Flammenwerfers...

In an effort to gain a tactical advantage on the battlefield and ultimately break the deadlock of trench warfare, both the Central Powers and Allies sought various solutions. One such solution was the flame-thrower or flammenwherfer. The use in flame in war goes back to ancient times and one of the first recorded instances was the use of "Greek Fire" by the Byzantine Empire.

 

The composition of Greek fire was a state secret that has been lost and thus remains a matter of speculation and debate, with proposals including combinations of pine resin, naphtha, quicklime, calcium phosphide, sulfur, or niter. Byzantine use of incendiary mixtures was distinguished by the use of pressurized nozzles or siphōn to project the liquid onto the enemy. Because the substance was unstable, there was no practical way to employ it for land warfare thus it was employed as a naval weapon.

 

Greek Fire being employed in a naval battle.

Designs for flame-throwers were evaluated by the German Army as early as 1901 but it wasn't until the outbreak of the war and subsequent dealdlock on the Western Front that interest was revived. One of the first attacks was a lmited one made against the French at Verdun on February 26, 1915 and later on a more widespread basis against the British positions in the vicinity of Hooge, Belgium. The weapon's effects, besides the obvious one of burning the opposition, was it's psychological effect as a terror weapon- soldiers feared being burnt more than being shot and often they would quickly vacate their positions when there were flame-throwers in the vicinity. 

 

Below are some images of the later two-man M16 model. One man carried the tank and the other worked the nozzle. Basically, it worked on the principle of flamming fuel oil being projected by compressed nitrogen. There was an ignitor on the the end of the spray nozzle. Needless to say, anyone working one of these was an instant (and large) target for enemy fire.

 

A flame-thrower team consisted of three men with one carrying the tank, the other working the spray nozzle and the third to provide cover and assist as necessary. All the men were volunteers and organizational control was through the Pioneers. Flame-thrower teams were typically assigned to operate with the stosstruppen and were used in concert with machine-gun and rifle-armed infantry. The Flammenwerfer was one of many weapons used in tactical combination to rapidly neutralize and overwhelm the enemy. 

 

Two Flammenwerfer teams- It appears that they're in training.

Another training situation.

The M16 in a museum display. Not the bst image, unfortunately.

On the Western Front, 1917

Flammenwerfer team on the advance.

The unit disassembled.



In training, 1917.

   

Portrait- Trooper & Horse, Dragoon Regiment No. 6

Here's an interesting cavalry picture of a soldat of Dragoon Regiment No. 6 at the  outbreak of the war. The one flower he has pinned on his tunic plus the fact that the regimental number is on his picklehaube cover points towards 1914.

RE: Trench Clubs

The First World War brought many changes to warfare and in some regards, it revived older practices. As the stalemate of trench warfare asserted itself on the Western Front, the war came to resemble a massive siege as in older times only now with modern weapons. However, some older weapons were also revived and modified. One such weapon was the trench club. Reminiscent of Medieval maces, trench clubs were improvised from a variety of materials, all with the aim of creating a weapon that would kill or incapacitate the enemy in the close-quarters of the trenches. Normal rifles with fixed bayonets were of limited utility and not everyone had access to a pistol. Trench clubs were perfect for the muddy and wet conditions of the trenches, requiring no ammunition and not subject to mechanical breakdown.

Trench clubs used a variety of materials and while at first they were improvised by individuals, they were later manufactured in quantity in army workshops. Below are a few pictures:

German field workshop- They worked on making and/or refurbishing various items including machine gun mounts. In the front to the left is a pile of freshly made trench clubs.

Close Up View

One example of a trench club weighted with lead at the end.

Various exampled of of trench clubs on display at the Bavarian Army Museum at Ingolstadt.

The Kar98A Carbine

Here is some basic information on the 2 Chevauelger's issue weapon, the Kar98A. I am not exactly sure of the original source but it provides a good "once-over" on the subject.

 

Kar98a - Left Side



Kar98a - Right Side