M9A1 Flamethrower: Difference between revisions
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The M9A1 (often encountered as the Vietnam-era portable flamethrower family M9/M9A1-7) is a U.S. man-portable backpack flamethrower that projects thickened fuel under pressure for close-range assault use. It is powered by a compressed-gas propellant system and delivered through a handheld projector (“wand”) designed for short bursts. The weapon is best known for Vietnam War use in clearing bunkers, trenches, and fortified positions, and as one of the last U.S. service flamethrowers before replacement by rocket-based incendiary systems. | |||
=HISTORY= | ==HISTORY== | ||
The M9-series portable flamethrowers were developed by the U.S. Chemical Corps in the late 1950s to address shortcomings of earlier M1/M2 backpack flamethrowers, with an emphasis on reducing weight and improving handling for assault troops. The system paired a backpack fuel/propellant unit with a compact projector group and ignition system intended to be more practical in field conditions, and later refinements produced improved sub-variants (commonly referred to in period documentation as M9E1-7 and, in some contexts, M9A1-7). | |||
In Vietnam, portable flamethrowers were issued for specialized missions where incendiary effects could neutralize dug-in defenders and complex fieldworks that were difficult to reduce with small arms alone. They were employed in assaults on bunkers and fighting positions, in selective clearing tasks, and for short, high-impact engagements where their psychological and tactical effect was significant but their operator vulnerability was also high. By the 1970s the U.S. moved away from man-portable flamethrowers, and the capability was ultimately replaced by systems such as the M202 FLASH. | |||
===Sources=== | |||
* [https://www.bulletpicker.com/pdf/FM-20-33.pdf U.S. Army Field Manual FM 20-33 (1970), ''Combat Flame'' (includes M9E1-7 data and references to TM 3-1040-257-12)] | |||
* [https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupid?key=ha009783156 U.S. Army maintenance manual listing: ''Flamethrower, Portable, M9A1-7'' (University of Pennsylvania Online Books Page)] | |||
* [https://everyspec.com/MIL-SPECS/MIL-SPECS-MIL-F/download.php?spec=MIL-F-51342.012319.pdf MIL-F-51342 — ''Flame Thrower, Portable, M9E1-7'' (U.S. military specification)] | |||
* Charles S. Hobson, ''The Illustrated Manual of U.S. Portable Flamethrowers'' (Schiffer Publishing, 2010). | |||
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Latest revision as of 05:41, 25 February 2026
| Factions | Weapon | Icon | Classes | Fuel | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Burn Over Time | |||||
 US |
 M9A1 Flamethrower |
 |
 Engineer |
100 | 5-15 | 45 |
| Designation | Weapon Type | Fire Rate | Flame Range | Damage | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[]] | Flamethrowers | 600 RPM | 512 (Hammer Units?) | 15 | 12 kg (26.46 lbs) |
| Full name | Caliber | Place of Origin | Date | Manufacturer | Barrel Length | Total Length | Weapon Script Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FN | flamethrower fuel | USA | 1960 | ARM | in ( mm) | in ( mm) | weapon_m9a1 |
The M9A1 (often encountered as the Vietnam-era portable flamethrower family M9/M9A1-7) is a U.S. man-portable backpack flamethrower that projects thickened fuel under pressure for close-range assault use. It is powered by a compressed-gas propellant system and delivered through a handheld projector (“wand”) designed for short bursts. The weapon is best known for Vietnam War use in clearing bunkers, trenches, and fortified positions, and as one of the last U.S. service flamethrowers before replacement by rocket-based incendiary systems.
HISTORY
The M9-series portable flamethrowers were developed by the U.S. Chemical Corps in the late 1950s to address shortcomings of earlier M1/M2 backpack flamethrowers, with an emphasis on reducing weight and improving handling for assault troops. The system paired a backpack fuel/propellant unit with a compact projector group and ignition system intended to be more practical in field conditions, and later refinements produced improved sub-variants (commonly referred to in period documentation as M9E1-7 and, in some contexts, M9A1-7).
In Vietnam, portable flamethrowers were issued for specialized missions where incendiary effects could neutralize dug-in defenders and complex fieldworks that were difficult to reduce with small arms alone. They were employed in assaults on bunkers and fighting positions, in selective clearing tasks, and for short, high-impact engagements where their psychological and tactical effect was significant but their operator vulnerability was also high. By the 1970s the U.S. moved away from man-portable flamethrowers, and the capability was ultimately replaced by systems such as the M202 FLASH.
Sources
- U.S. Army Field Manual FM 20-33 (1970), Combat Flame (includes M9E1-7 data and references to TM 3-1040-257-12)
- U.S. Army maintenance manual listing: Flamethrower, Portable, M9A1-7 (University of Pennsylvania Online Books Page)
- MIL-F-51342 — Flame Thrower, Portable, M9E1-7 (U.S. military specification)
- Charles S. Hobson, The Illustrated Manual of U.S. Portable Flamethrowers (Schiffer Publishing, 2010).