The Flame Thrower Tank M67 (also known as M67 "Zippo", nicknamed after a
popular brand of cigarette lighter) is an American
flame tank
A flame tank is a type of tank equipped with a flamethrower, most commonly used to supplement combined arms attacks against fortifications, confined spaces, or other obstacles. The type only reached significant use in the Second World War, dur ...
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
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 was designed for 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
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
. 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
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
.
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". The natural fear of being burned to death gave an added shock factor to the M67.
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
* : Used by U.S. Army, and by U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 1974.
Bibliography
*
References
External links
M67 Zippo- Tanks Encyclopedia
Cold War tanks of the United States
Military equipment of the Vietnam War
Medium tanks of the Cold War
Medium tanks of the United States
Flame tanks
Chemical weapon delivery systems
Military vehicles introduced in the 1950s
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