A flame tank is a term commonly applied to a tank or other armoured fighting vehicle equipped with a flamethrower. Flame tanks are used to supplement combined arms attacks against fortifications or other obstacles. They only reached significant use in the Second World War, during which the United States, Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom (including members of the British Commonwealth) all produced flamethrower-equipped tanks. A number of methods of production were used. Typically they were modifications (either field or factory) of existing tank chassis. Flamethrowers were either modified versions of existing infantry flame weapons (Flammpanzer I and II) or specially designed (Flammpanzer III). They were mounted externally (Flammpanzer II), replaced existing machine gun mounts, or replaced the tank's main armament (Flammpanzer III). Ammunition for the flame weapon was either carried inside the tank, in armoured external storage, or in some cases in a special trailer behind the tank (Churchill Crocodile).
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Combat effectiveness
Flame tanks were of great use attacking fortifications or infantry in short range assault or urban environments. They did not suffer from the same vulnerability as man-portable flamethrowers, carried much more fuel, and fired longer-ranged flame bursts. However, in an open battlefield, the flamethrower was virtually useless because of its short range. Experience of combat use of flamethrower tanks was mixed. German flamethrower variants of Panzer II and Panzer III were both discontinued due to unsatisfactory performance and converted into assault guns or tank destroyers. The Panzer IV was never converted into a flame variant, despite being used for just about every purpose imaginable on the battlefield. The mixed results were in part due to the development of infantry anti-tank weapons. At the start of the Second World War most infantry units had weapons with some effectiveness against armoured targets at ranges of thirty to fifty metres, like anti-tank rifles. Towards the end of the war, more powerful anti-tank weapons such as the bazooka, Panzerschreck, and PIAT were introduced which were fatal to tanks at ranges longer than the tank's flamethrower could reach.
World War II Axis
- Panzer II Flamm, a variant of the German Panzer II Ausf D/E.
- Flammpanzer 38, a variant of the Jadgpanzer 38(t) tank destroyer.
- Panzerkampfwagen B2 (F), a variant produced by the Germans based on capture French Char B1 tank chassis.
- Flammpanzer III Ausf M/Panzer III (F1), a variant of the German Panzer III Ausf M.
- Sdkfz 251/16 Flammpanzerwagen, a variant based on the Sdkfz 251 series of half-tracks.
- StuG III (FLAMM), a variant based on a variety of pre-Ausf F StuG III assault gun chassis.
- L3 Lf, a variant of the Italian L3/35 tankette.
World War II Allied
Medium Tank M4 (General Sherman)
- M4A3R3: Sherman tank used during Operation Overlord (1944) and in the Battle of Iwo Jima (1945)
- M4 Crocodile: four M4 tanks converted by British for US 2nd Armored Division in NW Europe with the same armored fuel trailer as used on Churchill but the fuel line went over the hull.
- Sherman Badger: Canada's replacement of its Ram Badger, the Sherman Badger was a turretless M4A2 HVSS Sherman with Wasp IIC flamethrower in place of hull machine gun, developed sometime from 1945 to 1949. The 150 gallons at 250 psi was effective to 125 yards, with elevation of +30 to -10 degrees and traverse of 30 degrees left and 23 degrees right. This inspired the US T68.[1]
Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) (Churchill)
- Churchill OKE: Churchill II with "Ronson" flamethrower. 3 used at Dieppe in 1942.
- Churchill Crocodile: Churchill VII with an armored fuel trailer. The flamethrower replaced the hull machine gun leaving the main armament unaffected. Used after the Normandy landings (1944)
Tank, Infantry, Mk II, Matilda II (A12)
- Matilda Frog (25): 25 Matilda II tanks converted to flame tanks by the Australians in late 1944.
- Matilda Murray: Australian improvement over the Frog, produced in 1945.
Other
- Ram Badger: Canadian Ram tank adapted with flamethrower.
- LVT(A)-4 Ronson: (1944) With full tracks, armor, and a turret, arguably the LVT was a swimming light tank; this was a fire support version with M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage turret but the 75 mm howitzer replaced with the Canadian Ronson flamethrower.
- LVT-4(F) Sea Serpent: British version armed with flamethrowers, but unarmored.
- OT-34: created from various models of the T-34, including the T-34/85.
- OT-26: variation of T-26.
- OT-130: variation of T-26.
- OT-133: variation of T-26.
- Wasp: not strictly a flame tank, the Universal Carrier fitted with flamethrower.
Modern tanks
- M67 Zippo: a variant of the US M48 Patton tank.
- OT-55: a variant of the widely used Soviet T-55 tank.
- OT-62: a variant of Soviet T-62 MBT.
Computer games
Flametanks have appeared in computer games, such as Command & Conquer. Flametanks also appear in Company of Heroes featuring the M4 Sherman "Crocodile" tank on the Allied side and are excellent at razing buildings and infantry. A "Churchill" Flame tank was also added into the "Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts" expansion pack. Strategy Games such as Sudden Strike also introduce such tanks ; the "Crocodile", as in Call of Duty, for example among other units. Their effectiveness is clearly apparent in urban combat.
See also
Endnotes
- ^ R. P. Hunnicutt, Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank, Presidio Press, Novato, CA, 1994, p. 420-421.
