M8 Flamethrower | |
---|---|
Type | Flamethrower |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1955-1965 |
Wars | Vietnam War |
Production history | |
Designer | U.S. Chemical Corps |
Designed | 1953–55 |
No. built | Unknown |
Variants | E30, M8 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 13 lb (5.9 kg) empty 26+1⁄2 lb (12.0 kg) filled |
Length | 31+3⁄4 in (81 cm) |
Width | 20 in (51 cm) |
Height | 9 in (23 cm) |
Diameter | 3+1⁄2 in (8.9 cm) |
Crew | 1 |
Rate of fire | Around 0.4 US gal (1.5 L) a second |
Effective firing range | 60–71 yd (55–65 m) |
Maximum firing range | 71 yd (65 m) |
Feed system | One, 2 US gal (7.6 L) Napalm/gasoline tank (fuel) One powder ignition charge[1] |
Sights | None |
The M8 flamethrower, officially designated: Flame Thrower Portable One-Shot, M8, was a single-shot flamethrower briefly adopted into U.S. service by airborne troops, but was never mass produced.[2]
During the end of World War II, the Chemical Corps became interested in improving the man-portable flamethrower concept.[3] They found two possibilities in design: an inexpensive flamethrower capable of being disposed after a single use or a compact flamethrower capable of being reloaded quickly.[4] Early designs of these single use flamethrowers, such as the E15/E16, were inspired by the German einstoss-Fm.W.46 flamethrowers.[5] Sometime in development they found that a 2 US gal (7.6 L) horseshoe-shaped tank with a powder ignition charge was sufficient.[6] It was adopted into service by airborne troops with a technical manual written for it in March 1959.[7] It was eventually replaced by the M9 flamethrowers.