Herewith an extract the book "Gas & Flame in Modern Warfare" by Major Ault M.C. of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, published for the American Gas Services in 1918 just before the war ended. Ault described the organisation and tactics of the Flammenwerfer squads and points out that, although apparently a terrifying weapon, the allies were able to overcome it and placed little value on it as a weapon. "The flammenwerfer companies are divided into squads. Following the German army habit of adopting contractions - a habit presumably forced on them by their cumbersome word-building language the squads are designated Groytruppe or Kleintruppe, according as they are armed with large or small projectors. The former is a contraction for Grosser-flammerwerfertrupp (large flame projector squad), and the latter for Kleiner-flammenwerfertrupp (small flame projector squad) [also known as 'Kleif']. "In the case of attacks with the large projectors, or a combined attack with both sizes, the chief thing is secrecy of installation in the trenches. If it was ascertained or suspected that flammenwerfer were being put in, our gunners would open on the position in no time and blow the apparatus sky-high. As it is necessary to sap out to within 27 yards of our lines in order to get in a 'shot', it can readily be seen that the possibilities of using the large projectors are very limited, and as a matter of fact little use has been made of them. "Attacks with the portable projectors are more possible owing to their greater mobility. But here again the essential part of the tactics and the most difficult thing to do is to get near enough the target to make the shot effective. The range is only fifty to sixty feet. The German idea is to cover the advance of the "Kleif" men by protecting machine gun fire. "In an attack, the advance of the company is covered by machine gun fire from each side, converging at a point on the opposing trenches. In the triangle thus formed the attacking force, the "'Kleiftruppe" in front, then a party of bombers, and finally the raiding or attacking party take up their positions in No Man's Land and crawl as far forward as possible in the "protected area." As soon as the flame projectors are within range, the machine guns switch outward to each side, the flame is discharged and the bombers rush in and try their luck in the trench. If things go well, the infantry follows the bombing party and proceeds to its objective. "In an attack of this kind, or a less well supported attack such as that at Arras, mentioned previously, the attackers suffer from two such severe disadvantages that against well disciplined troops they stand little chance. These disadvantages are (1) the flammenwerfer carriers have to get so near their objective that they are almost certain to be shot, and they then become a source of danger to their own side; (2) men in trenches know they are perfectly safe from frontal flame attack if they keep well down and hug the parapet side of the trench. The reason for this is that the flame will not sink down into a trench, but having little force behind it at the end of its journey is curled upward by the rising currents of hot air. The result is that any sort of head cover (unless made of wood) makes perfect protection, and a man crouching in a trench or even lying prone in a shell hole, is very unlikely to be more than slightly scorched at the very worst. I can vouch for this, for I have lain at the bottom of a trench with the flames playing over my head and have not been injured in the slightest, though I confess to being very much relieved when the flame stopped. The only danger in trenches to men who keep their heads is that of "blobs" of burning oil falling from the end of the fiery stream, but this is not a very serious chance. "Another serious disability in the German liquid fire is its very short duration. The stream of flame from the portable flammenwerfer lasts rather less than one minute. It is impossible to charge up again on the spot, and the result is that once the flame stops the whole game is finished and the operators are at our mercy. Without making the apparatus of a prohibitive weight, the duration of the flame cannot be increased. Even the heavy projectors give off a flame lasting at the best one minute and a quarter. "It must be realised that it is discipline and coolness (if one may use the word) which count and that the moral effect on unsteady troops, unaware of the fact that the appalling flames have little destructive value, may be very great indeed. When men have bolted from the trenches into the open they are an easy prey. "An enfilade attack, i.e., one made from a flank, would be much more dangerous were it not for the difficulty of approach and the fact that the traverses of a fire-trench are as good protection against flame as the parapet. Only where the "'Kleif" squad can approach under cover and get in its shot at an exposed target is the flammenwerfer likely to have much success nowadays. "A certain amount of value was obtained from their use in this way in the attack on Verdun for reducing isolated strong-points, notably fortified farmhouses and broken down cottages in the ruined villages. In certain cases the flame projector carriers were enabled to approach under cover or by crawling among the ruins and heaps of debris, to within striking distance of the otherwise well protected machine gun emplacements and positions. By suddenly playing the fire jet into the loopholes, enough flame penetrated into the interior of the emplacement to put the machine gun and its crew out of action - either temporarily or permanently. This was the opportunity awaited by the covering party of bombers who would rush the post the minute the flame ceased, having made their approach while the projectors were in action. "But even for special cases like these the circumstances must be so favourable and the inherent disadvantages are so great that the flammenwerfer cannot be counted on to attain the required result. The low value placed by the Allies on the German flame attack can be realised from the fact that no special form of cover is provided against it. There is no special form of fireproof clothing or other protection issued to the troops, and the instructions for meeting the attack may be summarised as: 'Shoot the man carrying the apparatus before he gets in his shot if possible. If this cannot be done take cover from the flames and shoot him afterward'
