The Flammenwerfer 41, or FmW 41, was the standard German flamethrower beginning in 1941 and an upgraded version of the earlier Flammenwerfer 35, whose main issue was its excessive weight of 36 kg (79 lb), double that of the FmW 35 (18 kg (40 lb)).

[1] It performed a similar role of other flamethrowers of the time, namely clearing enemy trenches and buildings in highly fortified areas.

The FmW 41 proved to be more reliable and easier to operate than its predecessor, it had an increased range of 32 metres (105 ft).

Problems surfaced against Soviet troops during the winter of 1941 as its lighting mechanism was unable to cope with the cold weather conditions.

Later versions of the weapon replaced the hydrogen torch with a cartridge based system which proved more effective.