Flame thrower

[pocatellodave]

I was wondering if the Marine Corps still uses the flame thrower?My guess is,they do not.I haven't seen one in action in modern times.If they don't use it,does anyone know when it became obsolete? <br />
I...

[awbrown1462]

After 1945

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/US_riverboat_using_napalm_in_Vietnam.jpg/220px-US_riverboat_using_napalm_in_Vietnam.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_riverboat_using_napalm_in_Vietnam.jpg) http://bits.wikimedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_riverboat_using_napalm_in_Vietnam.jpg)
A Riverboat of the U.S. Brownwater Navy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-water_navy) shooting ignited napalm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napalm) from its mounted flamethrower during the Vietnam war.


The United States Marines used flamethrowers in the Korean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War) and Vietnam Wars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War). The M132 Armored Flamethrower (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M132_Armored_Flamethrower), an M113 armored personnel carrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M113_armored_personnel_carrier) with a mounted flame thrower was successfully used in the conflict.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-20>[21] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamethrower#cite_note-20)</SUP>
Flamethrowers have not been in the U.S. arsenal since 1978, when the Department of Defense (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Defense) unilaterally stopped using them. They have been deemed of questionable effectiveness in modern combat and the use of flame weapons is always a public relations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_relations) issue due to the horrific death they inflict. They are not banned in any international treaty the U.S. has signed. Thus, the U.S. decision to remove flamethrowers from its arsenal is entirely voluntary

[FistFu68]

:marine: With All Due Respect,You Marines of Now have a very New Weapon a W.M. On Tha RAGG :scared: :iwo:

[awbrown1462]

:marine: With All Due Respect,You Marines of Now have a very New Weapon a W.M. On Tha RAGG :scared: :iwo:
Fist was a good Marine and his Funeral was very nice,, His death came from a group of Women Marines on pms beating him to death

[FoxtrotOscar]

The flame thrower was replaced with the M202 MPFW- Multiple Portable Flame Weapon, a 66mm 4 shot rocket system that employed 1.3 lbs of triethylaluminum warhead, after it's 2nd year it was discontinued due to the fact that the warheads when being opened would crack and explode.. This was 1976..

The reason they went with this system was the 66mm was the same as the LAAW..

And the launcher was re-loadable, the thought process was it could be used for both the LAAW and 202..

[hussaf]

Ummm, pretty sure those are against the Geneva Convention.

[Marine1955]

Fist was a good Marine and his Funeral was very nice,, His death came from a group of Women Marines on PMS beating him to death

It's with great sorrel that the dearly departed only had one life to live and that he couldn't service all those W.M.'s before they cut his Ballz off. . May he rest in peace . Can I get an Amen !

[nortelpilot]

I was an 0351 from 77-80 and carried the m202,shot some live rounds in 78 on Okie at the range out of it but we had heard it could explode when being fired.
It made a nice burst when it hit the ground but was a bear to lug around

[FistFu68]

:beer: AMEN LOL...Yepper what a way too Die,getting My Gunnnn cutoff by a Bunch of Beautiful Women Marines...Too Bad alot of You old Farts ain't going out that Way...Kim,Coral,Sally any of You Foxey Ladies got Your K-Bar handy? Semper Pie :p :iwo:

[pocatellodave]

Thanks for the replies.I was pretty sure it was gone.So it looks like the Corps has figured another way to take out bunkers.
I was wondering if anyone agrees with me that if one dies in a war,it's a horrific death?Getting shot,burned,gassed,blown up,etc.,is horrific in my mind.Nobody is going to argue that getting burned alive by a flame thrower is a pleasant way to die,but making rules to how you can kill someone in a war seems a little ridiculous.Beings we are the U.S.A.,we would go by the Geneva Convention,but are last few enemies weren't real big on following the rules.Just my opinion,and I'm sure a lot of Marines would agree with that.

Semper Fi

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: Me personally I think they should bring it back...We took out Bunkers from a Couple of Feet away Burning them out and If they were Still alive Screaming to Death on Fire must have been a Helluva of a way too Go.If it were Me I'd beg too have a Bullet put in My Brain...Just my 2 cents worth :evilgrin: :iwo:

[hussaf]

Yeah, I have no desire to burn people alive. I also have no desire to get close enough to a bunker to use a flamethrower. CAS strikes would do it for me...but I guess I like the 'splody.

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: Burn Em Blow Them Up Slit their Fucing Throats Blow Their Brains out Do what 'Ev it Takes,We are Marines We do what We have too Do to keep our Azzes alive.We fought to Live They fought to Die...Did not Really have a choice in the Matter...Death Before Dishonor...With all due Respect...Semper Fidelis :iwo:

[pocatellodave]

Getting close enough to a bunker to use a flame thrower wasn't all that easy to do.The bad guys knew what them tanks on a guys back could bring.Many flame thrower guys were killed trying to use them.Just watched a documentary on how a fellow Marine named Williams volunteered to use a flame thrower, as all the other flame men in his outfit got killed or wounded.He ended up getting the Medal of Honor by taking out several bunkers.He was one lucky fellow living to get the medal pinned on his chest.He was very modest when asked about getting the Medal of Honor.He said "I was just doing my job"!It makes one proud to be a Marine with guys like Williams,just doing their job!
Semper Fi

[ggyoung]

To use a fire or flame on people is against the G.C. but it is OK to use to knock out a bunker or what ever. It is also against the G.C. to use a shotgun on people but the USA never signed off on that. There are a bunch of things we never seined off.

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: Your right about it not being Easy but &quot;once&quot; We were in their Bunker Complex in Dodge City it was one Helluva a way too clear the trench lines We fought so hard to Take.Mutually connected...

[Mongoose]

When we were engaged in combat, I dont think any Marines in the 3/26 was thinking or worring about the rules of war.

[VonTankenstein]

Yo, I wanna roll like a Commie, with a flamethrower inset into my turret. <br />
<br />
Then again, there's many things I want on my tank: <br />
-Quad-mounted .50's <br />
-Pull-down sunscreen (like on a Winnebago)...

[pocatellodave]

If we signed off on the flame thrower,then I guess no more napalm.It was used a lot inWWII,Korea,,and Viet Nam.
I've heard of people using shotguns in Viet Nam,but to me that would be a poor weapons choice,and I don't know how they could get one in the first place.The only time I seen a shotgun being used in the Marine Corps,was to guard prisoners while they were being marched somewhere.Beings I worked in the brig on the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk,I chased prisoners to the brig from 1/8.I disliked it a lot,because most the guys I took to the brig,were friends.I didn't have a shotgun,but they gave me a night stick to do my task.Once while chasing a good friend out of my own flame section,kidded me,saying "what if I run on you/"?I replied,"you wouldn't do that to me".The old sea story that you had to serve a prisoners time if he escaped from you has so much crap.I was glad when I didn't have to chase prisoners anymore,as working in a brig yelling at sailors is one thing,but chasing your friends to the brig is another.
Semper Fi