Portable flamethrower operators on Iwo Jima died at a 92% casualty rate. One 24-year-old Navy electrician decided to change that.
In May 1944, Electrician's Mate Second Class Joseph Kissel joined a top secret unit at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. His mission — take the flamethrowers that were killing their own operators and mount them inside Sherman tanks. Eleven hundred electrical connections. One hundred fifty pounds of welding rod. Eight machines that no one knew would even work in combat.
When those tanks hit the black beaches of Iwo Jima, Kissel didn't stay behind. He climbed inside and rode into battle himself. For thirty-two days straight, under mortar fire and sniper rounds, he kept every system running — even after taking a direct hit from a Japanese anti-tank gun. What happened when Marine commanders saw what his tanks could do changed everything.
Subscribe for forgotten WW2 stories ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@ww2dispatchh
Like if you think this story deserves to be remembered.
Comment below — where are you watching from?
#worldwar2 #ww2 #militaryhistory #ww2stories #ww2dispatch
In May 1944, Electrician's Mate Second Class Joseph Kissel joined a top secret unit at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. His mission — take the flamethrowers that were killing their own operators and mount them inside Sherman tanks. Eleven hundred electrical connections. One hundred fifty pounds of welding rod. Eight machines that no one knew would even work in combat.
When those tanks hit the black beaches of Iwo Jima, Kissel didn't stay behind. He climbed inside and rode into battle himself. For thirty-two days straight, under mortar fire and sniper rounds, he kept every system running — even after taking a direct hit from a Japanese anti-tank gun. What happened when Marine commanders saw what his tanks could do changed everything.
Subscribe for forgotten WW2 stories ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@ww2dispatchh
Like if you think this story deserves to be remembered.
Comment below — where are you watching from?
#worldwar2 #ww2 #militaryhistory #ww2stories #ww2dispatch
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00At 07.45 a.m. on February 21, 1945,
00:05electrician's mate Second Class Joseph Kissel
00:07was crouched inside the hull of an M4A3 Sherman tank
00:11as it advanced toward a Japanese pillbox on Iwo Jima,
00:15his hands wrapped around controls he had personally wired
00:18three months prior at Schofield Barracks.
00:21The 24-year-old CB from the 117th Naval Construction Battalion
00:26had spent 1,200 hours constructing this weapon.
00:30Knowing portable flamethrower operators on the island
00:32were dying at a 92% casualty rate.
00:36200 yards ahead, a reinforced concrete bunker
00:40hidden in volcanic rock housed a Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun
00:45that had already killed 11 Marines that morning.
00:49The mathematics of death on Iwo Jima were merciless.
00:53Every portable flamethrower operator hauled 100 pounds of gear
00:57with only 7 seconds of fuel.
01:00Japanese snipers spotted them immediately
01:02by the twin tanks strapped to their backs.
01:05They died before getting close to their targets.
01:09The 19th of February had been D-Day.
01:1270,000 Marines hit black volcanic beaches.
01:1622,000 Japanese defenders waited inside 11 miles of tunnels,
01:21750 fortifications, and countless caves.
01:26Naval bombardment had achieved nothing.
01:29Artillery ricocheted off reinforced positions.
01:32Small arms fire was worthless against steel doors and concrete three feet thick.
01:37The Marine Corps needed a solution that could engage fortified positions
01:42without exposing men to sniper fire.
01:44At Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, Colonel Unmacht of the Chemical Warfare Service
01:49put together a top-secret composite unit in May 1944.
01:5425 CBs from the 117th Construction Battalion joined Army chemical specialists
02:00and Marine tank crews.
02:02Their objective was straightforward.
02:05Take portable flamethrowers that killed their operators and mount them on tanks.
02:10The initial attempts failed.
02:12Army engineers had developed Satan tanks using M3 Stuarts with Canadian Ronson flamethrowers,
02:18but these light tanks had thin armor and limited range.
02:21For Iwo Jima, Unmacht's team sourced eight M4A3 Sherman medium tanks.
02:28The CBs, led by machinist's mate 1st class AA Reica and Kissel,
02:34worked to integrate three different flame systems.
02:37They engineered the CB-H1.
02:41Installing a CB-H1 required 150 pounds of welding rod and 1,100 electrical connections.
02:48Each tank cost $25,000.
02:52The system ran 300 pounds per square inch,
02:56projecting flame 400 feet with 270 degrees of traverse.
