M2 flamethrower
The M2 flamethrower was an American, man-portable, backpack flamethrower that was used in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M2 was the successor to the M1 and M1A1 flamethrowers. Although its burn time was around 7 seconds long, and the flames were effective around 20–40 meters, it was still a useful weapon. With the arrival of flamethrower tanks, the need for flamethrower-carrying infantrymen to expose themselves to enemy fire had been greatly reduced.
| M2 Flamethrower | |
|---|---|
A soldier from the 33rd Infantry Division uses an M2 flamethrower. | |
| Type | Flamethrower |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1944–1978 |
| Wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War Sino-Vietnamese War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | US Army Chemical Warfare Service |
| Designed | 1940–41 |
| No. built | 14,000 (M1A1) |
| Variants | M2A1-2, M2A1-7 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 43 lb (19.5 kg) empty 68 lb (30.8 kg) filled |
| Crew | 1 |
| Rate of fire | Around 0.5 US gal (1.9 L) a second |
| Effective firing range | 65+1⁄2 ft (20.0 m) |
| Maximum firing range | 132 ft (40 m) |
| Feed system | Two, 2 US gal (7.6 L) Napalm/gasoline tanks (fuel) One Nitrogen tank (propellant) |
| Sights | None |
Though some M2s were sold off, the majority were scrapped.
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