The "Ronson" flamethrower was developed for mechanized applications during World War II and used by the Canadian Army and the United States Marine Corps.
The Ronson was developed by the British Petroleum Warfare Department in 1940. Having insufficient range it was passed over for British use but taken up by the Canadians for development. The "Ronson" was considered sufficient for use in the production of the "Wasp MkIIC" flamethrower variant of the Universal Carrier.
From there it came to the attention of the United States. V Amphibious Corps placed an order for 20 units followed by another for 10. These were given to Col. Unmacht of the Chemical Warfare Service CENPAC, at Schofield Barracks, Territory Hawaii. Seabees under his command installed the Ronson units in 24 M3 Stuarts for the Battle of Saipan. Those tanks were nicknamed "Satans". Col Unmachts men used the Ronson to develop USMC M4 Shermans with Navy Mark 1 flamethrowers. These tanks were used in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Col Unmacht's Flamethrower Group would also install Ronsons in the first generation coaxial flame tanks designated CWS-POA-H5 (Chemical Warfare Service-Pacific Ocean Area-Hawaii).
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A flame tank is a type of tank equipped with a flamethrower, most commonly used to supplement combined arms attacks against fortifications, confined spaces, or other obstacles. The type only reached significant use in the Second World War, during which the United States, Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom (including members of the British Commonwealth) all produced flamethrower-equipped tanks. A number of production methods were used.
A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World War II as a tactical weapon against fortifications. Most military flamethrowers use liquid fuel, typically either gasoline or diesel, but commercial flamethrowers are generally blowtorches using gaseous fuels such as propane; gases are safer in peacetime applications, because their flames have less mass flow rate and dissipate faster, and often are easier to extinguish when necessary.