Wechselapparat

The Germans introduced a small flamethrower in 1916 to replace the earlier Kleif. The Wechselapparat ("Wex") had a doughnut-shaped backpack fuel container with a spherical propellant container in the middle. This design was updated before the Second World War to become flamethrower model 35. However, model 35 was considered too fragile so it was soon replaced by the model 41, a simpler construction with smaller, horizontal, cylindrical backpack containers. 

The doughnut-shaped container design was copied by the British during World War II as the Flamethrower, Portable, No 2.

"Wechselapparat" is German for "exchange apparatus".

See also 
List of flamethrowers

References 

 Flamethrowers of the German Army 1914-1945 by Fred Koch

External links 
 

Category:Flamethrowers
Category:World War I German infantry weapons