately after the war.

The talk was about installing a “long-range” high-explosive flamethrower on a light field carriage with the ability to quickly change a flamethrower “barrel” equipped and ready to fire on the carriage. The experience of FOGs has also shown that the electrical method of activating flamethrowers is convenient, especially when firing in a group, but requires duplication with a mechanical one.

The model, which entered service in 1952, received the designation “TPO-50 heavy infantry flamethrower.” It was a reusable piston powder flamethrower; it was equipped with a carriage with wheeled skis for movement across the battlefield and aimed shooting. A replaceable barrel was attached to the carriage, firing one shot with the release of a large volume of fire mixture. A removable powder chamber was attached to the barrel, which included a powder charge for throwing the fire mixture and an incendiary star for igniting the fire mixture. Moreover, the barrel design was designed for reloading directly in the flamethrower unit.

“TURN ON A LIGHT”

The main purpose of the TPO-50 was to fight enemy personnel located openly or in long-term fortifications, trenches, trenches, and buildings. Flamethrowers were also trained to fight tanks and armored vehicles when repelling enemy attacks. This was also a legacy of the experience of the Great Patriotic War, but the TPO-50, unlike the FOGs, due to its mobility, could also be used to repel enemy counterattacks during its own offensive.

A squad of heavy infantry flamethrowers (three crews) in battle was usually assigned to a motorized rifle platoon. The compartment in the car was mixed up. To the flamethrower position, the flamethrower gunner and his assistant could transport three interchangeable barrels on a carriage, or the gunner moved forward with one barrel on the carriage, and his assistant carried two barrels. The platform for the flamethrower at the position was prepared in such a way as to ensure circular guidance by moving the carriage. One barrel was mounted on a carriage, the other two were either hidden in niches in position, or installed obliquely in the ground, with an emphasis on a board or log, in readiness for firing. When repelling an enemy attack, TPO-50 crews used their small arms; as the enemy approached, they first fired volleys from replaceable barrels installed in the ground, designed mainly to defeat and suppress manpower, then targeted tanks and armored vehicles with targeted flame-throwing from a carriage. During the offensive, the crews advanced behind the motorized rifles from cover to cover in readiness to deploy on the move and destroy enemy manpower and firepower with targeted flamethrowing in close cooperation with the motorized rifles.

Read: Mortar M-240

Heavy flamethrowers also served to quickly consolidate a captured line and repel enemy counterattacks. Having used up their shots, the flamethrowers continued to fight against the motorized rifles.

MODERNIZATION

Operating experience determined further development of the flamethrower. The modernized TPO-50M differed from the TPO-50 in that the hull was mounted on a carriage (as well as on a device for equipping a flamethrower) using two eyes. The presence of slots in the barrel lugs and a bevel in the axis of mounting the barrel on the carriage made it possible to quickly change barrels into position. The gas nozzle in the powder chamber of the TPO-50M flamethrower is combined with a charge grate. The barrel was equipped with a kind of compensator that reduces “bouncing” under the influence of the recoil of the shot - a jet nozzle was installed on the glass of the powder chamber, through which during the shot some of the powder gases were released upward, and the resulting reaction force pressed the barrel down.

If preparing the TPO-50 for flamethrowing from a traveling position took up to 8-10 minutes, then the TPO-50M took up to 1.5-2 minutes - a significant difference in conditions of maneuverable combat with rapid and sudden changes in the situation.

The design of the heavy flamethrower turned out to be relatively compact with a large volume of fire mixture in the shot.

The TPO-50 flamethrower consisted of three interchangeable barrels and a carriage identical in design.

REPLACEABLE BARREL

The basis of the design of the replacement barrel was the body and head, connected by a union nut. The barrel also included a piston-obturator, a powder chamber, a nozzle with a locking device, an electrical contact or a mechanical fuse, and carried a sighting device. The body was made of 3.5 mm thick alloy steel, which made it possible to withstand high pressures repeatedly. At the bottom of the body there was an ear for mounting on a gun carriage and a handle for carrying.

