The standard M2 flamethrower weighed approximately 70 pounds and had a very limited fuel supply, exhausting quickly. This made operators vulnerable not only during attack but also during dangerous re-supply runs. To reduce casualties, the Marines increasingly relied on M4A3R5 Sherman 'flame tanks,' which could deliver sustained fire from an armored platform. These tanks were credited by commanders as the 'best single weapon of the operation' for clearing the intricate cave and tunnel networks. O

“PORTABLE FLAME THROWER M2A1-7 PRESSURE CHARGING” 1957 U.S. ARMY INFANTRY INSTRUCTIONAL FILM XD60874