The Flammpanzer II (Sd.Kfz. 122), officially designated PzKpfw II (F) and colloquially known as the Flamingo, was a German light flamethrower tank built on the modified chassis of the Panzer II Ausf. D and Ausf. E. Ordered by the Waffenamt in early 1939 to fulfill the need for a specialized flame-projecting combat vehicle, it featured two remotely controlled flamethrower turrets mounted above the front fenders, drawing fuel from internal fender tanks, while a single MG 34 machine gun mounted in a small central turret provided defensive firepower. Between April 1940 and March 1942, a total of 155 units were manufactured and organized into specialized Flammpanzer battalions (Panzer-Abteilungen (F)) for deployment in Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front. While the vehicle proved highly effective during urban assault operations, its thin armor made it exceptionally vulnerable to enemy anti-tank fire and Soviet field guns, leading to high combat losses and the retirement of surviving chassis in 1942 to be converted into Marder II tank destroyers.
