German Flame Half-Track Tactics

A look at German Flame Half-Track Tactics and the associated vehicle Sd.Kfz. 251/16 and organizations. We look at German regulations and documents from 1943 to 1945, as well as experience reports on the called “mittlerer Flammpanzerwagen” literally “medium flame armored vehicle/car”. The guidelines, tactics and crew setup within the halftrack like the “Flammführer” literally “flame leader” and “Flammschützen” which literally means “Flame Riflemen”.

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H.Dv. 298/4a: Führung und Kampf der Panzergrenadiere. Heft 3: Das Panzergrenadier-Regiment (gp.). Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen: Germany, 1944.

D 660/8: Mittlerer Flammpanzerwagen (Sd Kfz 251/16) Vorläufige Gerätebeschreibung und Bedienungsanweisung zum Fahrgestell. 1943.

Jentz, Thomas L.; Doyle, Hilary Louis: Panzer Tracts No.15-3: Mittlerer Schuetzenpanzerwagen (Sd.KFZ.251) Ausf.C & D: History of Production, Variants, Organization, and Employment in Action from 1943 to 1945. Panzer Tracts: Boyds, MD, USA, 2006.

Jentz, Thomas L.; Doyle, Hilary Louis: Panzer Tracts No.15-2 – mittlere Schuetzenpanzerwagen (Sd.Kfz.251). History of Variants, Production, Organization, Issue, Tactics, and Employment in Action from 1939 to 1942. Panzer Tracts: Boyds, MD, 2005.

Pöhlmann, Markus: Der Panzer und die Mechanisierung des Krieges: Eine deutsche Geschichte 1890 bis 1945. Ferdinand Schöningh: Paderborn, 2016.

von Senger und Etterlin, F. M.: Die Panzergrenadiere. Geschichte und Gestalt der mechanisierten Infanterie 1930-1960. J. F. Lehmans Verlag: 1961, München.

Culver, Bruce: SdKfz 251 Half-Track 1939-45. Osprey Publishing: Oxford, UK, 1999.

Spielberger, Walter; Doyle, Hilary Lous, Jentz, Thomas L.: Halbkettenfahrzeuge des deutschen Heeres. Motorbuch Verlag: Stuttgart, 2012.

Spielberger, Walter J.; Doyle, Hilary L.; Jentz, Thomas L.: Halbkettenfahrzeuge des deutschen Heeres. Motorbuch Verlag: Stuttgart, Germany, 2012.

#FlameHalfTrack,#WW2,#GermanTactics

[bryangrote]

If a German company came out with a new model of BBQ grill and called it the “Flammenwerfer” I would absolutely buy it.

[rudolfnechvile]

As if the threat of being set ablaze isn't scary or demoralising enough, someone really went "let's add a siren to make it more scary"...

[markus]

When you listen to German half track flamethrower taktics you reached the end of available knowledge on the Internet.

[bami]

This is a

It werfensonderkraftfahrzeuge flammen.

[elbsommer]

Guys, I just want to thank you. In terms of using pictograms you are setting standards. I can easily stay focussed during the whole videos you make. I really like the graphic approach in your videos rather than having snippets of "documentary" footage being replayed again and again. Please keep up the great work. Thanks again.

[Scientist]

Oh god, this is the one vehicle I fear in Company of Heroes. I honestly think this thing was more dangerous than its American counterpart.

[novkorova]

1. Point it at the enemy
2. Press magic button
3. BBQ

[neilwilson]

I was thinking that is was time to think about going to bed, but then I heard that it is TIME to talk about German Flame Half-Track Tactics. I'm so proud. MHV has merged clickbait and German precision into one phrase.

[fancyultrafresh]

Your Warhammer reference did not go unnoticed Mr. Kast.

[traumateaminternational]

"The heavy flamer is enough." A true servant of the Emperor. It brings a tear to my eye.

[Zajuts]

This was just superb! I play the boardgame Advanced Squad Leader, and the SdKfz 251/16 is pretty well modeled in it. The point about restricted range when both flamethrowers are shooting is very interesting. The game rules may need errata:)

[radogost]

11:55 I remember LindyBeige once saying how a solider soaked in gasoline is 1000% more willing to get out of the foxhole and surrender rather than staying there and dying in a fireball, the video is called "The most effective weapon of World War Two", he explains how British used such psihological tactics with their Churchill crocodiles (flamethrower churchill)

[williamscottshelton]

i play the miniature game Flames of war i have a full strength Gepanzerte panzergrenadierkompanie that has a platoon of these vehicles! i love how this shows how i am suppost to use them by the book!

[rudolfnechvile]

I love the history and find it super interesting, but surely I'm not the only one seeing what they can learn to be better at Steel Division?

[silentotto]

The comment about avoiding "premature flaming" is interesting.
Lindybeige did a look at Churchill Crocodiles in British service. British experience showed that the Crocodile was most effective in provoking enemy soldiers to surrender, rather than actually killing them. They also found that if they flamed early, while they were still several hundred yards away from the enemy positions, the enemy soldiers were more likely to surrender than if they waited to flame until they were close.
It seems flaming early acted as a warning to enemy soldiers, "Surrender now or enjoy a firery death". Most preferred surrender to being burned alive.
I wonder why German experience wasn't similar.

[simonschouten]

About not firing in thick natural fog: this is probably because smoke and particles from even relatively small fires rapidly add to natural fog in an area and this could make the line of sight even worse for all troops. (Thick natural fog is often due to stagnant layers of air keeping the mist near ground level and these same layers will also impede smoke and particles that would otherwise rise.)

[catified]

Flame units always have a great psychological impact on the enemy and there are many examples of Churchill flame tanks ( crocodiles) just showing up and Germans surrendering. However this is a thinly armored vechile with an open top, pretty sure these crews burned to death on a regular basis.

[misteraimless]

And this is what makes your videos the best out there (for me). Vehicle specs, organization, doctrine...all in an easy to understand video. Fantastic!

[SergeantAradir]

After an enemy break-in, especially on the eastern front, it could probably also be expected that infantry and possible tanks are seperated by the fighting. So a flamethrower will be highly effective.

[peterholst]

Your videos are as always of such high quality 👍
But to be completely honest... Sometimes I watch your videos primarily to see the circles with the pictograms...
They really set your videos apart from others! 🙂 And add an extra visual aid for the brain to process the verbal information given.

I love how you at the 3 min mark, have one that means "dropped during production" 🤣