A US Marine M2 Flamethrower operator from the 5th Marines Division attacks a camouflaged Japanese pillbox on Iwo Jima, February, 1945

A US Marine M2 Flamethrower operator from the 5th Marines Division attacks a camouflaged Japanese pillbox on Iwo Jima, February, 1945.

The US Marines used the M2 Flamethrower extensively throughout their "island hopping" campaign, and it helped win many of the tough battles the Marines found themselves in. Even though the M2 Flamethrower was incredibly heavy, bulky, and awkward to operate. On Iwo Jima the sand was almost impossible to run in, and with a massive flamethrower on your back it was like walking in thick mud. It made the men a massive, slow, and easy target for the Japanese gunners. None the less, they were imperative for the success of the battles, allowing the Marines to clear out the extensive networks of caves, pillboxes, and tunnels without having to actually go inside. Going inside these places meant almost certain death: they were dark, confusing, and filled with hundreds of booby traps.

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One Marine flamethrower unit on Iwo Jima experienced a 92% casualty rate, leading one military statistician to average the estimated life span of a flamethrower operator on Iwo Jima a mere 4 minutes. The extensive network of Japanese tunnels and caves on the island was so extensive and difficult to eradicate that the Japanese were able to retake lost positions and fire into the unsuspecting Marines who thought that there was no risk of enemy contact. This happened a lot throughout the battle and was a massive source of paranoia during the course of the fighting on the small volcanic island. Comment - Tag - Share - Follow

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