Single Flamethrower 46
The Einossflamethrower 46 was a hand-held one-man flamethrower that was used by the German Wehrmacht in World War II .
commitment
Originally this model was designed as a "portable" flamethrower for the Air Force . But due to the critical military situation in 1945, this easily produced type of weapon was made available to infantry units of the army and the Volkssturm . In military documents, the weapon is sometimes referred to as Volksflamethrower 46 (Volksflamethrower Model 46) and Defense Flamethrower 46 (Defense Flamethrower Model 46) .
Around 30,700 copies were produced from October 1944. A small number was probably used in the combat of the Volkssturm and the regular units during the Battle of Berlin in the spring of 1945 and could have been distributed to commandos of the werewolf .
Although flamethrowers have proven their psychological and tactical effectiveness in certain combat missions, since the First World War the weight and thus the maneuverability as well as the visibility of the operator, who becomes a primary target for the enemy, have been limiting their use. When attacking a bunker or an inhabited building, a jet of flame in an enclosed space can lead to the destruction or surrender of the defenders.
A light and disposable flame cartridge is useful in an attack, such as that carried out by the German parachute pioneers during the attack on Fort Eben-Emael in 1940 . Due to the military situation, the Wehrmacht did not attack fortified positions in 1944, but many battles were now concentrated in urban areas, which made the use of such a weapon sensible. With relatively simple operation and low costs, a simple “tube” like that of the flame cartridge could be distributed to the Volkssturm, making it more powerful.
Not only German engineers implemented this weapon system. The Royal Italian Army equipped itself with a portable flamethrower as a rifle, the 41 assault model. American engineers designed the prototype of the E15 portable flamethrower for single shot. After the war, the concept of the manual flame cartridge and the fire handle was further developed.
Technical specifications
The flamethrower consists of a 1.7 liter cylinder tank filled with a mixture of gasoline and propellant liquid under pressure, with a nozzle 9 mm in diameter and a pistol grip on the front of the cylinder. The weapon weighs 3.6 kg and projects a blazing beam of less than a second over a useful range of around 27 meters. A strap enables the weapon to be carried, which is held at the waist. In contrast to the Panzerfaust , the device is not considered a single-use item and can be refilled.
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 60 cm |
| width | 7.2 cm |
| height | 21 cm |
| Weight | 3.6 kg |
| Pressurized gas | nitrogen |
| Amount of flame oil | 1.7 liters |
| Number of possible bursts of fire | 1 |
| effective firing range | 27 m |
| maximum firing range | 40 m |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bruce Quarrie: German Airborne Troops 1939–45 . Osprey Publishing , 1983, ISBN 978-0-85045-480-2 , pp. 22 .
- ^ Yann Mahé, Laurent Tirone: Wehrmacht 46 - L'arsenal du Reich . tape 1 . Caraktère, 2016, ISBN 978-2-916403-12-0 , pp. 33 .