Read: Project 675 nuclear submarines are aircraft carrier hunters

All working units were assembled on a stamped head into which a siphon pipe, a powder chamber glass and a safety valve bushing were welded. The siphon pipe ran along the axis of the body without reaching its bottom. A socket was screwed onto the lower end of the siphon pipe, ensuring smooth entry of the fire mixture into the pipe, and at the front end there were nozzles with a diameter of 32 mm with a locking device. The piston-obturator, which displaced the fire mixture and separated it from the powder gases, was put on the siphon pipe and moved along it from the head to the bottom of the body. The powder chamber, mounted externally on the head cup, contained an incendiary star (pyrotechnic bomb) and a charge of nitroglycerin powder with a black powder igniter.

The sighting device included a folding front sight and a frame sight. The sight had three slots, designed for distances of 100.120 and 140 m.

ACTIVATION

The flamethrower could be activated in two ways - electrical or mechanical. In the first case, a brass contact of the powder chamber was used, to which an electrical impulse was supplied via a cable from the BAS-80 battery or from a standard PM-1 or PM-2 blasting machine. The electric pulse was initiated by the PP-9 squib. Through a contact device with a switch and a trigger lever, three barrels could be connected to a power source. The mechanical fuse included a simple impact mechanism and a ROKS-3 ignition cartridge based on a TT pistol cartridge case (such a cartridge was previously used in the “lighter” of the ROKS 3 backpack flamethrower, that is, the TPO-50 partially used ammunition that was already in the arsenal of the chemical forces). Before firing, the firing pin of the mechanism was cocked by the ring, and the release was made using a cord.

FIRE MIXTURES

The TPO-50 flamethrower used viscous fire mixtures, the recipe of which was developed by Soviet chemists at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War (ahead, by the way, by a couple of years of American “napalms”). The mixtures were prepared on the basis of benzene head, aviation or motor gasoline, thickened with the help of OP-2 hardening powder. In addition to increasing the flamethrowing range and burning time, the viscous mixtures had good adhesion to surfaces, which is especially useful when hitting a moving target. The percentage of components was determined primarily by the air temperature. The preparation of the fire mixture and equipment of the flamethrowers was carried out using the ARS automatic filling station and the MSAO mechanical mixer and automatic fire mixture dispenser.

CARRIAGE

A rigid carriage of simple design was used to transport the flamethrower, aim it and absorb recoil when fired. The carriage frame carried front and rear openers, a handle, and a bracket for installing barrels. Either two small wheels with solid rubber tires or two wooden skis were attached to the rotating axis of the carriage.

Read: Transport aircraft An-72/An-74 - Antonov “Cheburashka”

In the stowed position, three equipped barrels were transported on a carriage using a simple device. One barrel was attached to the position on the carriage, the rear opener rested on the ground or a solid support (stump, tree, wall). For shooting at small elevation angles, the wheels or skis were raised, the carriage was also rested on the ground by the front opener; shooting at large (40-50°) elevation angles was carried out with the wheels or skis down.

The flamethrower was aimed using the sight when firing at a direct shot range of 140 m at a target height of 1.5 m. When firing at a distance of more than 140 m, the sight was used for horizontal guidance, the range was determined by the elevation angle. To change the elevation angle of the barrel, a rotating bracket in the front part of the carriage was used.

FLAME-THROWER SHOT

When fired electrically or using a mechanical fuse, the incendiary star was ignited, and from it a powder charge was ignited. The resulting powder gases entered the gas area of the replaceable barrel through the nozzle of the powder chamber and the head. The gas pressure reached 60 atm and remained unchanged throughout the entire shot. In order to ensure constant operating pressure at different air temperatures, two versions of the replaceable gas nozzle of the powder chamber were used - a summer one with a critical cross-section of 12.6 mm and a winter one with a cross-section of 12.2 mm. The obturator piston, under gas pressure, forced the fire mixture through the siphon pipe; when the working pressure was reached, the pressure of the fire mixture jet cut off the nozzle membrane, and the jet was ejected onto the target. Due to the difference in the diameters of the barrel body and siphon pipe (200 mm and 55 mm, respectively), the speed of movement of the fire mixture increased from 3 to 36 m/s. The narrowing at the outlet section of the siphon pipe increased the jet exit speed to 106 m/s. When leaving the nozzle, the jet was ignited by the flame of a burning incendiary star. The passage of the fire mixture through the siphon pipe and the cylindrical part of the nozzle contributed to the formation of a continuous stream, less broken up by the oncoming air flow.

