Flame Throwers

[Shinsou]

While I was in Afghanistan, on one of our long and droll route clearance missions, I asked myself why we are no longer using flame throwers in combat. I got into a huge argument with one of my NCOs about the practically of such devices on today's modern battlefield. At the time I was under the impression that Flame Throwers had been banned by The Geneva Convention sometime after Vietnam. However, it turns out that Geneva did no such thing and that The Army itself just chooses not to use them. Apparently there are no practical uses for them nowadays.

I DISAGREE!

The majority of the buildings we passed/encountered on our missions were mostly mud brick huts some with only thatched roofs. Setting one ablaze (if that is even possible) wouldn't cause much in the way of collateral damage even if the huts are tightly packed together. They almost never had anything covering their windows save for a blanket.

I have seen pictures of flame boats from Vietnam launching streams of Napalm 100 meters or more and I thought, why not put one of those on one our gun trucks?

One of the arguments I heard against it was the mess it would make if said gun truck was hit by an IED. I made the suggestion that if the fuel tanks for the Flame thrower were underneath the vehicle they could be surrounded by a separate compartment that was filled with some kind of extinguishing chemical. That way if the fuel tank was ruptured the napalm (or whatever) would mix with the extinguishing material. I read up further on flame throwers and found the following quote:

It should be noted that flame thrower operators did not usually face a fiery death from the slightest spark or even from having their tank hit by a normal bullet as often depicted in modern war films. The Gas Container [i.e. the pressurizer] is filled with a non-flammable gas that is under high pressure. If this tank were ruptured, it might knock the operator forward as it was expended in the same way a pressurized aerosol can bursts outward when punctured. The fuel mixture in the Fuel Containers is difficult to light which is why magnesium filled igniters are required when the weapon is fired. Fire a bullet into a metal can filled with diesel or napalm and it will merely leak out the hole unless the round was an incendiary type that could possibly ignite the mixture inside. This also applies to the flame thrower Fuel Container.

Aside from destroying a building with a grenade launcher or riddling it with bullets of varying size a Flamer Truck could simply fire its armament into a window and clear out the building extremely quickly, no guessing involved. The occupants would either suffocate, burn or run out of the building and get diced by the other weapons in our convoy. This would also save the dismounts some heartache in clearing buildings if they know the building is occupied by hostiles.

Additionally, the Flame Thrower could be used defensively. Igniting a large swath of the fields that run up against our routes could screen our vehicles in the event we need cover, similar to throwing smoke grenades.


Psychological warfare is yet another advantage of these types of weapons. I beleive, but could be wrong in assuming, that certain extremists may be more willing to surrender if faced with flame-throwing weaponry.

My opinion is that the Army is missing out on a potentially useful asset.

What are your opinions on Flame Throwers?

[glenwolde]

I don't know much about flame throwers, but I know what I like!

[LongTermGuy]

~ "What are your opinions on Flame Throwers?" ~

They work.....!

[Shinsou]

~ "What are your opinions on Flame Throwers?" ~

They work.....!

Agreed. However, in the interest of "progress", DoD has moved over to thermobaric weaponry. IMHO, flame-throwing devices have an advantage in that they can be redirected. Thermobaric warheads, once launched, typically cannot be adjusted.

[GunsandNoses]

Fire is an excellent fighting tool and a great motivator.

[fxrfxd]

fire cleanses all

[hatchet19]

I remember seeing them used a couple of times in Vietnam. I would not want to be on the receiving end of that.

hatchet

[Denton]

A friend's dad was a operated the flame thrower in WWII. He burned alive quite a few Japs. Somewhere between the flaming and getting back home, they stopped being Japs in his mind, and once again became humans. Those human voices never stopped screaming in his mind. They screamed loudest when he tried to sleep.

A man's suffering doesn't happen in vacuum. My friend died a few years ago. They said he died of a heart attack, but you can bet it was because of the unusual amount of alcoholic beverages consumed down through the years.

I don't know if they are a good idea.

[texastaurusguy]

In this politically correct world we now live in, its more trouble than it's worth.

[Shinsou]

In this politically correct world we now live in, its more trouble than it's worth.

Shouldn't be afraid to do/say something because it isn't "PC".