Here are some photos I took at the Ft. Knox 4th of July flame thrower demo. It was very interesting, and even on a hot Kentucky July day, the heat from the flame thrower was apparent from several hundred feet upwind.

Photo 1 is the demonstrator with the flame thrower.



Photo 2 shows one way the flame thrower is used. The operator fires the unlit gasoline mixture onto the target area (gray mist). He then ignites the target with a small final burst. This method saves fuel since little gas is burned enroute to the target.







The second method just fires a traditional stream of flame at the target. A lot of fuel (fully loaded it carries only 10 seconds of flame) is spent on the way to the target. The flame is also greatly effected by a slight breeze that blew during the second demo (last 2 pictures).

Whoa! Fantastic pics... Could almost feel the heat in my Melbourne winter... :-)

That is cool. Nice pics

Wow. That first demo shooter has some. Firing a flamethrower with shorts on. Not that a pair of Levis would really help at all if they had something go seriously wrong.

That said, I want one...

Thanks for the pics. Is it any wonder the enemy always singled those guys out?

Shaun

The first shooter in the yellow top and shorts is an MP. The post has several MPs patrolling on bikes during these types of public events.

Doubt he's in any more real danger than the man in the authentic WW2 fatigues. Besides, there was a military fire truck just out of sight to the right of the photo.

They hosed down the pile of logs after each demonstration.

wow that's a h*** of a fire! Just from a Flametrower....... I really thought it was much more concentrated...

A flame thrower only have 10 seconds worth of fuel? I never knew that. I guess it's really not a weapon that you constantly fire like a rifle but more a disposable weapon with limited usage.

Great pics, Rob! Thanks for sharing!

I'll have to show these to the bicycle patrol MPs here ... they'll wanna get one to try out, too.

According to the demonstrator, the flame thrower was sent forward as a complete unit full of fuel. Empties were sent back to the supply trains for refilling.

The flame nozzle has a cylinder, not unlike a regular pistol revolver, that contains five matches. Each match will stay lit for 11 seconds. The operator has five of these matches in the nozzle.

The first trigger activates the fuel mixture, the second trigger (at the nozzle) lights the match.

It was an interesting display and would be very effective against troops in bunkers and holes.

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Wow, awesome picks! Yep I sure wouldn't want to be in a bunker when those things approached nor would I want to be wearing one if you ever got shot up!

Thanks, Michael

Yep, getting caught in a hole or bunker with one of those knocking at the door would definatly put a dent in your day.. And Im sure the Flamethower would be preceeded by a grenade or two..

Dave

That looks like the M7-7 flamethrower which I'm pretty sure was postwar. The M1A1 units used a tank of hydrogen on the gun to keep a continuous pilot light going.

It looks like he is using raw gas rather than thickened fuel, which would go farther and burn longer.

In the Spearheading D-Day book the FT was used by a team that included a soldier carrying a jerry can of fuel on a packboard.

KL

I can't be certain but is the guy in the first picture drinking a beer before operating a fully functional flamethrower?!?

Speaking from a strictly procedural position......that ain't right. :-)

looks more like a microphone to me.

thanks for sharing the pics Rob they are great.

cheers
Cliff