Italian Large Flamethrower

 

The Flamethrower was one of the new weapons of WW1, introduced by the Germans in 1916, but soon put into use by most armies of the warring nations. They often came in many different sizes, with just some being truly portable by one man, many instead requiring teams of at least two and some being so large that they could not be carried at all. This Italian Flamethrower, now on display in the excellent Army Museum in Brussels, is an example of the latter category.

This Flamethrower was introduced in 1917, and was so big that it had to be towed - which of course limited its tactical use. It consisted of four large 125 litre tanks, containing the fuel (a mixture of gasoline and motor oil) and four small 12.5 litre tanks with compressed gas, for driving the fuel out of the hose with a pressure of 45kg/cm². (The hose was made from several sections, that were assembled for use.) The maximum range was surprisingly short, only some 35 meters, again limiting its use. This obviously was a special weapon, used only in special situations. The overall with hood was made of asbesthos were used by the men servicing this weapon.