Portable Flame Thrower M2-2

by United States. War Department

Section VII OPERATION UNDER USUAL CONDITIONS

15. TRAINING.

Effective use of the M2-2 portable flame thrower can be achieved only by diligent practice with the weapon. Untrained firers or assistants should never be sent on a mission.

a. Practice. Firers should practice under varying conditions of wind, range, elevation, depression, and traverse. The shortness of the total firing time (approximately 8 to 9 seconds) demands split-second judgment and coordination.

b. Use of water in training. Water may be used (instead of fuel) for elementary practice firing. Ignition cylinders are not used with water. The water under pressure may cause serious injuries to personnel at 10 yards. After practice with water, the gun should be disassembled (Pars [73] through [76]), cleaned and dried piece by piece, and lubricated. ([Par 49])

c. Use of fuel in training. When using fuel in training, select or prepare a practice field of fire which provides at least 125 yards for range and 30 yards for spread. If the field contains dry grass, brush, or other flammable material, a fire-fighting squad should be available with equipment and source of water. Assistants and observers should stay well behind the firer because of danger from wind shifts. See Paragraph 40 for additional precautions.

16. CHARGING, FILLING, AND SERVICING.

Before use on missions or for training, flame throwers must be charged, filled, and serviced. Charging with compressed air or compressed nitrogen is described in Paragraphs [32 and 33]; filling with fuel in Paragraphs [34] through [40]; and servicing in Paragraphs [50] through [56]. Test for pressure. ([Par 53 d])

17. CONNECTING TANK GROUP AND GUN GROUP.

If a charged and filled tank group has been brought up to replace an emptied one:

a. Place the new tank group on the ground with the tank coupling on top. If the filling is thickened fuel, allow the tank group to rest in this position for from 1 to 2 minutes.

b. Remove coupling plug from new tank group and disconnect gun group from emptied tank group. Place unthreaded end of fuel hose in tank coupling and lock in place. ([Par 70])

c. Lock the coupling plug in the emptied tank group.

18. LOADING WITH IGNITION CYLINDER.

a. General. Just before the start of a mission, load an unused ignition cylinder into the ignition head. (M1 and E1 ignition cylinders are identical and may be used interchangeably.) Cylinders are packed two to a can. Do not open cans until ready to load for a mission. The second cylinder in the can should be used in another flame thrower on the same mission or as soon as possible after opening the can. Partly used cylinders may be employed in training.

b. Precautions. Care must be taken, whenever cylinders are handled, to avoid any blows or pressure against the metal match ends. ([Fig 13]) Face, hands, and other parts of the body should never be exposed to front of cylinder or front of gun.

Fig 13. Ignition cylinder before use.

c. Procedure. Loading procedure is as follows:

(1) Unscrew and remove ignition shield. ([Fig 14])

(2) Place ignition cylinder on end of barrel ([Fig 15]), being careful not to grasp cylinder by its ends.

(3) Raise nozzle end of gun so cylinder slides down against the spring case of the ignition head. ([Fig 16]) If necessary, rotate cylinder so it slips down all the way. Do not force cylinder into place as forcing may prematurely ignite it.

(4) Rotate spring case and ignition cylinder clockwise as far as they turn freely.

(5) Place ignition shield over cylinder. Engage the slot in the shield on the spring-case pin.

(6) Turn shield, screwing it onto ignition-head body. Make sure the threads engage during the first turn of the shield. When the slot on the shield engages the latch on the ignition head ([Fig 17]), the gun is loaded.

(7) If shield cannot be turned by hand tight enough to engage latch, unscrew shield. Then turn shield backwards until threads engage and repeat (6) above.

Fig 14. Unscrewing ignition shield, with pressure on latch.

Fig 15. Placing ignition cylinder on gun. Care must be taken to avoid striking or pushing metal matches of cylinder.

Fig 16. Ignition cylinder in place on gun before replacement of ignition shield.

Fig 17. Ignition head assembled for firing of gun.

Fig 18. Tank group adjusted on firer.

