Flamethrower, Portable, No 2
The Flamethrower, Portable, No. 2 (nicknamed Lifebuoy from the shape of its fuel tank), also known as the Ack Pack, was a British design of flamethrower for infantry use in the Second World War.
Flamethrower, Portable, No 2
War Office official photographer, Wooldridge (Sergeant) · This photograph H 37975 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 6509-07) · Public domain
- Name
- Flamethrower, Portable, No. 2
- Field
- flamethrower.
- Region
- United Kingdom.
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wikidata · Q5457221 · wikipedia · Flamethrower, Portable, No 2
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Flamethrower, Portable, No. 2 • Type — Flamethrower • Origin — United Kingdom • Is Ranged — yes • Is Uk — yes • Used By — United Kingdom Canada • Wars — World War II • Developed From — Wechselapparat M.1917 • Production Date — 1943–1944 • Number — 7,000 • Variants — No. 1 (Training weapon) No.2 • Crew — 1 Operator • Action — Cordite igniter • Rate — 10 igniters only • Feed — of fuel
Gallery
Gallery
• Illustration — The Lifebuoy man-portable flamethrower being demonstrated to men of 1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, Denmead, Hampshire, 29 April 1944. • Illustration — A Flamethrower Portable, No 2 in the Israel Defense Forces History Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel (September 2015) • Illustration — A Life Buoy flamethrower in action. August 1944.
Description
It was a near copy of the German Wechselapparat ("Wex") from 1917. The Mark 1 was used as a training weapon, while the improved Mark 2 was used in action. Over 7,000 units were produced from 1943 to 1944. They were ready for service during Operation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Normandy). The Ack Pack was a harness carrying a doughnut-shaped fuel container with a capacity of 4 impgal of fuel on the operator's back. In the middle of the "doughnut" was a spherical container holding nitrogen gas as a propellant, which was pressurized to 2,000 psi. This was sufficient to propel the burning fuel 120 ft. A hose from the fuel tank passed to the nozzle assembly which had two pistol grips to hold and aim the spray. The back grip had the trigger. In some versions the nozzle was fitted with a 10-chambered cylinder which contained the ignition cartridges. These could be fired once, each giving the operator 10 bursts of flame. In practice this gave 10 one-second bursts. It was also possible to spray fuel without igniting it. This allowed the operator to ensure the target had been adequately splashed with fuel before an ignited burst was fired. At 64 lb the flamethrower was considered heavy.
Primary material
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5457221: Flamethrower, Portable, No 2
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- “Flamethrower, Portable, No 2”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Flamethrower, Portable, No 2, revision 1369673838 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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1- flamethrowerTerminology
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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