3-20-17 Garand Picture of the Day

[Sarge1998]

"The new M4 Sherman flame thrower tank, designated POA-CWS "75" H-1 or POA-CWS-H1 (POA for Pacific Ocean Areas, CWS for Chemical Warfare Service, H for Hawaii), used the US Navy Mark 1 flamethrower system, based on the Q design E14-7R2. It was demonstrated to the Tenth Army about 1 November 1944. The weapon used compressed carbon dioxide gas to propel the fuel, had a fuel capacity of 290 gallons, a range of 40 yards with oily fuel and 60 to 80 yards with thickened fuel. Eight M4A3 Shermans modified with the POA-CWS-H1 were sent to the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, for the Iwo Jima operation and 54 were supplied to the 713th Provisional Flame Thrower Tank Battalion for the Ryukyus operation (Okinawa)."

Note: Material on this page adapted from U.S. Army in WW II: Chemical Warfare Service, Chapter VII Flamethrowers, Flamethrower Tanks on Okinawa, ARMOR: January-February 1994, Steven Zaloga's Armored Thunderbolt , Standard Oil Co. E12-7R1 Report OSRD 6350, 1945 and other sources.