19. CARRYING THE TANK GROUP.

The tanks are supported on the firer’s back and secured to it by two shoulder straps and two pairs of body straps. ([Fig 18]) The straps may be adjusted by the buckles to fit the operator. The shoulder straps pass over the shoulders and under the arm pits; the lower body straps are clasped tightly in front of the body; and the upper body straps are clasped across the chest to prevent the shoulder straps from slipping and the tank group from rolling off the back. Adjustments to the various straps should be made until the unit is carried with the bottom of the fuel tanks at the small of the operator’s back. The tank group should fit snugly so that it does not shift if the operator changes position quickly.

20. CARRYING THE GUN.

Fig 19. Carrying the gun, with hands in position to fire.

The procedure for carrying the gun is as follows:

a. Carry the gun with the hose at the right side. ([Fig 19])

b. Grasp the valve grip with the right hand and the front grip with the left hand, being careful not to operate the controls until ready to fire.

c. Keep the gun pointed away from friendly personnel at all times.

d. Do not face the front of the gun at any time. Even when no fuel is being ejected, the incendiary charges of the ignition cylinder can cause severe burns.

e. Keep the gun dry and clean if possible. Avoid getting dirt or foreign matter into the weapon.

f. Avoid rough handling.

g. Wear gloves if available.

h. Carry any extra ignition cylinders only in metal containers.

21. OPENING PRESSURE-TANK VALVE.

The release of pressure into the fuel tank causes a hissing sound. Therefore, open the pressure-tank valve while still out of hearing range of the enemy. Do not, however, open it prematurely because of the possibility of pressure leaks. To prevent frothing of the fuel, keep the tank group in as nearly an upright position as possible when opening pressure-tank valve. Be sure to turn the valve handle all the way in a counterclockwise direction. Stiffening of the fuel hose occurs when the pressure-tank valve is opened.

22. RANGES.

Firers and assistants should learn to judge ranges by frequent practice under varying conditions. The firers should be trained to approach as close as practicable to the target and to fire if possible at point-blank range for the greatest results.

a. Point-blank range.

(1) Effects. At very close (point-blank) range almost all of the burning fuel can be fired at great velocity directly through ports and openings into the target. Maximum casualties and damage are caused in the hostile position.

(2) Protection. Common sense precautions are taken to prevent casualties to friendly personnel from possible ricochet or rebounding of flame. If the target includes a vertical wall at a right angle to the firer or other friendly personnel, the weapon should not be fired at closer than 7 to 10 yards. When the weapon is fired at small openings in a bunker or pillbox, the firer and other members of the assault squad should not approach closer than 7 to 10 yards from the target.

b. Other effective ranges.

(1) Open fields of fire. When thickened gasoline is used, portable flame throwers may fire with considerable effect as far as 40 yards under normal conditions, depending on wind direction and wind speed. Under the same conditions, liquid fuel maybe effective at 20 yards. Results and accuracy are not as great as at point-blank range.

(2) Jungle or thick underbrush. If the target is located in jungle or thick underbrush without cleared fields of fire, the effective range of the flame thrower is reduced by as much as one half, depending on the nature and density of the vegetation.

c. Ineffective ranges. Although the flame may reach considerably farther than the ranges stated in b (1) above it may be useless because of the steep angle of descent and because much of the fuel is burned before it reaches the target.

23. WIND DEFLECTION.

Wind is an important factor because of the low velocity of the flaming fuel. Wind can lengthen, shorten, or deflect the flame.

a. Head winds. Head winds of more than 5 miles per hour tend to carry heat or even flame back toward the firer. Liquid fuel should not be fired into a head wind of more than 5 miles per hour. The range and accuracy of thickened fuels is reduced.

b. Following winds or very light winds. Best results are obtained under these conditions.

c. Cross winds. When firing at or near maximum range, cross winds deflect, breakup, and disperse the flame. They also reduce the range.

