Flamethrower Teams Secondary Weapons?

[Alby]

I have adjusted all my OOB to eliminate all flamethrowers from the engineering sqauds and made them all into seperate small units attached to the engineers.(except USMC Assualt Engineers get to keep their flamers). Ive seen alot of Posts about this subject, and figured id see how it would work out. However, i am wondering what secondary weapons, if any, these teams carried?
As of now they have Pistols, any info would be appreciated.
Thanks

[ January 27, 2002: Message edited by: Alby ]</p>

[asgrrr]

Marshmallow launcher?

[brianleeprice]

Originally posted by Penetrator:
Marshmallow launcher?

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ROFLMAO!!

The flamethrower fuel tanks were quite large and bulky therefore the man carrying the flamethrower would be unlikely to have any sidearm other than a pistol *at most*, however the extra men in the team would likely be carrying standard infantry weapons. Check out the infantry weapons marked as secondary weapons in the OOBs, depending on team size you might want to use a rifle x2 or x3 (for 3 or 4 men teams). If it is a 2 man team I'd say just put a standard infantry rifle in the second weapon slot but skip grenades and such.

Most of the data I've found in research just doesn't go into that much detail. A decent alternative is to look at what ASL or other table top/minatures game list. Also take a look at the sidearm used in infantry AT weapon teams as well as the engineer squads themselves - good bet that it would be the same.

There is, I believe, one flaw in going to teams for flamethrowers and the like - in most armies, the men were trained in the use of all weapons used by their organization type (big exception is Soviet Union). Thus if the men in the flamethrower team suffered casualties, another engineer squad member would most likely fill in. The current OOBs tend to reflect this.

While popular conception might suggest flamethrower fuel tanks being blown up as a common event, I strongly suspect such is not the case. I'm not sure as to the wall thickness of the fuel tanks but even if a round punctured the tank, anything less than a tracer round from a machine gun would be unlikely to ignite the fuel. On the other hand, being soaked with a gasoline mixture while in the midst of a firefight would not be something I'd want to experience!!

Hope this helps,
Brian

[NeoWhiteWolf]

It really depends on what country was employing them....Ive read stories that the person with the flamer never choose to be "It"....Its the man they can "Spare" ...Not only do they either go first at about 5m to 15m or behind the team the same distance.....Pre-Veitnam Napalm was higly flammable and so thick that hwne the fluid lit it only lit about 10% of the fluid....the rest was meant to drench walls or targets and keep em lit for hours...

But on sidearm issues....I read some carried an M1 Carbine (Paratroop model) on their pack or a Colt...But 90% carried the tanks and a grenade or 2....

Now Germany was good about making sure every man was addequatly armed...Most flamers had a Luger or a P38...

Flamers where eventually pushed out almost entirely by Shermans and PvIb's with the barrel refitted with a flamer...not only are th Feul Tanks armored and protected but they coudl carry more.