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Richard Fiedler was a German scientist who invented the modern flamethrower. This is a weapon that projects a stream of nitrogen. He submitted evaluation models of his Flammenwerfer to the German Army (German Empire) in 1901.
However, it was not until 1913 that a German inventor named Richard Fiedler would improve and refine pure flame as a controllable, efficient weapon, just in time to unleash a blazing hell on the battlefields of World War I—the likes of which no soldier in history had ever experienced. The basic concept of the flamethrower was to spread fire ...
- Richard Fiedler’s Patent
- Grossflammenwerfer
- Kleinflammenwerfer
- Wechselapparat
- Bernhard Reddemann Made Flammenwerfers Useable on The Battlefield
In 1901, Richard Fiedler patented the design for a machine that could weaponize fire. It’s from this that modern flamethrowers are attributed. Fielder’s design was so intriguing that it caught the attention of the German Army that same year. Officials began funding the project, hoping to adopt whatever means he came up with. Fiedler was tasked with...
Also known as the Grof, the Grossflammenwerfer was the largest and heaviest of the German flamethrowers, and not intended to be carried by troops. Comprised of a stationary fuel and propellant tank with a loose hose, it would be placed in one position, as it wasn’t easily moved. Once set up, soldiers would use the hose to attack enemy trenches. Ear...
Also known as the Kleif, the kleinflammenwerferwas a more portable flamethrower operated by a four-man crew. Still not operable by a single person, it had two functioning parts: the fuel and propellant tank that was worn as a backpack and the hose that connected to it. The first soldier was in charge of carrying the tank, accompanied by a second fo...
A third flammenwerfer was developed well into the First World War: the Wechselapparat, also known as the Wex. It was introduced into service in 1917 and had a unique distinction over the Kleif, as its backpack-style tank was donut-shaped. Like the Kleif, the Wexwas operated by a four-man crew, although it seems probable that it could have technical...
Independent of Fiedler, Bernhard Reddemann developed his own flamethrower. He was inspired by the use of kerosene by the Japanese in theRusso-Japanese War, and used his knowledge as a chief firefighter using pumping equipment to extinguish fires. When the First World War broke out, Reddemann served as part of a Pioniere unit made up of specialized ...
Jan 7, 2011 · Germany’s first attempt was a weapon developed in secret more than a decade earlier. In 1901 Richard Fiedler rolled out a prototype of what he called a Flammenwerfer (“flamethrower”). Fiedler’s early design centered on a vertical tank divided into two compartments.
Apr 26, 2024 · Modern flame throwers first appeared in the early 1900s when the German army tested two models, one large and one small, submitted by Richard Fiedler. The smaller Flammenwerfer, light enough to be carried by one man, used gas pressure to send forth a stream of flaming oil for a distance of about 20 yards (18 metres).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
In flame thrower …and one small, submitted by Richard Fiedler. The smaller Flammenwerfer, light enough to be carried by one man, used gas pressure to send forth a stream of flaming oil for a distance of about 20 yards (18 metres).
It appears the first flamethrower of modern design was patented in Germany by Richard Fiedler in 1901. During the same year, the German army funded his continued work on flamethrower designs. Fiedler, a private citizen, designed several flamethrowers models and presented a working product to the German army in 1905.
