Using flamethower

[IDF]

Has anyone used them? How do they perform?

[Screaming Demon]

uh they burn stuff

[Lee]

They are very terrible when used on most anything. At least that's

what I hear, I wouldn't know for sure since mine get hosed down with

lead from everyone on the battlefield the instant they are spotted

by the enemy.

[Monkeybutt]

Good for assaulting pillboxes and units hiding in woods.Nice for making the enemy break and run in terror,then supporting units machinegun them in the back.

Once seen though,everything tends to get dropped on them.

-Monkeybutt

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The Combat Mission Scenario Dump! http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/3805/Cm.html

[pathfinder]

I can echo what Monkeybutt said. I was testing a scenario last night aand I used a flamethrower to get a couple of German squads out into the open, to be cut down by some infantry and a half-track. but it must be said that most time my flamers get snuffed before they get into position.

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unca pathy will show ya the path,

if only he could find it himself!

[Cueball]

They also work quite nicely on open topped vehicles.

[Commissar]

If you can keep them alive, they do quite a number on assaulting infantry. Had one half-track flamethrower and and placed near some light woods. American infantry insisted on attacking this sector over and over. Flamethrower half track torched them over and over again. The whole patch of forest ended up in flames. The morale of the attacking infantry quickly breaks when that tongue of flames hits them. Trying using the half track instead of the single guy. It may have a better survivability rate.

If that doesn't work, try using a Hummel. Nasty gun on that SPA.

[This message has been edited by Commissar (edited 07-09-2000).]

[Formerly Babra]

I tried a flamer ambush. It was night. The buttoned up halftrack strolled right into the ambush marker, turned 45 degrees and hosed down the flamer before they had even got up from hiding. Something not quite right there.

EDIT: Forgot to mention: Flamethrower Elite, Halftrack Green.

[This message has been edited by Formerly Babra (edited 07-09-2000).]

[Supertanker]

As everyone has said, the backpack flamethrowers are the enemy's favorite target, and I have never used one successfully. I think Steve or Charles once pointed out that by the time you have suppressed everything sufficiently to bring up the flamethrower, you probably have killed the target with something else.

However, the light vehicles are another matter, because they are fast. Most any support weapon will kill them, but at least they can survive smallarms fire. Try using a Wasp (or two or three), I have seen some amazing things from them. I'm planning on trying out the Crocodiles as soon as I'm done experimenting with Sharpshooters.

If a Pacific War version of CM were ever to be made, expect lots of flamethrowers. I think it was in Utmost Savagery that I read the Marines eventually issued a flamethower to each squad in the Pacific. Unfortunately, that was not policy yet at Tarawa.

[chrisl]

Flamethrowers are great scouts-- they draw lots of fire.

I once managed to suppress the 75 bunker in VoT and work my FT up the side of the map, but he decided he didn't want to take a perfect shot on the bunker door,and let the engineers do it with hand grenades instead (they used their satchel charge to no effect earlier).

[Bertram]

I never have used a flamethrower yet. I usually keep them to the rear, out of harms way when assaulting. When my troops find an unmoveble obstacle I lay down supressing fire, and send the flamethrower in. But I found that the enemy either takes out the flamethrower before it comes into range (not enough supression) or has been broken/reduced before the flamthrower arrives.

When defending I try to use them in ambushes. But until now I never have had one succeed. They are always spotted (and shot) before the enemy gets into range. Even when I tried to use reverse slope positions.

Bertram

[Buckeye]

They can be used to good effect in city fights, because it's a little easier to bring them forward and because the range is often shorter.You can sometimes scare the other side's troops into running even if you can't see them.

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"Don't lie to me, Gustav! You're a stinkin' Mac user!"

[TeAcH]

Formerly Babra:

I agree with you on this one. I think the issue of AFV spotting infantry under all sorts of conditions (buttoned, night, hiding, ambushing) needs another looking at.

I could go on and on citing cases similar to the one you mentioned but I won't.

TeAcH

[Renaud]

I have success using flamethrowers in starting fires in areas I don't want the enemy to enter, or that I want them to leave in a hurry. I'm careful to always keep the flamethrower out of los of anything that can fire on it. That's right, I never fire at actual enemy units, just at the edge of suspected or known enemy positions. For instance, I fire into woods filled with krauts by firing between frontline infantry and into the edge of the area where I know the baddies are. Just make sure you don't hit the tile your own guys are in! Kind of gamey having to know which tile you're in but not too bad. The downside is you can't occupy the woods or building after that, so it's mainly a area denial weapon. It does cause em to run out in the open and get chopped down as others have noted.

Ren

[Commissar]

About the computer nailing flamethrower units: CAn you blame them? I know if the enemy had a flamethrower unit that I could see, I would concentrate as much fire as possible on it myself. I don't want that thing anywhere near my troops. It's one thing to get shot, it's quite another to burn to death.

[TP_Bomber]

They are great for ambushes in heavy woods. I had one surpress two advancing platoons.

[Rick]

I killed a Panther with one, great fun.

The flame vehicles are totally wicked. Doesn't require as much suppression to get them into position safely.

[Ted]

And they are soooo slow

[Guest Germanboy]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ted:

And they are soooo slow<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just use the motorised version... One reason why I like the Tommies. I just did a quick battle, night attack by a company of British infantry, two Daimlers, an MMG carrier, a Wasp and a Crocodile on some unsuspecting village. Every building was incinerated before I went even close. God it was beautiful, sniff. Those SS troopers fell over themselves trying to surrender fast enough. Great morale breakers, those funnies. As English jokes are...

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Andreas

[IntelWeenie]

Crocodiles ROCK! (Pun intended)

As added bonuses, they have a nice long 100m range, plus 80 squirts! Add in real armor, a 75mm gun to keep StuGs away, etc. and they really start to grow on you. The only bad part is when they miss their intended target and instead flame a building housing YOUR troops!

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"Belly to belly and everything's better" - Russian proverb

[paullus]

Unintentional flamethrower.....

I set three buildings on fire last night by firing Panzershrecks from them. Not real funny since it cost my half of my defensive line and much valuable cover.