Flamethrower Operator
World War I
The stalemate of trench warfare demanded new tactics and therefore new weapons.
One such weapon was the flamethrower, which was first introduced by the Germans onto the battlefields of the 1st World War.
Modern flamethrowers were invented by Richard Fiedler and Bernhard Reddemann who worked independently
Then collaborated on its design even creating the tactics for their use on the front.
After the first trials, German headquarters adopted a new weapon and deployed it to the pioneer units.
The training of new recruits was entrusted to Captain Reddemann who was picking fire fighters from all over Germany for the new unit.
Firemen were the best choice for flamethrower operators as they had experience with fire and more importantly were not afraid of the enormous blazes that flamethrowers were capable of
Flamethrower operators were equipped with two types of flamethrowers.
A heavier version, called The Grocer Flammenwerfer, popularly known as the "Grof", was cumbersome and was used in static positions with thin trenches.
It was very powerful as it could burn for 40 seconds and could hit the target at 36 meters or 40 yards distance.
Smaller portable flamethrowers such as the Kleine Flammenwerfer, also known as the "Klief" or the donut-shaped VEX,
Were intended for mobile use in assaulting enemy trenches.
They had far less fuel capacity and could be used for only a short duration.
Kliefs were carried on the back of one team member while another operated the tube to fire it to attack enemy positions
While there have been minor engagements in 1914, a small number of flamethrower operators as part of the Flammenwerfer
Optilone under Reddemann's command had their baptism of fire
During the assault on the forest of Malan Court north of Verdun on February 26, 1915.
This attack was a success, as the French defenders were not only surprised by the attack,
But were terrified by the fire brought upon them and the thick black clouds that they produced.
Caught by the fire, the French soldiers ran out of their defensive positions in panic straight towards the German rifles.
Within minutes, the French defense collapsed completely
After its initial successes on a small scale, the flamethrower unit would be expanded to the size of battalion as a 'Third Garde-Pionier-Bataillon'
under the patronage of Vilhelm Crown Prince of the German Empire and Prussia.
A platoon of flamethrower operators will also join Captain Villier's assault attachment, or stormtroopers , becoming a part of German assault tactics.
Flamethrower operators from the battalion sent to support other infantry units made an impact during the German offensive effort done in
1916, where they conducted 57 attacks, 33 of which were judged to be successful.
Since Reddemann's unit proved to be of great help,
It was expanded to the level of regiment, becoming the guard reserve
pioneer regiment they became the principal flamethrower unit until the end of the war.
For the contribution to the war effort the guard reserve,
Pioneer regiment was awarded a Totenkopf badge - a death's-head badge by Crown Prince Wilhelm on July 28th,
1916, which was considered to be a great honor.
Since then,
flamethrower operators wore the death's-head insignia on their left sleeve, and entire regiments became known as the Totenkopf Pioniere or
death's-head pioneers.
Due to the great success, flamethrower operators became notorious for being one of the most terrifying units on the battlefield.
As many French and British soldiers reported, even the hissing sound of the burning flamethrower muzzle would give them shivers.
However, their notoriety would cause the flamethrower operator problems. Their existence on the front lines was not easy at all.
First of all being a completely new weapon meant the flamethrower had a lot of issues.
Gas cylinders were prone to malfunctions and pressure decreases, causing weapon failure.
Second, because the enemy were terrified of them, flamethrower operators knew they would be marked men.
Anytime they would appear in combat,
Enemy soldiers would concentrate their fire on the operators and no mercy would be given if they were caught alive
It was soon realized that leaving a flamethrower team on their own made them extremely vulnerable to the enemy, so infantry support was always required.
During the entirety of the war, flamethrower operators carried out over 600 attacks
Most enemy casualties came from the infantry fire that followed once they were flushed out of the trenches by the flamethrower, than the actual
flamethrower itself.
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