British Crocodile With Fuel Trailer

British Crocodile With Fuel Trailer,at a target 200 yards away during a test in England. 

If the theater s interest in the auxiliary flame thrower could have been called mild, its concern for the main armament version was almost nonexistent. Army commanders indicated their reluctance to give up standard tanks for main armament flame throwers not only because of the reduced fire power but also because of the additional tanks needed to protect the vulnerable special weapon. And, as General Rowan pointed out, matters were all the worse because tanks and other armored vehicles remained in short supply. 

Word came in late February that ten, not twelve, of General Bradley s flame throwers would be shipped to Europe on the first convoy in May. They were on shipboard ready to sail when the Germans surrendered at Reims on 7 May i94y. 

The American forces did not have mechanized flame throwers when they were first committed to action in France, nor did they have them in any numbers for almost five months after the Normandy landings. This initial lack of experience and training with flame-throwing tanks probably did as much as anything to set the pattern for the insignificant role the weapon was to have in Europe, a role in decided contrast to 

Churchill Flame Thrower Tanks (Crocodiles). Both in CWS 314.7 Mechanized Flame Thrower. 

---

In the zone of interior the Armored Force Board had never been enthusiastic about any flame-throwing tank that was a special-purpose weapon, that Is, if it had the flame thrower as its main armament, or if it had a distinguishing silhouette. The British Crocodile met the first requirement, but its fuel-carrying trailer certainly made it readily identifiable. In any event, the board urged the Chemical Warfare Service to concentrate its efforts on the auxiliary model, one that main- tained the normal armament of the vehicle, which was then under development. The result was an auxiliary flame thrower which was interchangeable with the bow machine gun of either the light or medium tank. 

---