The first controlled use of flame as a weapon of war is attributed to the Chinese in about 500 B.C.E. In 673 C.E., the Greek architect Kallinikos of Heliopolis invented "Greek fire" at Constantinople. The flame was projected forward from the bows of the Byzantine galleys against Arab ships and rapidly became a war-winning weapon. The Byzantines kept their secret for a long time, but the Moslems finally acquired it and used the fire against the Christians at the time of the Fifth Crusade. In medieval times in Europe, burning oil was frequently poured by defenders of castles and redoubts over attackers outside the walls.
The flame thrower was invented in the 1900s by the German engineer Richard Fiedler. He designed two different versions, a small flame thrower with a range of about 20 yards (18 m) and a larger and less portable weapon with a range of more than 40 yards (36 m). Both used pressurized gas to project the jet of flaming oil.
Weapons such as these were first used by the Germans during World War I against the French at Malancourt in France, in 1914, and against the British at Hooge in Belgium. Flame was also used as a weapon for dislodging troops from strong points. The British and French went on to invent their own versions, but all had a limited range and could fire only for a short period of time. In World War II, portable flame throwers were invented that could be carried on a soldier’s back and that had a firing range of about 45 yards (41 m). Larger versions were mounted on tanks and had a range of 100 yards (90 m).
Modern flame throwers
Today, nearly all major armies have been equipped with portable flame throwers. In operation, they act in the same way as most larger equipment. A cylinder containing an inert gas—usually nitrogen—at considerable pressure is let into another cylinder or cylinders containing thickened fuel (petroleum gel) through a spring-loaded diaphragm. This action produces a working pressure of about 280 psi (19 bar), which will force the petroleum gel out of its container to a distance of around 164 ft. (50 m).
The trigger mechanism ignites a magnesium cartridge that lights the fuel to produce a jet of flame. On some models, unignited fuel can be projected to build up a supply around the target, which is then ignited with a burst of flame from the backpack. Unthickened fuel can also be used, but it cannot be projected to the ranges reached by petroleum gel. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps use the M9E1-7 portable flame thrower, which throws thickened fuel 130 to 165 ft. (40– 50 m) but unthickened fuel only 65 to 80 ft. (20–25 m). Naturally, owing to its danger, the operator is issued with protective clothing.
The M9E1-7 uses igniter cartridges in a replaceable ignition cylinder to ignite the fuel. This model requires a few seconds between ignition and the time when throwing can begin, but the Italian model T-148/A uses an electronic ignition that is silent, instant, and invisible, and thus the operator’s presence is not likely to be betrayed before the jet of flame is thrown.
