Flammpanzer - Germany's Misunderstood Flame Tanks

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The flamethrower, as I'm sure we all agree, is a terrifying weapon. But what if it was placed behind armour, on a mobile, machine-gun wielding chassis -something like a tank, perhaps? Tomorrow's video is on the Flammpanzer, Germany's bizarre experimental flame tanks. 6 (and a half) designs with varying degrees of success, in full detail. Hope you enjoy!
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PATREON: / redwrenchfilms
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:33 Sponsor Message
01:30 Panzer I Flamm
02:11 Panzer II Flamm - "Flamingo"
04:13 Panzer B2 F
05:25 Panzer III Flamm
06:41 FlammPanzer-Wagen 251/16
07:27 Flammpanzer 38(t)
07:59 Flammpanzer Auf Tiger I
08:49 Outro
All content is presented in historical context for educational purposes. All footage is owned by its copyright holder and is used in this channel under "fair use".
Music by Epidemic Sound

[@RedWrenchFilms]

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[@Woffies2]

Nice

[@Modified-bf109]

Flame trooper are probably the troops with the most kills

[@Woffies2]

It’s just the chipotle in there that makes it fire that fire

[@Johnnarchy]

My guess would be that the lit fuel produces a significant updraft by heating the air around the stream, thus somewhat straightening the arc and extending how far it travels.

[@thebaumfaeller1477]

Maybe also increased pressure due to combustion inside the barrel shroud?

[@Johnnarchy]

@@thebaumfaeller1477 Good point!

[@papalegba6796]

Converting chemical potential energy into kinetic energy via combustion.

[@papalegba6796]

@@thebaumfaeller1477 Similar to a De Laval nozzle possibly.

[@craigphillips792]

👍🤓

[@bwilliams463]

My grandfather was a Sherman tank commander on Iwo Jima, who served in five different tanks, one of which was a Sherman flamethrower tank. He told me that the crew did not like riding in the flame tank, as the flame fuel was stored in the tank's lightly-armored belly.

[@DanielLopes-uo7qo]

i understand that standing on some flammable liquid able to burn you to death any moment would be very unconfortable, but if your tank is showing the belly to the enemy, either you are running on a minefield or something went terribly wrong

[@misterneko8508]

@@DanielLopes-uo7qowell too be honest it was against the IJA defending on Iwo Jima and they would literally charge at the tank and craw underneath it too blow a anti tank bomb

[@kl_kruemel]

In one of the first drafts for the "Maus" super heavy tank the designers planned to install at least two flamethrowers in an attempt to improve the vehicle's close range defenses, especially when fighting infantry. This concept was scrapped later on during the development.

[@JGCR59]

Just being german, Spritzköpfe is plural, Spritzkopf is singular ;)

[@RedWrenchFilms]

One day I will speak German in a video and not mess it up.

[@jaroIG]

@@RedWrenchFilms when you do speak it as aggressively as you can just so people think the myth is true

[@thiagobogli1834]

could you do a Tanks Armor Explained? Same as you did with tank classes. Would be very nice to know the differences between cast, welded, spaced, ERA, composite and more, and what their effectivnes is depending on the damage. And of course the evolution of it, first tanks to use it and stuff :))

[@Supercohboy]

I believe there are essentially "cheat sheets" dedicated to this online, but iirc there's no single comprehensive source for "all tank armor ever" mainly due to a lot of composites and ERA capabilities being classified to this day.

[@tigersympathiser2265]

It is funny to think that Flamethrowers only occupied a very brief period in combat history, yet left a fairly long-burning legacy

[@tellyboy17]

They were also used in Vietnam and I can definitely see use for the concept in Ukraine.

[@I_want_White_Cheddar_Popcorn]

Weren't they banned recently? ​@@tellyboy17

[@stickman3214]

I mean, from WW1 to Vietnam, flamethrowwrs technically outlasted piston engine fighter aircraft in combat use.