03:01Kissel wired every circuit.
03:03He verified every connection.
03:06He knew if one wire failed, Marines would die.
03:10By November 1944, the eight tanks were complete.
03:14The Marine Corps designated them Mark 1s.
03:17Army documents classified them POA-CWS-H1.
03:27The official designation was M4A3R5.
03:33Marines who witnessed them in action had a simpler name, Zippos.
03:37The tanks were loaded onto transports in early February.
03:41Kissel and ship fitter 1st class J.T. Patterson received orders to accompany them for technical support.
03:48That meant Hawaii, to Iwo Jima.
03:51That meant maintenance under fire.
03:53Kissel understood what he had built.
03:56He also understood, no one knew these machines better than the men who created them.
04:00If something broke during battle, Marines would die waiting for repairs.
04:06The question was whether this weapon would perform.
04:09Could the CB-H1 survive combat?
04:13Would Marines follow these flame tanks?
04:16Could eight tanks alter a battle against 22,000 entrenched defenders?
04:23If you want to know whether Kissel's innovations saved thousands of Marines, please hit the like button.
04:28It helps more people discover these stories.
04:31Subscribe.
04:33Back to Kissel.
04:34The eight flame tanks landed on D-Day but sat unused.
04:39Marine commanders were wary of untested weapons.
04:42February 21st was D-plus-2.
04:45The assault had bogged down.
04:48Conventional tanks and infantry could not break Japanese defenses.
04:524th Marine Division called for a flame tank against a fortified position that had held for two days.
04:58Kissel climbed into the assistant driver's position of the lead Sherman.
05:02He had built this weapon.
05:04Now he would see if it worked.
05:06The pillbox ahead had already killed 15 Marines.
05:10Japanese gunners inside had unobstructed fields of fire across 200 yards of open ground.
05:17No infantry squad had gotten closer than 70 yards without taking casualties.
05:22Kissel felt the tank lurch as the driver engaged the transmission.
05:26Through the hull, he heard incoming mortar fire.
05:30This was the moment everything he had built would be put to the test.
05:34The Sherman moved at 8 miles per hour across volcanic ash and broken rock.
05:39Kissel checked the pressure gauge.
05:41300 pounds per square inch.
05:44The fuel tanks held 290 gallons of napalm-thickened mixture.
05:49The ignition system used a waterproofed cylinder with housed matches that rotated like a revolver.
05:54He had tested this mechanism 40 times at Schofield Barracks.
05:58It had never failed.
05:59At 150 yards from the pillbox, Japanese machine gun fire started striking the Sherman's armor.
06:06The rounds made sharp pinging sounds against steel plate.
06:10The tank kept advancing.
06:12At 100 yards, the driver halted and pivoted the hull to give Kissel a clear angle on the target.
06:18Through the periscope, Kissel saw the concrete bunker's firing slit.
06:22A Type 92 machine gun barrel jutted from the opening.
06:26Kissel aligned the CB-H1 nozzle and squeezed the trigger.
06:31The ignition system sparked.
06:33Pressurized fuel launched through the nozzle at tremendous velocity.
06:38A stream of burning napalm erupted from the Sherman's 75mm gun position and arced toward the pillbox.
06:46400 feet of flame traveled in 3 seconds.
06:48The burning mixture struck the concrete bunker and poured through the firing slit.
06:54The effect was instantaneous.
06:57Smoke billowed from every opening in the pillbox.
07:00The machine gun went silent.
07:03Kissel released the trigger after 5 seconds.
07:05The flame stopped.
07:07The pillbox burned.
07:09No more gunfire came from the position.
07:12The Japanese defenders inside were dead.
07:16What had taken 4th Marine Division 2 days and 15 casualties to fail at achieving, the CB-H1 had accomplished
07:24in 5 seconds.
07:26The Sherman backed away from the position.
07:29Marines watching from covered positions started moving forward.
07:33One platoon leader radioed battalion headquarters.
07:36He reported the pillbox was destroyed.
07:39He requested another flame tank immediately.
07:43Kissel climbed out of the Sherman once it reached the rally point.
07:47Patterson inspected the CB-H1 mechanism.
07:50All systems had functioned correctly.
07:52No electrical failures.
07:54No fuel leaks.
07:56The pressure gauge still read within operational parameters.
07:58The weapon had performed exactly as designed.
08:03The two CBs grasped what had just happened.
08:06The CB-H1 worked in combat.
