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Lanciafiamme Spalleggiato Modello 1935


Man-Portable Flamethrower


Kingdom of Italy | 1935



"The Italian Army joined its contemporaries by fielding a battlefield flamethrower through their Modello 1935 series."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Lanciafiamme Spalleggiato Modello 1935. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
27 ft
8.2 m | 9.0 yds
Max.Eff.Range
Physical
The physical qualities of the Lanciafiamme Spalleggiato Modello 1935. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
57.32 lb
26.00 kg
Weight
Flint Ignition (early); Nitrogen Propellant
Action
Not Applicable
Caliber(s)
25 to 30 bursts; 20-second constant stream
Feed
Not Applicable
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Lanciafiamme Spalleggiato Modello 1935 Man-Portable Flamethrower family line.
Modello 1935 - Original Production Models featuring flint ignition system.
Modello 1940 - Electrical Ignition System
Liekinheitin M/40 - Finnish Army Designation; at least 16 units received from Italy.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/02/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Italians joined the Germans, Americans, Soviets and British in deploying flamethrowers in World War 2. The Italian Army adopted the Lanciafiamme Spalleggiato Modello 1935 (Mod. 35), appropriately, in 1935 and accepted a conventional design featuring two cylindrical tanks, each tank divided internally to contain stores for the requisite nitrogen propellant and fuel reservoir. The tanks were combined by a hose running to a projector lance held with both hands by the operator. Ignition of these early-form systems was by way of flint, which ultimately proved unreliable in action. Ignition was made at the projector piece. Italian backpack flamethrowers were issued to crews of two due to their weight and cumbersome nature.

The Modello 1935 flamethrower came in at a manageable empty weight of 29lbs though this figure jumped to 56lbs when fully fueled. The overall size of the unit also precluded use of any other primary weapon for the operator, leaving them to rely on pistols (if available) and bayonets for self-defense. It was good practice to field flamethrower units with general infantry for their own protection as a a result. Direct hits to the tanks with incendiary rounds could lead to the operator (and all those near him) becoming possibly engulfed in flames. However, the pressurized tanks struck with standard rounds nearly propelled the operator in a direction against his will. Undoubtedly, flamethrower units were valuable targets to sniper elements on the other side of the battlefield.

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The Modello 35 held a fuel reserve of 29 liters which allowed for up to 30 one-second bursts of fire or a continuous burst running 20 seconds. Maximum listed range was out to 27 feet though this was variable and influenced by environmental conditions to an extent. The flame stream could be directed at a line-of-side target/target area or arched onto embedded enemy units under cover. The fluid nature of the flame composition meant that the spreading spray had a disastrous effect against enemy forces holed up in fortified structures such as pillboxes. Wooden structures could be taken over in minutes under fire.

Flamethrowers held their value is flushing out determined foes. As such, they were used as both a physical tool to maim and kill and as a terrible psychological weapon. This proved the norm in the American advance across the Pacific against the fanatical Japanese. For the Italians, their flamethrower was in play during the Second Italian-Abyssinian War (1935-1941) where the systems were used on a wide scale. By 1940, some 1,500 units were in circulation as the standard Italian Army flamethrower. Units were sold to the Finnish Army in their war against the Soviets while Italian units along the Eastern Front also fielded the weapon against Soviet forces. Italian flamethrowers were also shipped to North Africa for the Italian involvement there.

In 1940, there appeared a slightly reworked version of the Modello 1935 utilizing a more reliable electrical ignition system. These were aptly designated as "Modello 1940".

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Lanciafiamme Spalleggiato Modello 1935. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): State Factories - Italy
National flag of Finland National flag of Italy National flag of the Kingdom of Italy

[ Finland; Kingdom of Italy ]
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Image of the Lanciafiamme Spalleggiato Modello 1935
Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The Lanciafiamme Spalleggiato Modello 1935 Man-Portable Flamethrower appears in the following collections:
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