M2 flamethrower
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| M2 flamethrower | |
|---|---|
 A soldier from the 33rd Infantry Division uses an M2 flamethrower |
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| Type | Flamethrower |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943-1978 |
| Used by | United States, Australia |
| Wars | Second World War, Korean War, Vietnam War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | US Army Chemical Warfare Service |
| Designed | 1940-41 |
| Number built | 14,000 (M1A1) |
| Variants | M2A1-7 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 43 lb (19.5 kg) empty 68 lb (30.8 kg) filled |
| Crew | 2 |
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| Rate of fire | ~half a gallon a second |
| Effective range | 20 m |
| Maximum range | 40 m |
| Feed system | 2 (2 gal) Gasoline tanks (fuel) 1 Nitrogen tank (propellant) |
| Sights | None |
The M2 flamethrower (M2-2) was a man-portable backpack flamethrower that was used in World War II. Although its actual "burn time" was around 7 seconds and the flame was only effective out to around 33 meters, it was still a functional weapon that had many uses in the war. However, with the later arrival of tanks and, especially, flamethrower tanks, the need for infantrymen to expose themselves to fire became unnecessary as tanks offered greater protection while still delivering the effective damage.
As some were sold off, the majority of them were also scrapped when they were declared "obsolete."
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[edit] Variants
M2A1-7 is a flamethrower used by the American troops during the Vietnam War. It is the updated version of the WWII M2-2 unit used during WWII. It has four controls:
- Back of the rear grip: firing safety catch.
- Front of the rear grip: firing trigger.
- On top of the front part: igniter safety catch
- Under the front part: igniter trigger.
Some U.S. Army flamethrowers have a front handgrip with the same shape as the rear handgrip. In these models the igniter controls are on the front handgrip, arranged in the same way as the rear handgrip controls. The M2 was replaced by the M9A1-7 flamethrower which was used in Vietnam. The M9A1-7 was replaced by the M202A1 FLASH
[edit] Gallery
 Two CGI views of a man with an M2A1-7 U.S. Army flamethrower. The two big tanks contain the fuel. The small tank contains the pressurizing gas (nitrogen). |
 CGI view of M2A1-7 U.S. military flamethrower, with some parts labeled. |
 M2A1 flamethrower. |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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