Incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus. A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely Fire is the heat and light energy released during a Chemical reaction, in particular a combustion reaction. Napalm is the name given to any of a number of Flammable Liquids used in Warfare often jellied Gasoline. Thermite is a Pyrotechnic composition of Aluminium powder and a metal oxide which produces an Aluminothermic reaction known as a Chlorine trifluoride is the Chemical compound with the formula ClF3 This article is about the military applications of white phosphorus.
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Development and use
Incendiary bombs, also known as firebombs, were used as an effective bombing weapon in World War II [1]. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The large bomb casing was filled with small sticks of incendiaries (bomblets), and designed to open at altitude, scattering the bomblets in order to cover a wide area. Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a number of smaller submunitions a cluster of bomblets An explosive charge would then ignite the incendiary material, often starting a raging fire. The fire would burn at extreme temperatures that could destroy most buildings made of wood or other combustible materials (buildings constructed of stone tend to resist incendiary destruction unless they are first blown open by high explosives). Originally, incendiaries were developed in order to destroy the many small, decentralized war industries located (often intentionally) throughout vast tracts of city land in an effort to escape destruction by conventionally-aimed high-explosive bombs. Nevertheless, the civilian destruction caused by such weapons quickly earned them a reputation as terror weapons (e. g. , German Terrorflieger) with the targeted populations, and more than a few shot-down aircrews were summarily executed by angry civilians upon capture. A summary execution is a type of Extrajudicial punishment in which a person is killed on the spot without Trial. The Nazi regime began the campaign of incendiary bombings with the bombing of London in 1940–41, and reprisal was exacted by the Allies in the strategic bombing campaign. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. Strategic bombing during World War II was greater in scale than any wartime attack the world had previously witnessed In the Pacific War, during the last seven months of strategic bombing by B-29 Superfortresses in the airwar against Japan, a change to firebombing tactics resulted in some 500,000 Japanese deaths and 5 million more made homeless. The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between Strategic bombing during World War II was greater in scale than any wartime attack the world had previously witnessed 67 of Japan's largest cities lost significant area to incendiary attacks. The most deadly single bombing raid in all history was Operation Meetinghouse, an incendiary attack that killed some 100,000 Tokyo residents in one night.
Modern incendiary bombs usually contain thermite, made from aluminium and ferric oxide. Thermite is a Pyrotechnic composition of Aluminium powder and a metal oxide which produces an Aluminothermic reaction known as a WikipediaNaming Iron(III oxide —also known as ferric oxide, Hematite, red iron oxide, synthetic maghemite, colcothar, or simply Rust —is The most effective formula is 25% aluminium and 75% iron oxide. It takes very high temperatures to ignite, but when alight, it can burn through solid steel. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 In WWII, such devices were employed in incendiary grenades to burn through heavy armor plate, or as a quick welding mechanism to destroy artillery and other complex machined weapons. Armour (or armor) is protective covering most commonly manufactured from metals to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials usually Metals or Thermoplastics by causing coalescence. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine
White phosphorus (WP) bombs and shells are essentially incendiary devices, and can be used in an offensive anti-personnel role against enemy troop concentrations. This article is about the military applications of white phosphorus. WP is also used for signaling, smokescreens, and target-marking purposes. For the Transformers character see Smokescreen (Transformers A smoke screen is a release of Smoke in order to mask the movement The U. S. Army and Marines used WP extensively in WWII and Korea for all three purposes, frequently using WP shells in large 4. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the 2-inch chemical mortars. WP was widely credited by many Allied soldiers for breaking up numerous Nazi infantry attacks and creating havoc among enemy troop concentrations during the latter part of WWII. The psychological impact of WP on the enemy was noted by many troop commanders in WWII, and captured 4. 2-inch mortarmen were sometimes summarily executed by German forces in reprisal. Not to be confused with a Reprise. In warfare a reprisal is a limited and deliberate violation of the laws of war to punish an enemy for breaking In both WWII and Korea, WP was found particularly useful in overcoming enemy human wave attacks.