08:10It could eliminate fortified positions that conventional weapons could not touch.
08:15It shielded Marines from the suicidal exposure of portable flamethrowers.
08:19The question now was whether 8 tanks could make a difference against the scale of Japanese defenses.
08:27That afternoon, 3 more flame tanks went into action.
08:31Each destroyed multiple pillboxes and cave entrances.
08:35Each mission succeeded without losing a single Marine to sniper fire.
08:39By nightfall, on February 21st, Marine commanders were requesting flame tanks for every major assault.
08:47The problem was simple mathematics.
08:498 tanks.
08:514 per division.
08:53750 Japanese fortifications.
08:5611 miles of tunnels.
08:59Kissel spent the night maintaining electrical systems and inspecting fuel lines.
09:04He knew the next morning would bring more missions.
09:07The flame tanks would be in constant demand.
09:10Someone had to keep them running.
09:12He had built these weapons.
09:14He would maintain them under fire.
09:16What Kissel did not yet know was how the Japanese would respond.
09:21Enemy commanders on Iwo Jima had seen what the flame tanks could do.
09:25They understood the threat.
09:28Orders went out through the tunnel network.
09:30Stop the flame tanks.
09:32Target them first.
09:33Kill the crews.
09:35The Japanese recognized these Sherman flame tanks as the most dangerous weapons on the island.
09:41On February 22nd, they would do everything in their power to destroy them.
09:46February 22nd began with concentrated Japanese mortar fire on American tank positions.
09:52Enemy observers had noted where the flame tanks refueled and rearmed.
09:56At 0600 hours, incoming rounds landed near two flame tanks from 5th Marine Division.
10:02No direct hits, but the Japanese were dialing in their fire.
10:06They were adapting.
10:08Kissel and Patterson worked through the morning servicing all eight flame tanks.
10:13The CB-H1 systems demanded constant attention.
10:16Electrical connections shook loose from the Sherman's movement over rough terrain.
10:21Fuel pumps needed checking after every mission.
10:24Ignition cylinders required fresh match cartridges.
10:28The work was hazardous.
10:30Refueling operations left crews exposed to sniper fire and mortar attacks.
10:34Every gallon of napalm mixture had to be hand-pumped into the tank's fuel system.
10:39By noon, 4th Marine Division reported their flame tanks had eliminated 18 fortified positions in three hours.
10:475th Division reported comparable results.
10:50The effect was striking.
10:52Japanese defenders, who had held positions for days, fled them when flame tanks drew near.
10:58Marines advancing behind the Shermans met less resistance.
11:02Casualties fell.
11:03Progress picked up.
11:05But the demand was crushing.
11:06Each tank battalion had only four flame tanks.
11:09They operated from pooled locations, sent to wherever the assault bogged down.
11:14Radio requests poured in constantly.
11:171st Battalion needed a flame tank at Hill Peter.
11:202nd Battalion needed two at a cave complex.
11:243rd Battalion had a fortified ridge they could not push past.
11:27The eight tanks could not be everywhere.
11:30Marine infantry officers began refusing to advance without flame tank support.
11:34They had witnessed what these weapons could do.
11:38They knew conventional attacks meant heavy casualties against fortified positions.
11:42The flame tanks saved lives.
11:45Marines would wait hours for a flame tank rather than assault without one.
11:49Kissel saw this firsthand on February 23rd.
11:53A company from 23rd Marines had been pinned down for six hours by a cave complex in the northern sector.
12:00The Japanese position contained three connected caves with interlocking fields of fire.
12:06Every approach was covered.
12:08Artillery had been ineffective.
12:10Infantry assaults had failed.
12:13Twelve Marines were already casualties.
12:16Kissel accompanied the flame tank, dispatched the position.
12:20He rode in the assistant driver's seat, monitoring the CB-H1 electrical systems.
12:26The Sherman approached the cave complex from an angle that reduced exposure to enemy fire.
12:32At 75 yards, the gunner opened fire with the main flame weapon.
12:36The first burst sent 400 feet of burning napalm into the primary cave entrance.
12:43Five seconds.
12:45The gunner shifted aim to the second cave.
12:48Another five-second burst.
12:50Then the third cave.
12:52The three caves turned into infernos.
12:55Smoke poured from interconnected tunnels.
12:59Secondary explosions erupted as stored ammunition detonated from the heat.
13:03The entire complex was compromised.
