In the Omaha Beach scene in Saving Private Ryan , troops surround a bunker and, in seconds, ignite everything inside. Enemy soldiers come tumbling out, engulfed in flames, and are left to burn. That's when "Greek Fire" was said to have been invented by a man named Kallinikos to defend the Byzantine Empire's capital of Constantinople, or modern-day Istanbul. His fire siphon would squirt flames from one wooden boat to another.
Not surprisingly, "it was as hazardous for the people shooting the flames as the people in the line of fire," said weapons historian Mike Loades. This volatility persisted with fire weapons through time, from catapults that launched fireballs over castle walls to the flammable liquid napalm, known for the horrific damage it caused in the Vietnam War.
The Defense Department phased out incendiary weapons around the same time the United Nations banned the use of flamethrowers and napalm against civilians. Three decades later, President Barack Obama signed that U. He probably never imagined that the use of flamethrowers by — or against — civilians on American soil might soon be an issue.
But it's a concern voiced by opponents, whose numbers are likely to rise as the public becomes aware of the flamethrowers' availability. So far, the only outspoken politician on the topic is Jim Fouts, the mayor of Warren, Mich. In a phone interview, Fouts cited all manner of potential harm, including to the person holding the flamethrower. The liquids used — gasoline, diesel fuel or napalm — are extremely flammable and could cause explosions if they leaked while the devices were in use.
To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. But what are you going to do with a flamethrower? What will I do with the flamethrower? This is the kind of question a person who will never own a flamethrower asks. In any event, it is too late. I have already bought the thing.
As I drive up to the SpaceX parking lot at PM, I can already see people leaving with large white boxes under their arms. I am, of course, arriving to pick up a flamethrower of my own. About 1, people who preordered the flamethrower have reservations for the pickup party, which features a mariachi band and a food truck serving churros and Capri Sun fruit drinks, an apparent Boring Company favorite.
The flamethrower went up for sale on January 27th though some alert Redditors found the order page earlier , and I immediately bought it. By February 1st, the flamethrowers were sold out. The test tunnel, which extended for feet, was enough to convince the city of Hawthorne to allow The Boring Company to extend it for another two miles. The Boring Company is also seeking approval from the city of Los Angeles to build a test tunnel, and so far, a haul route for 80, cubic yards of dirt has been approved.
What does all this have to do with flamethrowers? But The Boring Company also seems to be a place where Musk is letting his whimsy run wild. Gary is how Musk explains how slowly most conventional borers go: the snail is 14 times faster than a conventional tunnel boring machine. It suggests that Musk can turn his fanciful ideas into reality. It strengthens the community around Musk by offering his fans a way to interact with him and own a piece of his infrastructure company.
You know: merch. The snapshot suggests spontaneity; the reality was that Trudeau carefully planned and rehearsed his move. I reckon this flamethrower does two things. In his book "The Zombie Survival Guide," he wrote, "Don't think a flamethrower and several Molotov cocktails are the solution to all your problems.
In actual combat, fire can be as deadly a threat as it is a protector. He said that the flamethrower "strikes people as the ultimate zombie eliminator" because it "can turn an undead crowd into a wailing funeral pyre. We're no longer maintaining this page. Personal Finance. CNNMoney Sponsors. SmartAsset Paid Partner. Department of Defense clearly saw some potential advantages that the flamethrower offered and created various man-portable and vehicle-mounted incendiary weapons.
In Vietnam, various flamethrowers were also seen as a valuable close combat weapon —one that could demoralize enemy troops and reduce positions that have otherwise resisted other forms of attack.
The same would hold true for any weapon. Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and website. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress , which is available on Amazon. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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