The Uselesness of Flamethrowers

Theron Julius

New member
Nov 30, 2009
731
0
0
The point is to deliver widespread, lasting damage, which usually is used to flush people out of heavily entrenched positions. You tell me a more effective way do flush people out of a jungle.
 

SeriousSquirrel

New member
Mar 15, 2010
698
0
0
As of now its being used to get enimies out of caves. It burns the oxygen in there, so you can wait and suffocate or surrender. And was uselful in clearing pill-boxes/trenches/bunkers
 

Theron Julius

New member
Nov 30, 2009
731
0
0
T_ConX said:
I'm going to ask Wikipedia...

Wikipedia said:
The flamethrower is a potent weapon with great psychological impact upon unprepared soldiers, inflicting a particularly horrific death. This has led to some calls for the weapon to be banned.
Banned? I though weapon bans were exclusive to games...

It is primarily used against battlefield fortifications, bunkers, and other protected emplacements. A flamethrower projects a stream of flammable liquid, rather than flame, which allows bouncing the stream off walls and ceilings to project the fire into blind and unseen spaces, such as inside bunkers or pillboxes.
Blind areas and fortifications. Sounds ideal.

Typically, popular visual media depict the flamethrower as short-ranged and only effective for a few meters (due to the common use of propane gas as the fuel in flamethrowers in movies, for the safety of the actors). Contemporary flamethrowers can incinerate a target some 50?80 meters (165?270 feet) from the gunner; moreover, an unignited stream of flammable liquid can be fired and afterwards ignited, possibly by a lamp or other flame inside the bunker.
50-80 meters? The flamethrower in TF2 barely gets 8 meters! DAMMIT VALVE!
Well the flamethrower in TF2 does use a propane tank as fuel, leading to the short range as mentioned in the article. Also, yar, this is the reason why flamethrowers are good.
 

cryogeist

New member
Apr 16, 2010
7,782
0
0
well they suck today but back in WWII they could burn trees clear bunkers trenches and fortifications the only drawback was the big hevey tank on your back. oh and think about it somebody is burning your friends wouldn't that give you mind fuck or make you lose moral in some way
as said in cod waw
"we'll burn em out"
 

Solemn Soup

New member
Jul 27, 2010
95
0
0
What's more awesome than long metal tube that shoots fire out the end of it? I mean come on it shoots fire!! Add a bag of chips and some Dr. Pepper and it couldn't get any better.

<spoiler=Pure Awesomeness>http://www.maam.org/wwii/photos/battle/Flame-thrower3.jpg
 

rabidmidget

New member
Apr 18, 2008
2,117
0
0
Don't forget that in World War 2, there was very little one could do medically to treat burns, as burn wounds were VERY susceptible to infection. If you got roasted and managed to somehow survive the burns themselves, you would die soon from infection due to lack of skin.

Also their range is much larger compared to that in video games.
 

CloggedDonkey

New member
Nov 4, 2009
4,055
0
0
They were used in WWII and the Korean War to shoot at bunkers to keep them pinned until a demolition team could get close and blow the box with explosives (as bazookas were meant to take out tanks, not emplacements). In Vietnam they were used to clear jungle (Agent Orange not being used until late in the war and flames can clear a jungle far better than bullets or explosions), and after that they were banned from use by UN law.

They had their uses, but when you're fighting in a desert and a city you have almost no use for a weapon that is essentially a giant flame bomb with a release valve.
 

JUMBO PALACE

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 17, 2009
3,552
7
43
Country
USA
bleachigo10 said:
I am tempted to post George Carlins bit about flamthrowers but i'm not going to because I don't think it would contribute anything to the conversation. Or would it?
please do
 

Pegghead

New member
Aug 4, 2009
4,017
0
0
It was originally intended for clearing paths through thick jungles and burning out soldiers huddled in the grass back nt imes of war.
 

AWDMANOUT

New member
Jan 4, 2010
838
0
0
Ever heard the expression "adding insult to injury"?

Why simply defeat your foes when you can PULVERIZE them?

I mean, which is worse?



Shock image removed, replaced with adorable kitten - ColdStorage
 

Carlston

New member
Apr 8, 2008
1,554
0
0
In world war 2 people liked to hide in bunkers, lots of them. With itty bitty holes machine guns would stick out of and kill anyone trying to aim long enough to shoot into them.

Flame throwers did the trick, as well as cleared out caved, Fire in the front would draw all o2 from the back killing hiding japaneses deeper in the cave...

In videogames they are not shown proper pwnage

In real life, amazingly useful.
 

Mr C

New member
May 8, 2008
283
0
0
[/quote]

I'm still waiting for a good flamethrower in a game ^^
[/quote]

You musn't have played Aliens by Konami back in 1990, it was only ever released in the Arcades sadly. The game was awesome at the time (I'd still love it now!) and the flame thrower was the best ever.

http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=6859
 

JJMUG

New member
Jan 23, 2010
308
0
0
CloggedDonkey said:
They had their uses, but when you're fighting in a desert and a city you have almost no use for a weapon that is essentially a giant flame bomb with a release valve.
Fighting in a city flamethrowers are perfect for Urban warfare. Flamethrowers also have a habit of not exploding when shot, that Hollywoodization.
 

Snotnarok

New member
Nov 17, 2008
6,310
0
0
Well with what some of you have said here, there's the fear factor certainly of napalm. I mean shit imagine seeing fallen soldiers around you burnt to a crisp, would you want to be near one of those flamethrowers? Intimidation my friend.
 

Cheesezorz

New member
Jun 14, 2009
148
0
0
Flamethrowers were used for clearing snow in Russia during World War II.

My friend is a totally reliable source.
 

Mr C

New member
May 8, 2008
283
0
0
Here's some info from a US article in 1943 about Japanese flame throwers, I didn't know they utilised them.

"TACTICAL AIMS

Flame throwers are designed to kill enemy troops, to set afire or explode certain objectives, and to build up the morale of our own forces by striking fear into the enemy. They are used during an assault to break up flank defenses, or in mopping up. They also are used in the capture of centers of resistance, obstacles, and key positions, and to attack tanks at close range. "

Full Article http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/intelligence-report/japanese-flame-throwers.html