13:07Marines advanced and took the position without additional casualties.
13:11That single mission lasted 11 minutes and consumed 60 gallons of fuel.
13:17What would have cost the 23rd Marines potentially dozens of casualties and hours of combat
13:22was resolved in less time than it took to brief the assault plan.
13:27The Marine Company commander radioed a simple message to Battalion.
13:31Send more flame tanks.
13:33But there were no more.
13:35All eight were committed.
13:37Requests were piling up.
13:39Japanese defenses extended for miles.
13:42The flame tanks were performing exactly as designed.
13:46The problem was there were not enough of them.
13:49By February 25th, the eight flame tanks had been in continuous operation for four days.
13:56Kissel had worked 18-hour shifts maintaining them.
13:58Each tank averaged four to six missions per day.
14:02Fuel consumption hit 5,000 gallons daily.
14:06The CBs at the Beach Supply Depot worked around the clock, mixing napalm and pumping it into jerry cans for
14:12transport forward.
14:13The CB-H1 systems were holding up better than expected, but issues surfaced.
14:20Electrical connections corroded from salt air and volcanic dust.
14:24Fuel pumps clogged from sediment in the napalm mixture.
14:28Ignition cylinders wore out quicker than anticipated.
14:31Kissel and Patterson improvised fixes.
14:34They used telephone wire when standard electrical wire ran out.
14:38They fabricated replacement parts from damaged tank components.
14:42They kept all eight flame tanks operational.
14:45The impact on Japanese defenses was quantifiable.
14:495th Marine Division reported that flame tanks had destroyed 43 fortified positions in five days.
14:564th Division reported similar figures.
14:59Infantry casualties dropped 30% in sectors where flame tanks operated compared to sectors without them.
15:06Marines were advancing faster with fewer losses.
15:10Japanese defenders adjusted their tactics.
15:13They concentrated anti-tank fire on flame tanks.
15:17They targeted fuel trucks supplying them.
15:19They attempted suicide attacks with magnetic charges.
15:24Three flame tanks sustained damage from Japanese anti-tank guns, but armor held.
15:30None were knocked out.
15:32The CB-H1 system survived impacts that would have disabled conventional equipment.
15:37On February 27th, Kissel was inside a flame tank when it took a direct hit from a Type 1 47mm
15:45anti-tank gun.
15:47The round struck the Sherman's frontal armor at an oblique angle and glanced off.
15:53The impact threw Kissel against the hull interior.
15:56His shoulder dislocated.
15:59Patterson pulled him out of the tank and reset the shoulder joint.
16:03Kissel was back working on electrical systems within two hours.
16:07What impressed Marine commanders was not just the weapon's effectiveness, but its dependability.
16:13The CB-H1 functioned in conditions that wrecked other equipment.
16:19Volcanic dust jammed machine guns and fouled engine carburetors.
16:24Salt spray corroded electrical systems.
16:27Constant vibration from rough terrain loosened everything.
16:30The flame tanks kept running.
16:33Marine infantry developed new tactics around the flame tanks.
16:37Squads would advance behind the Shermans, using them as mobile cover.
16:41When the flame tank engaged a fortified position,
16:45infantry would rush forward during the confusion and secure the area.
16:48This coordinated approach cut casualties while maintaining momentum.
16:54The statistics told the story.
16:56In the first week of flame tank operations,
16:59marine divisions advanced three times faster than projections.
17:04Casualties from fortified positions dropped by 42%.
17:07Japanese defenders abandoned positions rather than face the flame tanks.
17:13Tunnel networks that would have taken weeks to clear were neutralized in days.
17:19But the human cost of operating these weapons was adding up.
17:23Tank crews worked in extreme heat inside the Shermans.
17:27The CB-H1 system generated additional temperature from the pressurized fuel system.
17:34Crews suffered heat exhaustion.
17:36Some collapsed from dehydration.
17:39Kissel saw men black out inside the tanks from temperatures exceeding 120 degrees.
17:45The flame tanks were working.
17:47They were saving marine lives.
17:50They were changing the course of the battle.
17:52But the question remained whether eight tanks and two CBs could maintain this pace
17:57for however long Iwo Jima required to secure.
18:00March 1st marked 10 days of continuous flame tank operations.
18:05Kissel had been in combat for 20 consecutive days,
18:07sleeping three to four hours per night.
18:11His dislocated shoulder had not fully healed, but he kept working.
