Flamethrowers vs. Tanks

There must be many, but anyone know of any specific accounts where infantry flawethrowers were used against tanks? How effective are they - close range - but how close?

 

If you had to get in close with a panzerfaust, I can't imagine how close/brave you'd have to get with a flamethrower. Maybe in the rear? Sure it was tried[may he rest in peace] but have never read of it.

 

You could not convince me to put a flamethrower on my back never mind go up against a Tank! Why mess about just pour petrol over yourself and light a match!

Seriously I would have S*** myself if I had to run around with a flamethrower on and bullets wizzing everywhere, no thanks.

Now if you wanted me to sneak up onto a bridge at night and take out a pill box, That might be OK (Bridge too far) but a tank no tanx(pun intended).

 

Are you sure you're not afraid of the dark?

 

Only on a stormy night or after watching a scary movie!

 

Maverik = bravery! No thanks to become a human firball either - bullets, hell - what if you just trip and puncture the gastank! barbecue

Desperate people to desperate things - what's the range on a ww2 flamethrower? If it's you vs a tank - you're going to do whatever it takes. Of course you can drop the flamethrower on top of the tank from a building like a giant Molotov? Just as good as dropping a teller mine on it?

 

I think I'd take the run option!

Remember the joke: Two guys walking Africa, suddenly they see a lion coming towards them, one guy takes out a pair of trainers and starts to put them on. The other guy says,'you'll never outrun a lion with those'. by which the guy with the trainers replys' 'I don't have to outrun the lion I only have to out run you'!

 

What a bunch of wimps !

How about the Chinese guy who stood in front of a Chinese tank years ago during the revolution. He did not have anything at all.

I read later he turned up missing though. :rolleyes

Perhaps a live wimp is better than a dead hero.

 

If I was in a flame-tank[hidden] and ambushed an open turret tank,maybe.Other than that,I'll take my chances with a Panzerfaust.

 

The technical merits of this are that flamethrowers will work on tanks very effectively. They will (depending on where they hit the tank) set the engine on fire, suck the air out of the vehicle (by consumption), leak into the vehicle through hatches, vision slots etc. In short, a flamethrower will generally destroy an AFV.
Now, on the down side, AFV are rarely unaccompanied. This means that the operator of the flamethrower is going to become a very visible target almost instantly. This will mean he will also be the target of certain massive retalliation resulting in his demise.
Given that most flamethrowers have a range on the order of 50 to 75 yards at most using one in this way is almost certainly suicidial.
Ambushing AFV as infantry is best done with weapons that leave little or no signature. This is why many panzerknacker prefered the panzerwürfmine hollow-charge grenade. It attacked the top of the vehicle where the armor was thinnest, left no firing signature (being thrown) and, allowed a user to throw it from cover or the safety of a deep foxhole.

 

That's what I wanted to hear T.A. - suicidal but effective