Japanese Type 100 Flamethrower
Forgotten Weapons
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The Japanese Type 93 and its slightly-improved sister the Type 100 were the standard flame weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army for its fighting in China and the Pacific. They are a smaller and handier design than the American weapons, and less user-friendly. The Type 100 uses a rotating valve to fire, paper incendiary cartridges for ignition, and is not equipped with a pressure regulator. This means that as the fuel is consumed, the range and pressure steadily drop. This is a significant difference from the American M2, but in conjunction with properly planned tactics it could be quite effective.
The example in this video was taken brand new from the Tokyo Arsenal by a Coast Guard occupation officer in 1945 or 46 and sent back to New York complete with its case and all its accessories. It remains today the only known functioning example of the Type 100.
Thanks to Charlie Hobson for showing us the unit and demonstrating it firing, and also thanks to Adaptive Firearms for letting us use their range facilities!
You can find Charlie Hobson's book, "US Portable Flamethrowers" here:
http://amzn.to/1SP9yc5
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