18:16Patterson showed signs of exhaustion, but refused evacuation.
18:20The two CBs were the only personnel who fully understood the CB-H1 electrical systems.
18:26If they left, the flame tanks would eventually break down.
18:30The battle's intensity grew.
18:33Japanese defenders in the northern sector had fortified every ridge, ravine, and cave.
18:38This terrain favored defense.
18:41Volcanic rock offered natural cover.
18:44Interconnected tunnels allowed defenders to resurface in positions marines thought were cleared.
18:49Casualties climbed.
18:51Progress slowed.
18:525th Marine Division commander specifically requested flame tanks for an area known as the meat grinder.
19:00Three fortified hills formed interlocking defensive positions.
19:05Hill 362.
19:06Turkey Knob.
19:08The amphitheater.
19:10Japanese defenders had held this sector for nine days.
19:14Conventional assaults had failed.
19:16The division had lost over 800 marines attempting to take these positions.
19:22Four flame tanks were assigned to support the attack on Hill 362.
19:27Kissel accompanied the lead tank.
19:30He had worked on this particular Sherman for three straight days,
19:33replacing corroded wiring and rebuilding the fuel pump.
19:37The electrical systems were running at peak efficiency.
19:41The tanks approached Hill 362 at 0800 hours on March 3rd.
19:46Japanese anti-tank fire was immediate and precise.
19:50One Sherman took three hits on the turret, but armor held.
19:54The flame tanks kept advancing.
19:57At 100 yards from the first fortified position, all four opened fire simultaneously.
20:041,600 feet of flame engulfed the hillside.
20:08Cave entrances became infernos.
20:11Hillboxes burned.
20:12Japanese defenders trying to escape through tunnel exits were caught in secondary fires.
20:18The assault lasted 12 minutes.
20:20When the flames ceased, Marines advanced and took Hill 362 with minimal resistance.
20:27What had cost 800 casualties over nine days was resolved in 12 minutes.
20:32Turkey Knob fell the same day, using the same tactics.
20:35The amphitheater required two days, but flame tanks proved decisive in both assaults.
20:42By March 5th, the meat grinder was secured.
20:465th Marine Division credited flame tanks with saving an estimated 500 marine lives in that sector alone.
20:52The success brought greater demand.
20:553rd Marine Division, which had arrived as reinforcements, requested flame tanks for operations in the northern sector.
21:02But the eight original tanks were approaching mechanical limits.
21:062nd had damaged fuel pumps that Patterson was struggling to fix with improvised parts.
21:111nd had electrical failures that Kissel traced to corroded connections he could not fully replace.
21:17The tanks were operating at 75% capacity.
21:21Marine Corps leadership recognized the problem.
21:24A message went to Schofield barracks, requesting additional flame tanks and trained personnel.
21:30But Schofield was 4,000 miles away.
21:34Manufacturing and shipping would take weeks.
21:37The battle on Iwo Jima would not wait.
21:40Kissel understood the mathematics.
21:42Eight tanks.
21:43Reduced capacity.
21:45Growing demand.
21:46Northern sector still held thousands of Japanese defenders in fortified positions.
21:51The flame tanks had proven their value.
21:53The question was whether they could sustain operations long enough to finish the battle.
21:59On March 7th, Japanese forces launched a rare counterattack in the northern sector.
22:05The flame tanks would face their most severe test.
22:08The Japanese counterattack began at 0200 hours on March 7th.
22:13300 defenders emerged from tunnel networks in the northern sector and struck marine positions near Kitano Point.
22:20The assault was coordinated and fierce.
22:24Marines called for immediate support.
22:27Two flame tanks were dispatched in darkness.
22:30Night operations were dangerous for tanks.
22:33Limited visibility.
22:34Difficult terrain.
22:36Japanese infantry could approach unseen with magnetic charges or satchel explosives.
22:41But marine commanders judged the risk acceptable given the flame tank's effectiveness.
22:47Kissel accompanied one of the tanks.
22:48He positioned himself in the assistant driver's seat, monitoring electrical systems by flashlight.
22:54The Sherman moved slowly through the darkness, guided by radio directions from forward observers.
23:01At 300 yards from the marine lines, Japanese troops attacked the tank directly.
23:06Small arms fire struck the hull from multiple directions.
23:10Something heavy hit the turret.
23:12Probably a satchel charge that failed to detonate.
23:15The driver kept moving forward.
