Anyone know how these worked? It looks like they are firing a flame thrower through the barrel of the 75mm.
They are. That is a M4A1-POACWS-H1 of the 713th Tank Battalion (Flamethrower) on Okinawa. POACWS stands for Pacific Ocean Areas Chemical Warfare Service. It was a joint Army-Marine Corps design based on experience with the earlier flamethrower kits which fired through the hull machinegun mount.
Good link for the variety of US flamethrower tanks. http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m4_sherman_flamethrower.php
To Hunnicutt. Not the be-all-&-end-all, but always good on this stuff. Concentrating mostly on Pacific usage. Which can reasonably fairly be said to be prime deployment of US flame gear. First attempts: Prewar: e2&e3 tested by Chemical Warfare Service on M2 & M3 (Both replacing the 37mm, 75 removed from M3). total lack of interest, and Africa showed little need for such. Guadalcanal - Need discovered. Mounting of M1a1 man-pack on Lights. Limited success for a field mod. Canadian Ronson fitted to M3 (replacing the 37) - used successfully on Saipan. December '43 CG of central Pacific requested update on Flame progress. Same month, 40 E4-5 Auxiliary packs requisitioned for Marianas, but delivered too late, though Marines got six into M4a2s for Guam. E5 replaced Bow MG, 60Y range, 4.2% Napalm. Compressed air. Fuel tank right Sponson, with possible extra over the transmission. (E4-5 designation for E5 flame gun with these tanks. Standardised as M3-4-3 in '45). Auxilliary models like these found to not have sufficient capacity. More integrated solution sought, while aux development continued. Aux E6R3 & E12R3 Fitted alongside periscope in co driver hatch. Armored Force approved as no effect on main gun. Periscope guns sometimes fitted with above tank arrangement. Manufactured in Hawaii for Okinawa under combined arms team. 176 made for Iwo & Okinawa. Not fully deployed as preference given to available main armament ones. Some E4-5s sent to Europe, but considered unsatisfactory compared to British gear. Meanwhile, Pacific demand for prime armament flame building - 10th army requested 54 flame tanks, Sept. '44, for a battalion for Okinawa. Pilot demoed in October '44 with modified Ronson replacing M4's main gun. Elevation unnafected but 260 degrees traverse.. Test results good. Objections to fat tube sillouette. Redesigned to fit in standard 75mm tube. Accepted 2nd November - designated POA-CWS-H1. (14 salvaged tubes found - permission given to cut up good guns to make up demand.) 290gal fuel in four turret tanks. CO2 driven at 300-350psi. 60-80y range. 6% Napalm. Marines requested eight main armament flamethrower M4a3s. Some adaptation required to fit gear in a3. First four went to 4th TB, 4th Marines. One modified with .50cal alongside flame gun & 4" concrete armour along sides. Remaining four to 5th TB, 5th Marines for Dec. Jan. training. All eight landed on Iwo first day. Employed 2 days after landing followed by constant use. Well liked by troops (unlike auxiliary gear), no knock-outs led to explosion or fire. End of campaign 5th Marine TB reccomended nine per battalion. Conversion of M4s continued in Hawaii as demand gradually outstripped supply. 713th TB received bulk from 1st November '44, and also assisted in conversion. Landed Okinawa, 7th April '45. In 70 days of continuous action from the 19th. Of c.54 vehicles, 41 knocked out, 26 repaired and re-used. No personnel killed in one "as a result of enemy action" (interesting phrase!) Also well-liked by crews. Work contined to see if main gun and flame gear could be satisfactorily combined. POA-CWS team Succeeded with 75 & 105 M4 variants. Flame gun to right of main gun. Full fuel capacity. Less shells. 72 of these requested by the Marines. 10th Army requested 18 for Oki - en-route but battle ended. 70 completed, surrender stopped deployment. Then goes into much detail on E13 & T33, but war curtailed deployment. Also Sherman Crocodile & Adder conversions, Ram Badger, wasp etc. E6R3 periscope gear: View attachment 23789 H4R2 Bow: View attachment 23788 M43 Bow: View attachment 23787 POA-CWS-H5 main gun retained gear: View attachment 23790
