"Soviet high-explosive flamethrower FOG" Topic

FOG-1, later FOG-2 – is a high-explosive flamethrower, which, unlike classic flamethrowers, uses the power of gunpowder gases to throw a flammable mixture. As a result, the practical range of throwing flammable liquid increased to 130-140 meters.
This heavy thing, weighing 52 kilograms, was buried in the ground, looking out only with a bent tube. Flamethrowers were used on the principle of a controlled land mine.
As soon as the enemy approached the firing distance, a signal was sent from the observation point along the wire, the electrical circuit was closed and the horror show began, since FOGs were usually installed in dozens of pieces at the same time on threatened areas of the front. They were difficult to detect, since on the surface there are only bent tubes, camouflaged by grass and branches. The FOG-1 was developed in 1939, but was only put into service in 1941, during the Battle of Moscow.

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Scheme of placement of high-explosive flamethrowers in a defensive battle with the designation of the direction of flamethrowing. Triangles – flamethrower control points.

The FOG-2 is a modification of the previous model, produced in 1943.
The differences between them are insignificant for the game.
It is interesting that Soviet chemical soldiers used these flamethrowers not only in defense, but also in attack, especially in urban combat. There were cases of improvised "flamethrower tanks" being created in the troops, when such flamethrowers were installed in special drags or directly on tanks, directed away from the axis of movement of the tank. Upon reaching the enemy's defense line, a salvo was fired.

The Germans copied this Russian weapon in 1942 and used it under the name Abwehrflammenwerfer 42. Including on the Western Front.

Here are several articles in Russian about this weapon. To read – just put the link to the article in Google translator and follow the link in English. This method works almost always.

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vk.com/album-77221185_202667091

Soviet napalm:

Ampulomet and its ammunition (Russian aviation cassettes with incendiary ampoules).

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Original article:

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Never heard of this weapon before
Horrible

Interesting weapons. I can see the point about the fragile ampoules and the danger they posed to users, especially once the Germans were on the defensive and the Soviets were on the offensive, moving into bombed areas. If they didn't explode when they hit the ground, they were just sitting there, waiting to be run over or stepped on, a danger to troops moving into the area.
The static flamethrower mine seems like a good idea. It sounds like the sort of thing that should have been developed and used in conjunction with fixed defenses between the world wars. Must have been terrifying to be on the receiving end.

Grelber

Excellent information. I have not seen such complete and informative material on the FOG before.

Thanks for posting it. It is an interesting item to consider for the gaming table.

For those considering it for gaming .. I am thinking of it as a one-shot, permanently emplaced and aimed flamethrower (as bore-sited or overwatch weapons are often managed in various rule sets), with range and power as a vehicle-mounted flamethrower (such as a Churchill Crocodile). As there appears to be no self-triggering mechanism (it being command-detonated), it does not need to be treated as a landmine.

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)

You are wrong. It could have been used as a "regular" mine.

A clip from a Soviet newsreel about the use of a high-explosive flamethrower in urban combat.

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Use of the ampulomet in battle in Stalingrad:

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The ampulomet is a ersatz weapon, very dangerous for its crew. When using the ampulomet in the game, when firing from it, you need to roll a D6 die. If you roll 6, the shell explodes in the barrel and the ampulomet and its crew are destroyed…