[@SuccubusFreya]

​@@I_want_White_Cheddar_Popcornthey aren't banned its discouraged to be used againast civilians and civilian areas however

[@flameendcyborgguy883]

You know that flame thrower-like inventions were all the way in the ancient times with greek fire and whatever the hell chineese were doing, right?

[@ESUIS7sg]

Fun fact: The Panzer III flamm was used in Zitadelle and according to Osprey,none were destroyed.

[@coreybenson3122]

9:00 Id like to respectfully disagree. The United States Marines loved their flamethrower tanks. They were a weapon Japanese troops feared and the Marine Corps said was the best weapon they had in the taking of Iwo Jima. Both M3s and M4s were used as flame tanks. After Iwo, the secretary of war declared them a “AAA” procurement; the same as the Manhattan Project and the B-29. The “Ronsons” & “Satans” were used to extreme effect on Iwo, Siapan, Okinawa and the Inchon landings in 1950. For more in depth information, read the article about Chemical Warfare Service: Flame Tank Group Seabees.

[@cm275]

The Marines used small numbers of flame tanks all the way through Vietnam. Most people fill the niche with thermobaric weapons these days. See the TOS-1.

[@TheBloodypete]

I'm guessing the velocity of the fuel for the longer range means it either blew out the pilot light or didn't have time to get ignited.

[@michimatsch5862]

The B2 and 251 Flamm modification can also both be commanded in SDII . Though you need to be really careful for those since AT weaponry can easily catch them.

[@RedBull34xxxxx]

Panzer III Flamm is in the game too.

[@michimatsch5862]

@@RedBull34xxxxx must be in a division I don't own then.

[@ray_the_one888]

This man's videos are so informative. Keep it up!

[@pellefishermans]

Every is so interesting and well made. I’m curious for whats coming next. Keep it up ! 🔥👊🏼

[@moerandall8157]

Hey man I love your content, I honestly don’t know how you don’t have more subscribers but thanks for keeping me entertained

[@BHuang92]

The Flammpanzer *A Panzer that Flamms*

[@Lockerus]

All I remember is the Flammpanzer 38 Hetzer in Company of Heroes 2 was a gas to use.

[@anarchopupgirl]

Hell on earth to be inside, though.

[@deathtrooper7760]

The bane of penal battalions, at last in my battles

[@SamuelSamj]

Great video as always i love your video so much Red

[@wfp9378]

Accounts I have read from WW2 veterans is that most found them detestable when the looked back in hindsight. Setting someone on fire right in front of you and hearing them scream could scar you the rest of your life in a way shooting someone doesn’t.

[@mihaelvulchev7003]

great video and representation and big up for the CoH2

[@iamthecaptainnow5519]

I would love to see a video about soviet 1950s and 1960s tank prototypes/experimental and design bureaus

[@muhammetaydogmus4404]

5:32 burning something increases preasure which helps propell the fluid. This is literally what jets do

[@draysoncrook4898]

1:33 lol the little L3 with the flamethrower i wish that version was in warthunder

[@puggles9098]

I didn't even know there was flamethrower tanks in warthunder

[@ry7hym]

8:22 there's something eerie about this picture. it's like a shambling hull that's been long dead but still runs

[@davidcolin6519]

Also worth mentioning that pretty much every country that used flamethrower tanks recognised how effective they were if they were appropriately used. But that also belies how much most soldiers detested using flamethrowers of any description. The fuel was always the main problem. An infantryman who carried a flame pack was pretty much guaranteed to be an instant target, and the same can be said of any tank as well. It does seem that the most efffective flame tanks were all heavily armoured, and a possible unintended result of this would have been a pretty frightening wait for a flame tank to come within reach. The British Churchill Crocodile was well regarded as an instrument to clear infantry concentrations which were deemed "difficult". Apparently they were rarely actually used, as their effect on enemy morale was so marked that they would often surrender before he weapon was used. And flamethrowers were extensively used in the Pacific, I believe. This was probably not because of the morale point, but simply because the Japanese rarely surrendered and a flamethrower would usually nullify any booby traps left by dead Japanese soldiers. By all accounts flamethrowers were truly gruesome, and what replaced them (napalm etc.) hardly classifies as an improvement.

