Watch some stunning footage of the British Flamethrower tank!
The Crocodile was a modified Churchill tank, fitted with a flamethrower in place of the hull machine gun. An armored trailer, towed behind the tank, carried 400 Imperial gallons (1,800 liters) of fuel. The flamethrower had a range of over 120 yards (110 meters), far greater than man-portable units.
Regarded as a powerful psychological weapon, this flame tank proved highly effective at clearing bunkers, trenches, and other German fortifications.
The Crocodile was part of a group of tanks that were named after the Commander of the 79th Armoured Division, Major General Percy Hobart. Although these tanks were labeled as “funny”, they were used extensively during the landings by the Brittish and had proven to be most effective as assault or support vehicles. The Hobard Funnies became the prototypes of many engineer-purpose vehicles long after the war and changed the history of naval landing warfare forever.
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