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World War II Wiki

The Flammenwerfer 35 was a one-man flamethrower that was used by Germany during World War II.

Description[]

The Flammenwerfer 35 could throw burning fuel up to thirty meters away from the user. It had a number of different manufacturers. It was used to clear out trenches and buildings. It held about 11.8 liters of oil mixed with tar lit by a hydrogen torch.

The Flammenwerfer 35 was fairly heavy, weighing in at 35.8 kilograms, and had a total burn time of about ten seconds. Similar to Soviet flamethrower crews, German users of the Flammenwerfer 35 and 41 series often painted their flamethrowers to look like a backpack and rifle to avoid the operator being picked off in combat.[1] Flamethrower operators were generally protected by fellow infantrymen regardless because of their importance in the clearing of enemy positions.

Variants[]

  • Flammenwerfer 40 "Lifebouy":  Produced in low numbers. Weighed about 21.3 kg and carried 11.8 liters of fuel.
  • Flammenwerfer 41:  Chief successor of the Flammenwerfer 35. Could carry up to 11.8 liters of fuel. Began production in 1941.
  • Flammenwerfer 42: Final variant of the series. Featured slight modification to the fuel hose to improve performance. Introduced into frontline service in 1942.

History[]

The Flammenwerfer's design is based on a previous 1918 German flamethrower used to clear trenches. The Flammenwerfer 35 and all of its variants were used by German forces throughout World War II to clear pillboxes and other fortifications in much a similar role to its predecessor. Many of these flamethrowers were used on the Eastern Front during Operation Barbarossa and other operations. Here, they proved to be quite effective in clearing out enemy troops quickly and effectively, paving the way for advancing infantry and armor. As such, production of the Flammenwerfer 35 and its variants continued until the end of the war with thousands of units being produced.

References[]


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