Manpack flamethrowers

[Kiwikkiwik]

I had a look at infantry flamethrowers and found a series of errors according to the literature. I've detailed these below, please note these are not MODs based on my Point Of View these are substantiated instances of where the game OOB contains errors.

German wpn 85 'Brandflasche' more commonly known as the Einstossflammenwerfer 46, this weapon has a half second burst delivering 1.7 lt of fuel, This is equivalent to a burst from a normal manpack flamethrower, actually better than some. So it should have a HEKill much closer to 25. Game has HEKill of 4. It is a weapon specifically designed for Paratroop and infantry assault groups and later volksgenadier so probably shouldn't appear in cavalry or tank hunter units. This weapon was issued in 1944 but appears in the game in 1941.

The curiously named Italian weapon 85 'Bomba Benzina' (actually called the Lanciafiamme Mod 41 assalto) is virtually the same weapon. Again HEKill is 4 should be much closer to, if not 25. The weapon was issued in 1941 but is available in the game from 1936.

The earliest German flamethrower, Flammenwerfer 35 has an issue date of 1935. Game has it available from 1933.
The earliest Italian flamethrower, Lanciafiamme 35 has an issue date of 1935 Game has it available from 1930.
Japanese service dates are correct.
Russia has the ROCS 2 flamethrower which entered service in 1935. Game has 1930.
According to Canfields US infantry weapons of WW2 and
http://www.allworldwars.com/Portable...ld-War-II.html
The earliest use of a flamethrower by the US army was flamethrower E1R1 at Buna, Papua in november 1942. Game has it available from 1930.
The same reference gives first USMC use of flamethrower as the M1 on Guadalcanal in Jan 1943. Game has it available from 1930.
Canfield also explains how it was strictly an engineer weapon until sometime in 1943 when the infantry began being trained in its use.
UK had the Marsden flamethrower in june 1941, But it apparently only got issued in very small numbers to home guard.
According to Bishops Encyclopedia of Weapons of WW2 British MkI flamethrower started service in mid 42 but was withdrawn from service in mid 43. The replacement MKII didn't start service until June 44. Game has start date of 1930.
I have seen this pattern for quite a few weapon service dates in the US/UK OOB. Most units that have flamethrowers actually are the correct unit type and have the correct dates. It looks as though at some point someone decided to add in the 'missing' 1930-42 flamethrowers by creating new units which included these weapons but without checking. The commonwealth countries have the same problem.
Manchuko flamethrower starts in 1941. I don't know if they had a flamethrower but if they did then start date should probably be the same as for japanese, 1933. Many Manchuko units have a start date of 1930 which is interesting as the state didn't exist until 1932 but I guess that is neither here nor there.
Poland, Spanish Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Thailand all have 1930 start date. if they even did have any flamethrowers, then they would probably be bought from Italy so start date 35 might be appropriate. Thailand might have a japanese model.
France still had a wwI flamethrower in service in ww2 so they are actually the only country that should have the 1930 start date.

Everybody gets a fougasse but probably most armies never used one, US for example. Also there are fougasses and fougasses, Britain created thousands of them in 1940 using 40 gallon (181 lt) drums. These were for the defence of Britain, but some were used in Greece in 41. Game has start date of 30. These are probably what was being thought of when the Game gave Fousasse HEKill of 100.
The only other instances I can find of fougasse use is for Russia and Germany.
The German fougasse is listed as delivering 19, 22.7 or 29.5 litres of flame, It is a copy of the Russian fougasse FOG-1 containing 30 lts. So these weapons should get a HEKill of about 25 or so instead of 100. The Russian FOG-1 fougasses were encountered in 1941 and the German copy started service in 1942. Game has 30 start date for both. Otherwise I can't find any evidence of these weapons being used in other OOBs or at other times. They should probably be removed from the other OOBs.
UK also had the trolly style Harvey Medium flamethrower containing 100 or 127 lt. Germany had the very similar Mittlerer Flammenwerfer. Harvey may have seen no service. German Mittlerer withdrawn in 1941.

Russia Germany and US integrated Flamethrowers into infantry squads for assaults. For example Canfield describes a US assault squad as 18 men with three 2-man FT teams, Rifles, Bazookas, BARs.
Germans and Italians had Engineer Flamethrower platoons usually with 9 flamethrowers which could be allocated as necessary.
UK not so much
If you read through British and Commonwealth armies vol 1-4 by Mark Bevis you will find Manpack flamethrowers quite rare, no doubt because they prefered to use Crocodile.
A 1944 British Infantry division will contain 1 manpack flamethrower. So I would remove the flamethrower squads from UK OOB and give them a 2 man, size 0, flamethrower unit that can be attached to the platoon. It seems that only the US and French OOBs contain a size 0 flamethrower unit. I think these should be added into all the other OOBs that have flamethrowers as this reflects how they were employed. Also reflecting how they were employed I would give them movement speed of 1 or 2. Manpack flamethrower use was restricted to deliberate set piece fortification assaults.

I would suggest that flamethrowers shouldn't have any blast effect into adjacent hexes. Fuel jet is never more than a few metres wide and is very accurate. So aside from being unrealistic, If you are playing low morale units the suppression they take from their own sides weapon often makes them useless once the flaming is over, when they should be getting a morale boost.

Perhaps attach the OOB files to the Scenarios so the dates can be corrected without having to scan any scenarios.