At the end of the shot, the holes in the piston-obturator sleeve were aligned with the holes in the lower part of the siphon pipe, and the residual powder gases came out through the pipe, while ensuring that the pipe and nozzle were purged from the remnants of the fire mixture - according to the siphon principle. This made it possible to submit the “fired” barrel for reloading. If the pressure in the barrel increased above 120 atm, the safety valve was activated.

Why does Russia need a “hypersonic antidote”?

In early March, Putin noted that Russian hypersonic weapons help maintain a strategic balance in the world, thanks to which no major armed conflicts have occurred since World War II.

Photo: Vladimir VELENGURIN

WHAT DID THE AMERICANS NOT BELIEVE?

When on March 1, 2020, Vladimir Putin spoke in his message about the whole “brood” of the latest Russian hypersonic weapons systems, on the same day some foreign (especially American) experts burst out with skeptical remarks. They say that these are all Putin’s “cartoons”, the Kremlin’s bluff, etc.

And the head of the US Strategic Command, General John Hyten, in the traditional spirit of bravura, said that the protection of the United States from Russian hypersonic weapons is undeniable. And he added: “Our deterrence remains unquestionable, unconditional, capable of dominating and responding to any threat.” And then-US Secretary of Defense Mike Mattis sarcastically called the hypersonic systems listed by the Russian leader “an arms race with ourselves.”

But soon the Pentagon began to speak differently. In a report to the White House, the US Department of Defense intelligence agency was forced to admit that Russia really does have such weapons. And what’s more, some of its types have already been put into service (in particular, the Kinzhal complex, which we will see during the aerial part of the Victory Parade on June 24), while others are undergoing final tests.

“TO CATCH AND OVERSTAND RUSSIA”

After this, Donald Trump called out to his generals and designers to catch up and overtake Russia (well, just like Nikita Khrushchev once called to “catch up and overtake America”). It is curious that in the United States the development of hypersonic weapons began much earlier than in Russia, but a whole “bunch of related problems” forced the local scientists and designers to mark time: either the metal could not withstand ultra-high temperatures, or the engine did not allow the rocket to develop a speed of more than Mach 10, then she lost control.

FOR REFERENCE:

Mach determines the speed of sound in air. On average, Mach 1 is equal to 1/3 of a kilometer per second, or almost 1200 kilometers per hour.

The “golden heads” of our defense industry solved such problems. Some of our hypersonic missiles have learned to fly stably at speeds of Mach 20 or more. And once during the tests (which was once “blown out by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, who is responsible for the defense industry”), another world record was set - Mach 27!

Having swallowed such a bitter pill, the jealous White House threw a couple of tens of billions of dollars at its scientists and designers to chase the Russians. And at the same time, we strained our intelligence in Russia so that it sniffed out our hypersound know-how. We failed to steal secrets from the Americans, but we managed to buy something back for a lot of money: one of our design engineers, who was involved in the development of a control system for a hypersonic missile, could not resist the temptation to get a thick loaf of green American money and began working for the Americans. True, he was soon caught red-handed by Russian military counterintelligence (and, according to some sources, is already “resting on his bunk”). But it seems that some secrets still floated overseas, because the Americans began to more or less noticeably move forward.

TRUMP'S BLUFF

And recently (in mid-May), US President Donald Trump announced the development of a “super-duper rocket.” According to him, it will be 17 times faster than the current ones and will be able to hit a target at a distance of 1.6 thousand km with a maximum deviation of 35.5 cm from a given point. This boastful message caused laughter even among the knowledgeable American missile specialists. What specialists are there! Even students at US technical universities laughed at Trump’s profane lies. Meanwhile, the Americans continue testing their super-duper hypersonic missile in Hawaii. But there was a bummer. At some point, the rocket “got out of control” and almost went into free flight. It’s good that the self-destruct device worked in time... And this suggests that one of the main problems has not been solved - reliable control of the projectile.

