The ''Grossflammenwerfer'' or ''Grof'' is a large flamethrower, designed to be used from the trenches. In addition to man-portable units, the Germans designed heavy

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 W ...

s before and during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The fuel and propellant containers were too large and heavy for mobility, but the hose could be long enough to be carried out of the trenches closer to the enemy. Multiple propellant and fuel containers could be connected together to improve range and usage time. These flamethrowers were the first flamethrowers made by

Richard Fiedler Richard Fiedler was a German scientist who invented the modern flamethrower, a weapon that projects a stream of nitrogen. He submitted evaluation models of his Flammenwerfer to the German Army (German Empire) in 1901. The most significant model su ...

. He also made the '' Kleinflammenwerfer'', which is more portable and easier to use than the ''Grossflammenwerfer''.

References

* Flamethrowers of the German Army 1914-1945 by Fred Koch * http://firstworldwar.com/weaponry/flamethrowers.htm 1910s establishments in Germany 1910s disestablishments in Germany Flamethrowers of Germany World War I German infantry weapons {{weapon-stub

See also

References