The devastating effects of the liquid hellfire used between World War I and the Vietnam War ultimately resulted in flamethrowers being deemed inhumane. Though no international law explicitly bans flamethrowers, they were officially retired from the US military arsenal by the Department of Defense in 1978.

Why did the military stop using flamethrowers?

US military



Flamethrowers have not been in the U.S. arsenal since 1978, when the Department of Defense unilaterally stopped using them ⁠— ⁠the last American infantry flamethrower was the Vietnam-era M9-7. They have been deemed of questionable effectiveness in modern combat.

When did flamethrowers get banned in war?

There were increasing calls for such incendiary weapons to be banned but it was not until 1978 that the United States Department of Defense put an end to the use of the weapon in battle.

Is using flamethrowers in war a war crime?

No. The flamethrower was commonly used by all signers of the various Geneva Conventions and never banned. They just outlived their usefulness on the battlefield, since we now have more accurate ways of taking out tanks & bunkers.

Do any countries still use flamethrowers in war?

Today the Chinese army still carries flamethrowers into battle, but most other armies have relegated the weapons to strictly nonlethal use — clearing vegetation, for instance. McNab ends his masterwork with a sympathetic flourish, meditating first on the victims of flame weapons — and then on the weapons’ operators.

Is napalm a war crime?

Legal status



Napalm is legal to use on the battlefield under international law. Its use against “concentrations of civilians” is a war crime.

How long did ww2 flamethrowers last?

The portable type, carried on the backs of ground troops, had a range of about 45 yards (41 metres) and enough fuel for about 10 seconds of continuous “firing.” Larger and heavier units installed in tank turrets could reach out more than 100 yards (90 metres) and carried enough fuel for about 60 seconds of fire.

Which armed forces still use flamethrowers?

The Chinese Army Has a Weapon For Fighting Murder Hornets: Flamethrowers. A World War I weapon makes a comeback. Recent pictures out of China indicate the People’s Liberation Army still uses the flamethrower. Invented more than a century ago, most armies have removed flamethrowers from their inventories.

Are shotguns banned in war?

They aren’t banned. Shotguns are still used in the military but their role has been limited because they have such short range uses. In WW1 shotguns primarily could only be used at very close range to clear out trenches of enemy soldiers.

What’s not allowed in war?

These include prohibition on exploding or expanding bullets (1868), expanding bullets (1899), poison and asphyxiating gases (1925), biological weapons (1972), chemical weapons (1993), munitions using undetectable fragments (1980), blinding laser weapons (1995), anti-personnel mines (1997), cluster munitions (2008),

What are the 5 laws of war?

Principles of the laws of war



Military necessity, along with distinction, proportionality, humanity (sometimes called unnecessary suffering), and honor (sometimes called chivalry) are the five most commonly cited principles of international humanitarian law governing the legal use of force in an armed conflict.

What weapon caused the most casualties in ww2?

Machine guns



The machine-gun was one of the deadliest weapons of the Western Front, causing thousands of casualties. It was a relatively new weapon at the start of the war, but British and German forces soon realised its potential as a killing machine, especially when fired from a fixed defensive position.

Are Lasers illegal in war?

Quote from video:

Which armed forces still use flamethrowers?

The Chinese Army Has a Weapon For Fighting Murder Hornets: Flamethrowers. A World War I weapon makes a comeback. Recent pictures out of China indicate the People’s Liberation Army still uses the flamethrower. Invented more than a century ago, most armies have removed flamethrowers from their inventories.

What replaced the flamethrower?

M202 FLASH

The M202 FLASH (“Flame Assault Shoulder”) is an American rocket launcher manufactured by Northrop Corporation, designed to replace the World War II–vintage flamethrowers (such as the M1 and the M2) that remained the military’s standard incendiary devices well into the 1960s.

Are flamethrowers still effective?

Oh yes, they are effective, but also very recognisable. So they will immediately draw all available fire. I heard a witness from the Korean war when the carrier instantaneously had both his legs blown off. A flamethrower is a suicide weapon.

Does the Chinese military use flamethrowers?

Quote from video: The flame thrower is ideal to eliminate enemies in shelters bunkers buildings and military fortifications the burning effect can suffocate personnel. Even if the burning oil does not directly make

Does the military still use napalm?

The United Nations banned napalm usage against civilian targets in 1980, but this has not stopped its use in many conflicts around the world. Although the use of traditional napalm has generally ceased, modern variants are deployed, allowing some countries to assert that they do not use “napalm.”

What is China’s secret weapon?

United Front (統戰) is a tactic that has been adopted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since the 1920s and its Beijing regime since 1949. It originated from Soviet Russia after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and has constantly evolved under the totalitarian Beijing regime for decades.