[@ps1_hagrid_gaming517]

The blutensmokenpanzer

[@lukaszahra9959]

Just guessing but the liquid not ignited probably is able to run under more pressure without part of it igniting and lowering the amount of gas shot and the pressure when compared to shooting it not ignited

[@franklinclinton4539]

Would be cool to see a video on the Stridsvagn 103

[@noelblack8159]

This is a Flammpanzer, It Panzers Flammen. Also, ok

[@nicolasbusse]

Gaijin, when?

[@hb9145]

Fun fact: The crew of these tanks were rarely taken alive.

[@capdetigla]

Hey man great video, could you next make a video on the french g1 series of prototype tanks? Cheers

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

Russia has sort of flamethrower tank by putting MLRS launcher on T-72 hull firing rockets with thermobaric warhead

[@scribble1259]

Anyone know where the clips at the start were from? if they're movies they look pretty good

[@oskar6661]

The WW1 clip is from Netflix's "All Quiet on the Western Front". Not sure about the subsequent clips.

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Tolkien, The Lost Battalion and The Pacific!

[@scribble1259]

@RedWrenchFilms thanks, also great videos love your stuff on tanks keep up the great work!

[@petrsukenik9266]

Best flame tank of the war was definitly Churchill crocodile Mainly due to armo that allowed it to get close and personal without getting killed by light AT guns

[@raylast3873]

I‘m not sure if you can consider the Hetzer to be a „fast“ vehicle. Power-to-weight ratio seems to have been relatively poor. Maybe removing the gun changed that?

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Around the same power to weight as the Sherman I suppose. Relative to everything else in this video it’s pretty fast!

[@DanielLopes-uo7qo]

If ww2 was like ww1, then flammpanzers would be the true kings of the battlefield, but due to the high mobility needed in WW2 doctrines (specially german doctrine) a tank that was slow would be less than Ideal, a tank only able to attack from 50 meters or less is even worse, combo that into the fact soviets had great AT rifles and most of these tanks had no armour and needed to go too close, taking down the effectiveness of the armor even further, it was the right design, but the wrong war, i think that a fast tank like the M24 Chaffee, t34 or the Panther could have done this job nicely using hit and run tactics to attack trenches or buildings like Bunkers, and quickly retreat away from AT Rifles range, since bazookas werent 100% accurate, a fast tank would be hard to hit if moving.

[@stephennelson9212]

Is that a captured a13 in the background at 3:50?

[@02suraditpengsaeng41]

yes.

[@ng_tr_xuanhai_alvin]

I have subscribed you

[@clouddog2393]

A fascinating yet terrible weapon that must have been terrifying to encounter on the battlefield . A real man's inhumanity to man invention that along with poison gas gave the unfortunate soldiers who fought them a horrifying , excruciating painful death if their luck ran out .

[@mewo7515]

mmmmmm panzer III flan

[@dravenmaster7859]

04:18 What is that heart symbol?

[@Kethploy]

It's French tank marking. Heart symbol mean it's 2nd platoon tank

[@NapoleanBlown-aparte]

Jagdpanzerkanone

[@tedparkinson2033]

RW upload? Invincible later? Boys, we watching good tonight!

[@user-op8fg3ny3j]

HANS! GET, ZI FLAMMEN WERFER!

[@NapoleanBlown-aparte]

WE NEED TO WERFER FLAMMENS

[@Jay-sk6is]

This is a flammpanzer,it werfs flamm from panzer:)

[@cosmovlastuin1140]

tonk

[@kaiserwilhelmll814]

I've said it once and i'll say it again best tank channel on youtube