Kleinflammenwerfer
The first German man-portable flamethrower was called the Kleinflammenwerfer ('small flamethrower') or "Kleif". Fuel was stored in a large vertical, cylindrical backpack container. High-pressure propellant was stored in another, smaller container attached to the fuel tank. A long hose connected the fuel tank to a lance tube with an igniting device at the nozzle. The propellant forced the fuel through the hose and out of the nozzle at high speed when a valve was opened. The igniting device at the nozzle set fire to the fuel as it sprayed out. The flamethrower was operated by two soldiers , one carrying the fuel and propellant tanks, another wielding the lance (though it was 31.8 kg it could be operated by one soldier). "Wex", a replacement for the "Kleif", was introduced in 1917 after the third battle of Ypres. The "Kleinflammenwerfer" was created by and developed by Richard Fiedler, alongside the "Grossflammenwerfer", which was a larger flamethrower.