23:18Kissel checked the CB-H-1 pressure gauge.
23:22Still operational.
23:23The ignition system was functioning.
23:26At 150 yards from concentrated Japanese positions, the gunner fired.
23:31Flame lit up the night.
23:35400 feet of burning napalm swept across the hillside where Japanese troops had gathered.
23:41The effect was devastating for the attackers.
23:44Defenders caught in the open had no protection from the flame.
23:47The counterattack collapsed within minutes.
23:51The second flame tank arrived and finished securing the sector.
23:55By dawn on March 8th, the counterattack was defeated.
23:59Marines counted 187 Japanese dead in the sector.
24:04Marine casualties were 23, far fewer than expected for a night engagement of that scale.
24:10The flame tanks had halted a major assault that could have pushed marine lines back significantly.
24:15But the overnight mission exposed serious problems.
24:20One flame tank's electrical system had multiple failures during the engagement.
24:25Kissel spent six hours tracing corroded connections and replacing damaged wiring.
24:30The second tank's fuel pump was giving out completely.
24:34Patterson worked through the day attempting repairs with parts scavenged from damaged conventional Shermans.
24:40By evening, only six of the eight flame tanks were operational.
24:45March 10th brought additional difficulties.
24:485th Marine Division reported their flame tanks were consuming 10,000 gallons of fuel daily.
24:54The beach supply depot was struggling to produce enough napalm mixture.
24:59Fuel shortages forced rationing.
25:02Each tank was limited to three missions per day instead of six.
25:05Effectiveness decreased proportionally.
25:09Kissel's physical condition worsened.
25:1126 days of combat operations.
25:13Minimal sleep.
25:15Poor nutrition.
25:16The dislocated shoulder caused constant pain.
25:20Patterson developed severe dehydration and heat exhaustion.
25:24A Navy corpsman ordered him to rest for 24 hours.
25:27That left Kissel as the sole CB maintaining all operational flame tanks.
25:33He worked alone on March 11th, moving between tanks, repairing electrical systems, checking fuel lines, replacing ignition cylinders.
25:42His hands bled from cuts caused by sharp metal edges inside the cramped tank interiors.
25:48His uniform was soaked with sweat, fuel, and hydraulic fluid.
25:53He kept working.
25:55Marine commanders watching this 24-year-old electrician work himself to exhaustion understood something important.
26:02The flame tanks were not just machines.
26:05They were the product of human resolve.
26:09Kissel had built them.
26:10He maintained them.
26:12He fought in them.
26:13His refusal to stop kept them operational.
26:16But even resolve had limits.
26:19The battle was entering its fourth week.
26:22Japanese defenders still held strong positions.
26:26The question was whether Kissel and the flame tanks could endure.
26:29March 12th brought reinforcements from Schofield Barracks.
26:32Not additional flame tanks, but replacement parts and three trained technicians who understood the CB-H1 systems.
26:40Patterson recovered enough to return to limited duty.
26:45Kissel finally had support.
26:47The operational tempo could be maintained.
26:49The final two weeks of the battle tested everything.
26:53Japanese defenders in the northern sector fought from prepared positions with no intention of surrendering.
26:59Every cave required clearing.
27:02Every tunnel needed sealing.
27:04Every pillbox had to be destroyed.
27:07The flame tanks operated continuously.
27:10By March 20th, the eight flame tanks had been in operation for 28 days.
27:15They had carried out over 240 missions.
27:19They had destroyed an estimated 370 fortified positions.
27:23They had consumed over 140,000 gallons of napalm fuel.
27:28Not one flame tank had been lost to enemy action.
27:32Not one crew had been killed while operating them.
27:36The comparison to portable flamethrowers was striking.
27:39Marine units using portable M2-2 flamethrowers suffered 92% casualties in one battalion.
27:46Flame tank crews suffered 12% casualties, mostly from shrapnel and concussion injuries.
27:51The difference was armor protection.
27:54The difference was Kissel's design.
27:57March 26th, 1945.
28:0036 days after the landing.
28:03Admiral Chester Nimitz declared Iwo Jima secure.
28:06Japanese resistance had crumbled.
28:08The surviving defenders retreated into caves where they would eventually die or surrender.
28:14The Marine Corps had paid a terrible price.
28:166,821 killed, 19,217 wounded, over 26,000 casualties.
28:26More American casualties than Japanese for the only time in the Pacific War.
28:31But Marine commanders agreed on one point.