24. FIRING POSITIONS.

a. Ease of aiming. The flame thrower can be fired from any position that permits sufficient freedom to aim the weapon, subject to the conditions in b, c, and d, below. This includes standing, kneeling, and prone. In some instances, flame throwers have been fired with tank groups resting on the ground or on skids. If used in this way, the tops of the fuel tanks must be propped up to conform to b, below.

b. Angles of the tanks. When firing, the bottoms of the fuel tanks must always be substantially lower than the tops. The tops of both tanks must also each be the same distance above the horizontal and neither tank should be tilted to one side. Otherwise, only a small part of the fuel may be blown from the tanks.

c. Recoil. Stability must be sufficient to withstand the recoil from the gun. If possible, the firer should hold the gun snugly against his right side to support it and to absorb its recoil.

d. Protection. Full advantage should be taken of cover and concealment, such as shell craters and vegetation.

25. AIMING.

a. Sighting. There are no sights on the gun because of the short range from which it is fired, the variety of fuels used, and the marked effects of wind. ([Par 23])

b. Fortifications. When firing at a fortified position, flame must be directed into openings (gun ports, firing slits, ventilation screens, doorways). Flame inside gives the desired effects, but flame on the outside has little effect on personnel within.

c. Thickened fuel. (Figs [3] and [20]) When firing at or near maximum range, it may take several seconds for a burst of thickened fuel to carry through the air to the target area. Short bursts may result in misses at long range for this reason. Skill in aiming is particularly important with thickened fuel.

d. Liquid fuel. With liquid fuel, the greatest effect may be obtained by placing the flame directly on the target. ([Fig 21])

Fig 20. Thickened fuel flame hitting and clinging to target. Fuel burns for several minutes.

Fig 21. Flame (liquid fuel) hitting target.

26. FIRING.

With pressure-tank valve open:

a. Pull trigger. Pull the trigger rapidly and vigorously. A flash should appear at the front of the gun. This shows that an incendiary charge of the ignition cylinder has been ignited. Release the trigger. (If the flash does not appear, pull the trigger again, or as often as necessary up to five times, until a flash appears.)

b. Squeeze fuel valve. Immediately after pulling trigger, compress the valve lever and grip safety vigorously with the right hand. Burning fuel will be propelled from the gun.

c. Adjust fire. Direct the flaming fuel at the target. Continue to squeeze the valve lever and grip safety throughout the burst. When thickened fuel is fired, follow the fuel with eyes to the side of the stream in order to observe and correct aim. (If eyes are directly behind the stream, the flame may obscure the target.)

27. CEASING OR INTERRUPTING FIRE.

To cease or interrupt firing, release the controls.

28. ADDITIONAL BURSTS.

To fire additional bursts, repeat procedure followed in Paragraphs 26 and 27, keeping in mind that there are five incendiary charges in the ignition cylinder and that the total firing time, not including time between bursts, is approximately 8 to 9 seconds. Each of the five incendiary charges in the ignition cylinder burns for from 8 to 12 seconds.

29. SOAKING THE TARGET.

When liquid fuel is used, it may be desirable to soak the target with fuel first and ignite it afterward. To do this, fire one or two short bursts without pulling the trigger. Then follow with an ignited burst, as in Paragraph [26].

30. AFTER FIRING.

When the firer has returned from his mission, he should:

a. Remove and discard the ignition cylinder, as follows:

(1) Point gun at the ground.

(2) Press latch. ([Fig 14])

(3) Unscrew the ignition shield and allow ignition cylinder to fall out. (Be careful to keep the hands away from the front of the cylinder.)

(4) Save the partly used cylinder for training use or destroy it by firing from gun after fuel tanks have been emptied. For information on care, handling, and storage of cylinders, see Paragraph [31].

b. Close the pressure-tank valve by turning valve handle clockwise (to conserve remaining pressure in pressure tank).

c. Point the gun away from personnel and blow out the remaining fuel, if any, from the fuel tanks by squeezing the valve lever and grip safety until there is no further discharge. The trigger should not be used during this operation.

d. Take off tank group from the back.

e. Inspect, clean, and maintain the flame thrower (Pars [55] and [56]) or, if experienced maintenance personnel is close at hand, turn the weapon over to them for servicing.

f. After servicing, place the weapon in the packing chest ([Par 77]) for protected storage, or prepare it for the next mission. (Pars [50] through [53])