ROKS Flamethrowers
Soviet flamethrowers
The ROKS-2 and ROKS-3 (Shortened from Russian, Rantseviy Ognemyot Kluyeva-Sergeyeva; Ранцевый Огнемёт Клюева — Сергеева; "Kluyev-Sergeyev backpack flamethrower") were man-portable flamethrowers used by the USSR in the Second World War.
ROKS-2
The ROKS-2 was designed not to draw attention, so the fuel and gas tanks were concealed under a sheet-metal outer casting resembling a knapsack; the flame projector was designed to resemble a standard Mosin–Nagant rifle. Operators of flamethrowers during The Great War were immediately targeted, so by camouflaging it to look like a rifle the ROKS-2 protected the operator from being specifically targeted by the enemy.
ROKS-2 had two vertical fuel tanks connected by pipe to a horizontal pressurized nitrogen tank. The nitrogen tank was pressurized at approximately 113 bars (11,300 kPa) and used a propellant for the fuel. The flame shots were ignited by firing specially modified 7.62×25mm Tokarev cartridges.
The ROKS-2 was used, amongst other engagements, during the close-range fighting during the first days of the Battle of Kursk in 1943.
The Finnish designation for captured ROKS-2 units was liekinheitin M/41-r. Captured Soviet flamethrowers saw some use by Finnish forces during the Continuation War. They were operated by two-man teams of combat engineers.
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