Since white phosphorus can be used as a multipurpose device to mark targets, provide a smoke screen, or signal to friendly troops, it may not be covered by UN protocols on incendiary weapons when used in this fashion. Protocol III of the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons prohibits the use of incendiary weapons against civilians (effectively a reaffirmation of the general prohibition on attacks against civilians in Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions), prohibits the use of air-delivered incendiary weapons against military targets located within concentrations of civilians and loosely regulates the use of other types of incendiary weapons in such circumstances.
A variety of pyrophoric materials can be also used. A pyrophoric substance will ignite spontaneously that is its Autoignition temperature is below Room temperature. Selected organometallic compounds, most often triethylaluminium, trimethylaluminium, and some other alkyl and aryl derivates of aluminium, magnesium, boron, zinc, sodium, and lithium, can be used. Organometallic chemistry is the study of Chemical compounds containing bonds between Carbon and a Metal. Triethylaluminium or TEA is a volatile Organometallic compound which is used in various chemical processing and as an ignitor for jet and rocket Trimethylaluminium is the Chemical compound with the formula Al 2( CH3)6 abbreviated as Al2Me6 An alkyl is a Univalent radical consisting of Carbon and Hydrogen atoms arranged in a chain In the context of organic molecules aryl refers to any Functional group or Substituent derived from a Simple aromatic ring, may it be Phenyl WikipediaNaming Magnesium (mægˈniːziəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Mg, Atomic number 12 Atomic weight 24 Boron (ˈbɔərɒn is a Chemical element with Atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 Sodium (ˈsoʊdiəm is an element which has the symbol Na( Latin natrium, from Arabic natrun) atomic number 11 atomic mass 22 Lithium (ˈlɪθiəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Li and Atomic number 3 Thickened triethylaluminium, a napalm-like substance that ignites in contact with air, is known as thickened pyrophoric agent, or TPA. Triethylaluminium or TEA is a volatile Organometallic compound which is used in various chemical processing and as an ignitor for jet and rocket
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Army developed the CBU-55, a cluster bomb incendiary fueled by propane, a weapon that was used only once in warfare. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The CBU-55 was a Cluster bomb Incendiary device that was developed during the Vietnam War, by the United States Army and was used only once in warfare Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a number of smaller submunitions a cluster of bomblets Propane is a three- Carbon Alkane, normally a gas but compressible to a liquid that is transportable [2] Napalm proper is no longer used by the United States, although the kerosene-fueled Mark 77 MOD 5 Firebomb is currently in use. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage is a Combustible Hydrocarbon liquid The Mark 77 bomb (MK-77 is a US 750-lb (340 kg air-dropped Incendiary bomb carrying of a fuel gel mix which is the direct successor to Napalm. The United States has confirmed the use of Mark 77s in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign
See also
- Arson
- Bat bomb
- Driptorch
- Fire accelerant
- Firestorm
- Flame fougasse
- Flamethrower
- Fuel-air explosive
- Greek fire
- Pen Huo Qi (Historic Chinese flamethrower)
- Meng Huo You (Historic Chinese incendiary weapon)
- Molotov cocktail
- High-explosive incendiary (HEI)
- Early thermal weapons
References
- ^ World War II Guide.
- ^ Alan Dawson, 55 Days: The Fall of South Vietnam (Prentice-Hall 1977). Bat bombs were bomb-shaped casings with numerous compartments each containing a Mexican Free-tailed Bat with a small timed Incendiary bomb attached A driptorch is a tool used in wildland firefighting, controlled burning, and other Forestry applications to intentionally ignite fires In Fire protection, an accelerant is any substance or mixture that "accelerates" the development of Fire. A firestorm is a Conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system A fougasse is an improvised mine constructed by making a hollow in the ground or rock and filling this with explosives (originally Black powder) and projectiles A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of Fire. Thermobaric weapons distinguish themselves from conventional Explosive weapons by using atmospheric Oxygen, instead of carrying an Oxidizer in their Greek fire was a burning-liquid weapon used by the Byzantine Empire. The Pen Huo Qi is a double-piston pump Naphtha Flamethrower used in 919 in China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period Meng Huo You ( is the name given to Petroleum in Ancient China, which practiced the use of petroleum as an Incendiary weapon in warfare The Molotov cocktail, also known as the booze bomb, alcohol bomb or Molotov bomb, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary Early thermal weapons were devices or substances used in Warfare during the classical and medieval periods (approx 8th century BC until the mid-16th
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