UPDATE: PART TWO IS OUT! The video is, "Why Aren't Flamethrower Drones Used in Combat?"

I swear when flamethrowers are added to games, it is either overpowered or really underwhelming.... You're about to find out which one Squad 44 is 0.o

I was so invested in his explanations and facts, I literally forgot and was confused why there was a gameplay in the end

Waiter! waiter! There’s a squad 44 inside my history of flamethrowers video

so invested in you explaining the history of the flamethrower, i forgot this was a squad 44 video

"Napalm famously sticks to-" nervously looks at youtube monetization "-various surfaces."

this dude's side hustle is youtube he is actually a combat instructor

Explaining real life to gamers "There are no respawns"

A few things to add to the explination at the start.
1. Flamethrowers have recently seen minor use by both sides in Ukraine, although they are mounted to drones rather than carriered by infantry, mainly being used to clear treelines and expose targets for artillery, rather than while clearing out trenches. (I will add that Russia's use of flamethrowers is difficult to verify as the TOS-1 is refered to as a "heavy flamethrower" while its actually a thermobaric MLRS, but there are recent reports of Russia using drone based flamethrowers, likely in response to Ukraine's "Dragon Drones")
2. There are thermobaric weapons for all ranges, with domesticly produced examples including Ukraine using RGT-27S and RGT-27S2, which are hand grenades, and Russia using the GM-94 grenade launcher, which can fire VGM-93.100 Thermobaric grenades.

The biggest issue with flamethrowers is that grenades have been developed to a point where they are suitable for every prior use-case of the flamethrower, while also being much more versitile themselves. White phosphorus is the biggest contender to flamethrowers. White phosphorus was also first used in WW1, and saw major use in WW2 and the Vietnam War. However, unlike flamethrowers, white phosphorus saw major use in the Falklands, Chechnya, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Both are very good at causing severe burns, creating toxic fumes, sticking to walls or people and creating smoke to block vision. However a white phosphorus grenade can also be used to create smokescreens to hide movement from both optical and thermal imaging, as well as being very weight efficent. Hand grenades don't need dedicated launchers, which makes them lighter (especially as the weight decreases significatly as you use them) and effective at shorter ranges, while at longer ranges you can instead use handheld launchers, mounted automatic grenade launchers, mortars or even artillery pieces and tanks, to significantly increase the distance white phosphorus can be used from. With all of these choices being able to use a variety of ammuition to adapt to different situations, rather than only being compatible with thermite or napalm.

I did not expected such a video, but you provided the best synthesis of flamethrower doctrine I’ve ever watched!

Clicked for the gameplay

Stayed for the amazing flamethrower presentation

4:20 the fire resistance potion irl is called "shooting them before they reach you"

every japanese soldier knows to hide when they hear the war cry of "TOMMYYYY TOMMYYYYY !!!!"

I had to check twice if this was an actual squad44 video

Honestly, even tho the gameplay was comparatively short, it was way more engaging to watch with your tactical explanations in mind. I think, the gameplay gains a lot of value through this explanations

13:20 I remember when I was in the military and I thought I would be a smart ass and buy a bigger, lighter and better backpack instead of the Standard issue one, I was immediately Promoted to Radio Operator and had to carry that big as cold war era radio with extra batteries.

Hello.
Former military here. In Ukraine, we employ rocket-propelled flamethrowers on the battlefield. These include both thermobaric warheads adapted for RPGs (yes, RPGs can be loaded with various types of munitions), as well as dedicated launchers like the RPV-16 (Rocket-Propelled Flamethrower-16).
These systems are highly effective but also heavy and cumbersome.
I’m aware of cases where entire units were lost because enemy fortifications could only be neutralized with flamethrower systems, and no flamethrower operator was available in the squad.
Appreciate the video.

That bit with the AT mine fuses really drives home my opinion that terrain deformation and destruction are severely lacking from tactical shooters. Especially in ww2 there are so many tactics for assaulting fortified positions and buildings that just don't work in milsim games because they involve explosively removing the strongpoint. Artillery tactics too, incendiary rounds, the famous tree bursts of bastogne, even to things like bombing a field so your infantry can have some cover in the shell craters.

recently in squad 44 i played on utah and i got our squad the most kills of the match by guiding my sherman to use all it's HE on that one villiage on the beach, no matter how many we blew up, our infantry couldn't get through in cqb so we still lost. And that moment, while still fun, has left me wanting.

"You are afraid. Amber lash of searing flame, lungs filled with acrid smoke. You ought to be afraid.
You're made made out of meat." -Ahoy

9:43 schrodinger's shrapnel

What I expected: A video showing a lesser known niche of a video game flamethrower.
What I got: An in-depth analysis on military breaching and bunker buster tactics culminating in the contextualization of flamethrowers in both modern and historically uses...with some gameplay as a treat.