28:34The flame tanks had been the most effective weapon on the island.
28:394th Tank Battalion reported the flamethrower was probably the most valuable single weapon employed
28:44at Iwo Jima.
28:455th Marine Division stated the flamethrower tank was the most important single weapon available
28:50to this division.
28:5223rd Regimental Combat Team reported highly successful and recommended more flame tanks
28:57per tank battalion.
28:59One Marine platoon leader wrote a simpler verdict.
29:02The infantry would sooner see one flamethrower tank than a dozen with 75s.
29:08That statement captured the reality.
29:10Marines trusted the flame tanks.
29:13They waited for them.
29:14They followed them into battle.
29:16The weapon Kissel had built saved thousands of Marine lives.
29:21Kissel served on Iwo Jima for 32 days total.
29:24He accompanied flame tanks on over 20 combat missions.
29:28He maintained electrical systems under fire.
29:31He improvised repairs with limited resources.
29:34He refused evacuation despite injuries and exhaustion.
29:39His determination kept the flame tanks operational through the entire battle.
29:43The eight flame tank crews received presidential unit citations with their respective tank battalions.
29:50Patterson received a navy commendation for his technical work.
29:53Kissel received similar recognition.
29:56But the real recognition came from the Marines who fought behind those flame tanks and survived because of them.
30:03The question after Iwo Jima was whether the flame tanks would continue.
30:08Whether the Marine Corps would adopt them permanently.
30:11Whether Kissel's innovation would become standard doctrine or remain an isolated experiment.
30:16The answer would shape how the military approached fortified positions for decades.
30:22The Marine Corps did not hesitate.
30:25Immediately after Iwo Jima, flame tanks became standard equipment for Pacific operations.
30:30For the invasion of Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the entire 713th Tank Battalion converted to flame.
30:3954 tanks.
30:40All using systems based on Kissel's CB-H1 design.
30:46The CBs at Schofield Barracks oversaw the conversion, training three officers and 60 enlisted men from the battalion.
30:55Okinawa proved the concept definitively.
30:58The flame tanks operated for 82 days.
31:01They consumed 200,000 gallons of napalm fuel.
31:06Army commanders stated the tanks had a psychological presence on the battlefield.
31:11United States troops preferred to follow them over standard armor for the fear they instilled in the enemy.
31:18Japanese defenders abandoned positions when flame tanks appeared.
31:23The weapon Kissel built at Schofield Barracks in late 1944 became the standard American approach to fortified positions.
31:31The impact extended beyond World War II.
31:35Flame tanks using CB-H1 derived systems saw action in Korea from 1950 to 1953.
31:43They remained in service until 1955, when superior models finally replaced them.
31:49For 11 years, Kissel's design was the primary flame tank in American service.
31:55The system he wired with 1,100 electrical connections in November 1944 shaped mechanized warfare doctrine for a generation.
32:05The statistics tell the story of lives saved.
32:08Portable flamethrower operators suffered 92% casualties on Iwo Jima.
32:14Flame tank crews suffered 12%.
32:16On Iwo Jima alone, flame tanks destroyed 370 fortified positions while shielding the marines who advanced behind them.
32:26Casualties in sectors with flame tank support were 42% lower than sectors without them.
32:325th Marine Division estimated flame tanks saved 500 lives just in the meat grinder sector.
32:39The total number saved across the entire battle was likely thousands.
32:44Joseph Kissel returned to civilian life after the war.
32:48He had spent 32 days in combat on Iwo Jima.
32:51He had built a weapon that changed how the United States Marine Corps fought.
32:56He had maintained that weapon under fire.
32:59He had refused to quit when exhaustion and injury gave him every reason to evacuate.
33:04His determination kept 8 flame tanks operational through 36 days of the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history.
33:13The legacy is simple but profound.
33:15A 24-year-old Navy electrician recognized that portable flamethrowers were killing their operators.
33:22He engineered a better solution.
33:24He built it.
33:25He tested it in combat.
33:27He maintained it under the worst conditions imaginable.
33:30His innovation saved thousands of American lives and shaped military doctrine for decades.
33:54And if you'd like to share, tell us if anyone in your family served during the war.
33:59Whether in the Pacific, Europe, or on the home front, their service connects us all to this history.
34:05Thank you for learning about Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Joseph Kissel and the weapon that changed Iwo Jima.
34:12Until the next story, remember those who served.
Comments