The flame-thrower or flame projector (Flammenwerfer) is a weapon invented by the ancient Chinese using hand operated double-bellows to spray burning fuel, possibly petrol. It first developed in Europe as a military blow-lamp for cutting barbed-wire entanglements and used by the Germans during 1914 and 1915. The modern flame-thrower consists of a chamber of air or nitrogen under high pressure and a container filled with inflammable oil which is propelled by the high pressure gas. During the German attack at Hooge in 1916, flame-throwers were first employed by the Germans against the defenders, and were afterwards regularly employed as a short-range weapon effective for trench warfare. They were shortly afterwards adopted by the allies, and were used by the American forces during the Second World War for clearing fortifications. Research Flame-thrower
Abbreviations
Warfare
Research Flame-thrower