German soldiers operating the Kleinflammenwerfer - 1917
Kleinflammenwerfer
First man-portable flamethrower invented by Germany in 1911. Fuel was stored in a large vertical, cylindrical backpack container and a high-pressure propellant was stored in a separate container attached to the fuel tank. A long hose connected the fuel tank to a lance tube (with an igniting device at the nozzle) and needed to be operated by two soldiers.
Flammenwerfer M.16.
Used in WWI by German forces to clear out enemy troops in trenches. They were introduced in 1916 and are the first ever flamethrowers to be used in combat.
German troops wearing gas masks - 1915
German cavalry division on maneuvers, 1912
Wechselapparat
A Smaller Version Of the "Flammenwerfer M.16." invented in 1917 by Germany. This design was significantly lighter than the previous "Flammenwerfer M.16." design, however, was also fragile, hence, being replaced in WW2. One distinctive aspect of this design is the horizontal, doughnut-shaped cylindrical backpack containers, which was further adopted by the British army.