Type 93 / Type 100

Type 93 / Type 100 History

When the actions of the First World War (1914-1918) proved the usefulness of portable flamethrowers on the battlefield, these fearsome weapons were adopted by many militaries around the world. The lethality of the flamethrower was that it was a cumbersome weapon to use, providing a means for the infantry to dislodge enemy troops that had been excavated to avoid being burned alive.

In this way, the weapon becomes both a psychological weapon and a physical weapon, so its value to the commander in trench warfare is not lost.

Flamethrowers were in service until World War II (1939-1945), and flamethrowers were introduced in various designs by Germany, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and other countries. Imperial Japan, which observed modern European tactics and weaponry during World War I, brought this knowledge back to Japan and developed a new indigenous flamethrower weapon in 1932, designated the Type 93.

The Type 93 made its debut in 1933 and was rapidly deployed against Chinese troops during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1931-1945). The weapon's initial success is largely due to the many fast-burning straw structures used in mainland China. As a flamethrower of the time, the Type 93 was largely conventional - it employed a generally accepted design arrangement in which the fuel reservoir and propellant unit (pressurized nitrogen) were placed in a single unit with a shoulder strap. above the frame for infantry transport. A 45-inch rubber hose connects the fuel and propellant canisters to the flame "gun", which is used to spray the ignited mixture of tar and gasoline onto the target area.

The flamethrower doesn't shoot out as much "flame" as the burning mixturenot that that fact settles the minds of those unfortunate enough to be trapped under the stream. Ideally, with an attack range of up to 30 yards, the weapon can generate a steady stream of air for twelve seconds before failing. The entire system weighs 57 pounds, and the flame gun itself weighs 10 pounds and is 47 inches long.

The shooting action uses a blank pistol cartridge. The propellant nitrogen was later abandoned and replaced by compressed air.

After a period of use, it was determined that the flame gun ignition system had become too sensitive in colder operating environments, so a new gun assembly was ordered. The revised projector is slightly shorter at 35.5 inches and slightly lighter at 8.5 pounds, while showing the removable nozzle outlet.

These changes promised better field performance, and in 1940 brought an entirely new series name to the "Type 100" - although the weapon was more or less the same flamethrower.

Although they were valuable in the early campaigns - when the Japanese army was primarily dealing with defenders - the Type 93 and 100 systems were used much less in the later part of the Pacific War, as Japan was placed on the defensive by the Allies Status becomes profit. Flame-projection weapons eventually gave way to more traditional long-range weapons such as rifles, grenades, and anti-tank systems. Flamethrowers have always been special weapons, used in special circumstances and often within range of enemy rifle and machine gun fire. Flamethrower infantry are easily identified and targeted by the enemy on the battlefield, while trading on the battlefield requires some sort of protective entourage.

Interestingly, the Japanese used flamethrowers against enemy tanks (albeit with limited success) - mostly because the Japanese army couldn't find a better alternative to stop well-armored tanks.

This gun was abandoned after the war ended in August 1945.

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