Wechselapparat

The Wechselapparat M.1917 (Wex) was a World War I German flamethrower introduced in early May of 1917 to replace the earlier Kleif. It was developed by engineer workshops within the Guards Reserve Pioneer Regiment (Garde-Reserve-Pionier-Regiment), which was the main flamethrower unit of the Imperial German Army. It was the first flamethrower in the German arsenal which could be used by one soldier if needed. The Wex was deployed in a group of four: two operators, one officer, and a grenadier. It had a doughnut-shaped backpack fuel container with a spherical propellant container (nitrogen) in the middle that propelled the flame oil. A corrugated rubber hose led from the tank to a brass stopcock that enables the tank carrier to release the fuel under pressure to the lance which has a brass stopcock for firing. The Wex used a magnesium based igniter system which was held in a housing around the nozzle. When inserted into the housing, the igniter is pressed against a spring and then held in place by a hinged metal fork on the housing. Once the igniter was spent, the fork was removed and the igniter was ejected by the spring. The Wex was used from 1917 until the end of the war in 1918. It saw use in the German revolution of 1918–1919 by the Freikorps and Reichswehr. Some Wex flamethrowers survived the Revolution despite the Treaty of Versailles and were used by the Finnish and the Polish armies in the 1920s. The design may have inspired the later Flammenwerfer 40.

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Wex
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Frameless

U.S. soldiers test a captured German Wechselapparat flamethrower in 1918.

U.S. soldiers test a captured German Wechselapparat flamethrower in 1918.

Flame-throwers, Berlin LCCN2014708801

Freikorps Assault with Wex Flamethrower

A Wex squad of the Berliner Freischützenkorps, the volunteer military wing of the Berlin police, in March of 1919. They wear the peakless M1918 helmet and are clearing the flamethrower of oil after ejecting the spent igniter.

Germany volunteer army training with Wechselapparat 1919

Pokaz działania miotaczy ognia podczas rewii wojskowej w Warszawie 3 maja 1938 NAC 1-P-2876-18

Collections of the Imperial War Museum London (7)

Collections of the Imperial War Museum London (6)

Wechselapparat IWM 2

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
commons	image		U.S. soldiers test a captured German Wechselapparat flamethrower in 1918.		Commons
commons	image		U.S. soldiers test a captured German Wechselapparat flamethrower in 1918.		Commons
commons	image		Flame-throwers, Berlin LCCN2014708801		Commons
commons	image		Freikorps Assault with Wex Flamethrower		Commons
commons	image		A Wex squad of the Berliner Freischützenkorps, the volunteer military wing of the Berlin police, in March of 1919. They wear the peakless M1918 helmet and are clearing the flamethrower of oil after ejecting the spent igniter.		Commons
commons	image		Germany volunteer army training with Wechselapparat 1919		Commons
commons	image		Pokaz działania miotaczy ognia podczas rewii wojskowej w Warszawie 3 maja 1938 NAC 1-P-2876-18		Commons
commons	image		Collections of the Imperial War Museum London (7)		Commons
commons	image		Collections of the Imperial War Museum London (6)		Commons
commons	image		Wechselapparat IWM 2		Commons