Ronson System on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The "Ronson" LVT4 Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Unarmored (Mark IV)
/ref> These tanks were used in the
The "Ronson" flamethrower
A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World ...
was developed for mechanized applications during World War II and used by the Canadian Army and the United States Marine Corps.
The Ronson was developed by the British Petroleum Warfare Department
The Petroleum Warfare Department (PWD) was a government department established in Britain in 1940 in response to the British anti-invasion preparations of World War II, invasion crisis during World War II, when Nazi Germany, Germany apparently w ...
in 1940. Having insufficient range it was passed over for British use but taken up by the Canadians for development. The "Ronson" was considered sufficient for use in the production of the "Wasp MkIIC" flamethrower variant of the Universal Carrier.
From there it came to the attention of the United States. V Amphibious Corps placed an order for 20 units followed by another for 10. These were given to Col. Unmacht of the Chemical Warfare Service CENPAC, at Schofield Barracks, Territory Hawaii. Seabees under his command installed the Ronson units in 24 M3 Stuarts for the Battle of Saipan. Those tanks were nicknamed "Satans". Col Unmachts men used the Ronson to develop USMC M4 Shermans with Navy Mark 1 flamethrowers./ref> These tanks were used in the
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJ ...
. Col Unmacht's Flamethrower Group would also install Ronsons in the first generation coaxial flame tanks designated CWS-POA-H5 (Chemical Warfare Service-Pacific Ocean Area-Hawaii).
See also
* List of flamethrowersNotes
References
* Flamethrowers World War II weapons of the United States World War II military equipment of Canada {{US-mil-stub