In World War II, during the brutal Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, a 24 year old Navy electrician helped transform standard Sherman tanks into devastating flamethrower weapons. Joseph Kissel and eight modified M4A3 “Zippo” tanks reshaped U.S. assault tactics against Japan’s heavily fortified bunker systems.
As portable flamethrower units suffered massive losses, innovation inside armored steel changed the deadly mathematics of WW II combat. From the Meat Grinder to the northern counterattacks, these fire breathing tanks reduced casualties and became a turning point in Pacific War strategy.
