31 August, 2010

Flamethrowers


Flamethrowers. Real ones.

The image is of a German "Brennkommando" part of a specialty burning detachment of the German Army - destroying Warsaw during the "Planned Destruction" of the city.

I mean - when you pickup one in a video game, its great and all - but its actually a real weapon used in real-life situations... Sort of. There's lots of evidence of flamethrower-weilding footsoldiers in WWII - but its the Armoured vehicle-mounted throwers which REALLY own.

The British and Canadians fielded "The Wasp" in 1944, paving the way for the eventual "The Badger" and the "Oke", but the most famous flame tank was the "Churchill Crocodile" (Pictured).


Look the others up on Google Images.

1 comment:

  1. Flamethrowers were one of the most effective, if not the most purely based on the ineffectivity of air strikes/naval bombardments and convention ground artillery used in the Pacific Theatre during WW2. Japanese soldiers, who had control of many of the underground caverns on islands upon which much of the Pacific Campaign was waged were so entrenched that the only real alternative of success (as well as limiting allied casualties) was to 'smoke em out'. I'd argue the flamethrower was probably put through it's paces most in this theatre. Prove me wrong kids, prove me wrong!

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