M67 Flame Thrower Tank

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Flame Thrower Tank M67
US Marine Corps M67 in action near Da Nang during Vietnam War.
Type	Medium flame tank
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1955–1974
Used by	United States
Wars	Vietnam War
Production history
Designer	Chemical Corps
Designed	1954
Manufacturer	Detroit Arsenal
Produced	1955-1956
No. built	109
Specifications
Mass	48 metric tons
Length	22 ft 7 in (6.871) 26 ft 6 in (8.138 m) (with gun forward)
Width	11 ft 11 in (3.632 m)
Height	10 ft 1 in (3.089 m)
Crew	3
Armor	178 mm maximum
Main armament	M7-6 tank flamethrower
Secondary armament	1 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 MG 1 × .30 cal (7.62 mm) M1919A4 MG
Engine	Continental AV-1790-5B V12, air-cooled carburetor petrol engine 810 hp (604 kW)
Transmission	General Motors CD-850, 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse
Suspension	Torsion bar suspension
Ground clearance	420
Fuel capacity	757 litres (M67) 1268 litres (M67A) 1457 litres (M67A2)
Operational range	115 km (71,5 miles)
Maximum speed	48 km/h (30 mph)

The Flame Thrower Tank M67 (also known as M67 "Zippo",^[1] nicknamed after a popular brand of cigarette lighter) is an American medium flame tank that was briefly used by the U.S. Army, and later by the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. It was the last flamethrower tank used in American military service.

Background and development[]

The M67's predecessor, an M4A3R3 used by the USMC during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

A prototype T67 at Aberdeen Proving Ground on 5 November 1953.

U.S. Army M67A1 at Fort Knox in June 1961.

Cross-section of the M67's turret. Note the large fuel tank that has replaced the loader's station in the turret.

A US Marine Corps M67 in Vietnam, 1968. An M1919A4 MG is mounted on the commander's cupola to the right.

Former Marine Corps M67A2's in storage at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow in the 1970s.

M67A1 on display at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri in 2009.

Drawing on the experiences of crews of M4 Sherman tanks that were converted into flamethrower tanks and used during World War II, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps began work on a successor tank that could deliver the terrifying presence of a flame tank onto the battlefields of the Cold War. Work on the design took place between 1952 and 1954, utilizing a modified M48 tank chassis, at the initiative of the US Marine Corps. Production commenced in 1955 and ran for either a single year or four, depending on some estimates. A total of 109 M67 tanks were produced for the Marine Corps and US Army.

Service history[]

The M67 was primarily used for mop-up style operations, and like all flamethrower tanks, it was intended to be used primarily against infantry. The "Zippo" featured no main cannon; the M48's 90mm gun was replaced with the tank's flamethrower. While firing in quick bursts, the M67's firing was described as appearing as "rods of flames".^[2] The swirling motion of the flames produced could reach around corners.^{[citation needed]} The natural fear of being burned to death gave an added shock factor to the M67.^[3]

The M67 remained in service until 1974, when it was retired from use without a replacement. The modern-day United States military has no flamethrower tanks in service.

Variants[]

• T67: Prototype flamethrower tank used for testing purposes.
• M67: First version used in service.
• M67A1: M48A2 Patton converted to use the Flamethrower Tank Turret M1.
• M67A2: M48A3 Patton converted to use the Flamethrower Tank Turret M1.

Former operators[]

•  United States: Used by U.S. Army, and by U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 1974.

Bibliography[]

• Hunnicutt., R. P. (1984). Patton: A History of American Medium Tank Volume I. (1st ed.). Novato, CA: Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-230-1.

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to M67 Flame Thrower Tank.

• M67 Zippo- Tanks Encyclopedia
• Flame Thrower Tank M67
• US Army Flamethrower Vehicles Pt. 2
• US Army Flamethrower Vehicles Pt. 3

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