"KENT NEWS; Evidence of a long-forgotten British secret weapon aimed at shortening the war in the trenches is gradually coming to light along the Somme Valley in northern France – scene of unimaginable slaughter in 1916. Parts of a giant flamethrower, which would have engulfed the German World War One frontline in a blistering inferno, have been unearthed by archaeologists who now believe they can pin-point the exact location of the massive weapon, which still buried under tonnes of earth. It was destroyed by German shellfire before it could ever be used – and three similar weapons were never deployed in action." Kent News - Remains of secret WWI flamethrower found in Somme
Gordon, your finds never cease to amaze me. I never heard of any such weapon, but this is truly incredible. I'm trying to imagine 300 men trying to maneuver this behemoth into position. Then, I'm trying to imagine it actually being used. Even from the distance of almost a century, it is mind-boggling. Thanks.
The Big Bertha of the flame throwers. it must have been just as dangerous for the user , I can't imagine what would have happened if it was hit while operational
found this site, showing another pic, and information gordon... the devices were called Livens Large Gallery Flame Projectors.. http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/huge-flame-thrower-t72115.html?amp; http://lt1.mcmaster.ca/ww1/wrz4mp.php?grid=62d&map_id=32&view map of the trenches.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Livens View attachment 13538 View attachment 13539 The devastatingly effective flame-thowers were credited with helping the British capture the German trenches with comparatively few losses. Here is one being tested. Built at a factory in Lincoln, the devices were called Livens Large Gallery Flame Projectors, after their inventor, William Howard Livens, an officer in the Royal Engineers. To the men who operated them, the 56ft long, 2.5 tonne machines were called "Squirts", and "Judgements", by more senior officers. liven projectors.... barrels for liven projectors..
Hi All, Just found out that Time Team have been trying to recreate this at the Chatterdean barracks /training ground a couple of weeks or so back with the Royal Engineers. It will be on TV later on in the year. croc
I will try and find out when it is at the weekend, as I am meeting up with a royal engineer from the barracks. will keep you posted if I find out more croc
Secret terror weapon of the Somme battle 'discovered' - Telegraph From a small, concealed nozzle on the surface, the "weapon of terror" spewed flames over a range of 300 feet. As the nozzle pivoted, the jet raked along the German front line, pouring blazing oil onto the enemy position. Four of these vast, top secret weapons were assembled in shallow tunnels beneath the mud of no-man's-land to be deployed on the first day of the Somme battle, on July 1 1916. Peter Barton, a historian and author involved in the project, said: "The idea was to fill the enemy with terror. It was a weapon, not of mass destruction, but of mass terror, pure and simple. The idea was to force the Germans to keep their heads down long enough for your infantry to cross no-man's-land. "They were meant to scare the Germans. It didn't kill that many people. The idea was just to make them so frightened of this horrific thing. The effect of the flame was utterly stupendous. Where they were used, the British captured the German lines with very little loss at all." Built at a factory in Lincoln, the devices were called Livens Large Gallery Flame Projectors, after their inventor, William Howard Livens, an officer in the Royal Engineers. To the men who operated them, the 56ft long, 2.5 tonne machines were called "Squirts", and "Judgements", by more senior officers. They were operated by a crew of eight men from the Royal Engines Special Brigade – "Z" company – but took 300 men to assemble them underground, each component part being taken into the shallow tunnels, known as "Russian Saps", in sequence. The devices then had to be filled with oil, taken underground in hundreds of cans. The strange-looking, tubular weapons were only 14 inches wide and worked like a large syringe. A piston was pushed by compressed gas into a long chamber containing the fuel. This was then forced out through the nozzle on the surface, from where the jet of flame was projected. For all the hours they took to assemble, the devices could only be fired three times, with each blast lasting only ten seconds. Although some were provided to the Russians, after the Somme, the weapon was only deployed once more by the British, in 1917 during an offence near Diksmuide, in Belgium.
Unfortunately did not find the thread with search function earlier but I merge the threads now. Thanx sniper!
Gordon..you are aware of the WW2 version not just the sea on fire bit but the inland 1940 ghq line petrolium fire traps..some manual some massive pipe pumped..Found a few round here..Lots of pipework was insalled at culverts in roadsides..some serious arson on jerry was planned.
Tam, I managed to get a copy of Flame over Britain which described the flame barrage on the beaches, but not in too much detail since it was only published in 1946 and the stuff was still classified. Never actually seen any of the flamme fougasse roadside canisters, since they seem to be extremely rare survivors up here. I think someone posted a pic of one of the coastal pumping stations on Derelict Places recently though.
