No, flamethrowers aren't a blanket war crime; they're legal against military targets but heavily restricted under international law (like the UN Protocol on Incendiary Weapons) from being used against civilians, civilian areas, or forests, with their use becoming a war crime only when violating these rules by causing unnecessary suffering or targeting non-combatants. While their use against soldiers in fortifications remains technically permissible due to their utility (e.g., clearing bunkers), modern warfare sees them less due to risks, restrictions, and the development of other, less problematic weapons, though specific weaponized incendiaries (like napalm) have caused controversy.
However, they had one massive problem. The soldiers carrying them were easy to spot and became instant targets. Because of this, most of them died within five minutes of combat. On top of that, the weapon only worked for 6 seconds running out of fuel and you had to get very close to the enemy to use it.
It is prohibited in all circumstances to use incendiary weapons against the civilian population, civilian objects, forests or other kinds of plant cover.
The United States Marines used flamethrowers in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The M132 armored flamethrower, an M113 armored personnel carrier with a mounted flamethrower, was successfully used in the conflict.
In the United States, flamethrowers are federally unregulated tools and are not considered a firearm by the ATF. No need for any NFA tax stamps, licensing, or even an FFL dealer. However, it's the purchaser's responsibility to ascertain that ownership and or use does not violate any state or local laws or regulations.
A number of conventional weapons are regulated in the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. This Convention prohibits the use of munitions that use fragments not detectable by X-ray and blinding laser weapons. It also limits the use of incendiary weapons as well as mines, booby traps and "other devices".
All 20,000 "flamethrowers" were sold in just a few days. After customs officials said that they would not allow imports of any items called "flamethrowers", Musk announced that he would rename them to "Not-A-Flamethrower" since the devices were in fact akin to roofing torches.
The average life expectancy of a World War II flamethrower operator in combat was 4-10 minutes. Read that again, and then again. They were met with death so quickly due to the high visibility and vulnerability of the operators firing the flamethrowers.
The US military last used flamethrowers in combat during the Vietnam War. The devastating effects of flamethrowers led to them being considered inhumane. The M202 FLASH rocket launcher replaced flamethrowers as the military's standard incendiary device.
The Geneva Convention recognized that a POW may have the duty to attempt escape. In fact, the Geneva Convention prohibits a captor nation from executing a POW simply for attempt escape.
Wearing enemy uniforms or civilian clothes to infiltrate enemy lines for espionage or sabotage missions is a legitimate ruse of war, though fighting in combat or assassinating individuals behind enemy lines while so disguised is not, as it constitutes unlawful perfidy.
Most were killed by one of the most devastating weapons of the war - the Maxim MG 08. An adaptation of the original 1886 British Maxim machine gun, the MG 08 fired an average of 500 rounds per minute over a distance of more than 2,000 yards.
Type 100-equipped Japanese paratroopers participated in the Battle of Palembang in 1942. There was little need for flamethrowers later in the war since Japan was on the defensive and had few opportunities to attack enemy fortifications.
The Vietnam War marked the last time U.S. forces employed flamethrowers on the battlefield. In 1978, the United States effectively stopped using and developing flamethrowers for tactical purposes (Perkkio, p.
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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.
The average life expectancy of a B- 17 crew member was only about 11 missions. So they had an average life expectancy of 11 missions but is it also true they had to complete 25 to complete their tour of duty? yes, 25.
Elon Musk has publicly stated he has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, which he disclosed during his 2021 appearance on Saturday Night Live. He described his traits as including taking things literally, struggling with social cues, and finding reward in intense focus, suggesting it aids his work. His comments sparked conversations about autism and how individuals, particularly high-profile ones, experience it.
For Elon Musk, the number 42, famously from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, signifies humanity's quest for answers, reminding us that asking the right questions about life, the universe, and our purpose is crucial, especially in space exploration, serving as an inspiration for progress and seeking deeper meaning beyond just technology. He's incorporated it into SpaceX's Starship, symbolizing this ongoing search for meaning and the universe's profound mysteries.
Commercial flame throwers squirt a pressurized liquid petroleum product or a compressed gas like propane. Elon Musks Boring Company flamethrower is in reality a roofing torch shaped like a gun. It burns propane as a fuel and it's more for show than anything. It has a range of about 8 inches.
At age ten, he developed an interest in computing and video games, teaching himself how to program from the VIC-20 user manual. At age twelve, Elon sold his BASIC-based game Blastar to PC and Office Technology magazine for approximately $500 (equivalent to $1,600 in 2024).
The Boring Company sold 20,000 flamethrowers in just the space of five days back in 2018. Though it's been off the market for years, the company's "Not-A-Flamethrower" has acquired something of a cult status among the tech mogul's fans and some people have been paying hundreds of dollars to snap them up on eBay.
He was recently awarded a new pay package by Tesla that could be worth $1 trillion if the value of Tesla stock climbs as much as he and the company project.