GAME FOR ADVANCE

In the meantime, the Americans are testing their semi-mythical missile, Russian scientists and designers are working on a “hypersonic antidote” - a means of destroying the weapons of the century. And it seems that they have already achieved considerable results. “Russia will most likely have a means of combating hypersonic weapons when other countries have just created such weapons,” the Russian President said in a television interview with Vesti Nedeli. - “It (hypersonic weapon. - VB) will appear. But I think that we will be able to pleasantly surprise our partners with the fact that when they have these weapons, with a high degree of probability, we will have a means of combating these weapons... Today no one takes them (our hypersonic missiles - VB). The speeds are such that it is impossible to take them. This is the uniqueness of our current situation... We are not just modernizing the traditionally existing capabilities in our arsenal, we are introducing new complexes. In this sense, we can say with confidence that we are number one in the world today in terms of this indicator.”

In early March, Putin noted that Russian hypersonic weapons help maintain a strategic balance in the world, thanks to which no major armed conflicts have occurred since World War II.

And today I remembered how I told him at one of the meetings that in terms of army reform, Russia has made significant progress in recent years.

“If only it were the same with the economy,” I remarked.

“And we will definitely improve things with the economy,” he answered...

Meaning of the word flamethrower

Having found his weapon in the darkness, he looked around at the seething battle: at the checkpoint the monsters were finished, the surviving fighters climbed onto special floorings on the wall and beat almost point-blank at the ghouls that were crowded below - their heartbreaking howl tore his ears, but gradually died down together with the number of monsters, a backpack flamethrower was pulled out of the post's weapons room and now the flamethrower was pouring a fiery mixture onto the gap in the gate, not allowing a single creature to get inside until they were finished with them from the walls and towers.

Following the Hurricane, the RPO-A Shmel infantry flamethrower, the ODAB-500 volumetric detonating bomb, and the heavy flamethrower system (TOS) were developed and put into service.

An improved armor scheme for the flamethrower version was developed at, the flamethrower was developed, and final assembly was carried out at.

In one of them he was lucky - he was not too lazy to crawl under the bed, and there he found a completely new flamethrower with a full charge.

From a dark niche where a symbol of some religion unfamiliar to Andrey was installed, a flamethrower first fell out and clanged loudly on the floor, and then, knocking over a religious figurine, a man fell.

Rockets, rocket pack, crowbar half-corkscrew, throwing knives, high-pressure hoses, spiked boots, thirty-caliber machine guns, flamethrower, plastic mines, red rubber nose grenade, belt tool kit, boomerang, curved bolo knife, lasso, machete, large caliber a pistol, a time bomb, a set of master keys, a scuba, a video camera and a copier in the floors, steel gloves with retractable hooks, a gas mask, combat 0B, shark repellent, a spinal stove, an emergency ration and a microfilm library of hundreds of the most important books.

Well, - The gunsmith mannerly moved the pipe with the mouthpiece, the usual set: rockets, a rocket kit, napalm, throwing knives, high-pressure hoses, plantar spikes, 30-mm machine guns, acid, a burning beard, the stomach, as always, swelling into a raft, a flamethrower, plastic fuses, red rubber nose grenade, tool kit on belt, boomerang, blaster, guns, machete, crossbow, time bomb in belt buckle, set of master keys, scuba gear, photo and copying accessories on hips, steel gloves with hooks , a gas mask, a cylinder with poisonous gas, protection against sharks, a chest oven, a supply of food and a library - one hundred of the best books in microfilm.

One of the guards, true to his oath, reacted with lightning speed: he aimed his flamethrower at Albas and pulled the trigger...

Not yet fully awake, exhausted from constant night shifts, I inserted toothpicks between my eyelids, took out a flamethrower from under the pillow and went to open it.

Then we had fun with the punks in Truba: we lit the stream from a spray can with a lighter - it turned out to be a flamethrower, everyone shied away.

Weapons of the future: a flamethrower with an effective range of up to 1.5 km will soon appear in Ukraine

Hell fire. Flamethrowers of the First World War

"Sarafan News"

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PLA Infantry Flamethrowers: Outdated but Modern

Soviet assistance

First samples

Chinese modifications

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Soviet assistance

First samples

Chinese modifications

New Generation

Outdated and modern

Clear prospects

Small-sized jet flamethrower MRO-A

Flamethrower "TPO-50"

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Why does Russia need a “hypersonic antidote”?

Meaning of the word flamethrower