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Armor/AFV: Allied - WWII
Armor and ground forces of the Allied forces during World War II.
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LVT-4 Flametower help needed
Panzerfan
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Mexico
Joined: May 31, 2002
KitMaker: 65 posts
Armorama: 62 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 20, 2016 - 07:52 AM UTC
Hello:

I recently brought the AFV Club LVT-4. I want to model the flametower version, but I can't find references of how that was build up in the vehicle.

Hope someone can give me advise about the flametower so I can scratchbuilt it.

Regards.
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
KitMaker: 12,719 posts
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Posted: Sunday, March 20, 2016 - 06:27 PM UTC
Do you mean the British LVT-4 (F) Sea Serpent ?



I've read it was fitted with a pair of flamethrowers similar to those used on the Wasp Flamethrower Carrier or on this Jeep variant:

http://www.warwheels.net/JeepPopskiSADLER.html

H.P.
AmTrac1833
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Florida, United States
Joined: February 20, 2014
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Posted: Sunday, March 20, 2016 - 06:50 PM UTC
I have not come across much information on this modification to the LVT4. Squadron Signal Publications' LVT(4) Amtrac In Action has two pages dedicated to the LVT mounted flamethrower. It states that it is a Navy Mark 1 flamethrower manufactured by Standard Oil and M.W. Kellogg - with only 21 actually manufactured. There are no diagrams or drawings on those two pages. There are several photos of it in use and one photo of the flamethrower from behind and I believe not mounted in a vehicle.
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
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Posted: Sunday, March 20, 2016 - 09:36 PM UTC
According to S. Zaloga's "Amtracs : US Amphibious Assault Vehicles" book, three LVT-4's (early model) were fitted with flamethrowers for the Peleliu landings in September 1944 :





I believe these were infantry M1 man-pack flamethrowers...

H.P.
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
KitMaker: 12,719 posts
Armorama: 12,507 posts
Posted: Monday, March 21, 2016 - 02:17 AM UTC
Looks like I was wrong...The flamethrower fitted to the Peleliu LVT's was bigger than the M1 portable model





The gunshield pictured just above is the same as the one in the first picture I've posted.

H.P.
AmTrac1833
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Florida, United States
Joined: February 20, 2014
KitMaker: 376 posts
Armorama: 311 posts
Posted: Monday, March 21, 2016 - 04:24 AM UTC

That last image is the same picture as in the In Action books except Squadron cropped it tighter around the flame thrower. I recall coming across drawings for this thing some time ago but haven't been able to "re-discover" them.
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