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Incendiary projectiles. Topic: modern conventional weapons Incendiary substances, their composition and combat properties

Characteristics of incendiary weapons. Incendiary substances, their composition and combat properties. Methods and means of using incendiary weapons

Characteristics of incendiary weapons

Incendiary weapon- a means of destroying enemy personnel and military equipment, the action of which is based on the use of incendiary substances. Incendiary weapons include incendiary ammunition and fire mixtures, as well as means of delivering them to the target.

Incendiary substance- a special selected substance or mixture of substances that can ignite, burn steadily and ensure maximum manifestation of the damaging factors of incendiary weapons during combat use.
The main damaging factor of incendiary weapons is the release of thermal energy and combustion products toxic to humans.

An important distinctive combat property incendiary weapons (IW) is its ability to cause secondary fire processes, which in terms of thermal power and the scale of manifestation of damaging factors can be many times greater than the primary fire effect on the target.

The second important feature The damaging effect of ZZH in relation to manpower is the “production” of a huge number of burn wounds, entailing the incapacitation of manpower and long-term hospitalization, i.e., as a rule, irreversible losses.

The third feature The destructive effect of the ZZZH is the high moral and psychological impact on the enemy’s manpower.

Incendiary substances, their composition and combat properties

All modern incendiary substances, depending on their composition, are divided into three main groups: incendiary mixtures based on petroleum products, metallized incendiary mixtures based on petroleum products, and incendiary mixtures based on thermite.

A special group of incendiary substances consists of ordinary and plasticized phosphorus, alkali metals, and a self-igniting mixture based on triethylene aluminum.

Incendiary mixtures based on petroleum products- are divided into unthickened (liquid) and thickened (viscous).

Unthickened incendiary mixtures- prepared from gasoline, diesel fuel and lubricating oils. They ignite well and are used from backpack flamethrowers.

Thickened incendiary mixtures- viscous gelatinous substances consisting of gasoline or other liquid fuel mixed with various thickeners. They were called napalm. They are a viscous mass that adheres well to various surfaces and resembles rubber glue in appearance. The color of the mass ranges from pink to brown depending on the thickener.

Napalm is highly flammable, but burns with a combustion temperature of 1100-12000C and a duration of 5-10 minutes. In addition, napalm B has increased adhesion even to wet surfaces and, when burned, emits toxic fumes that cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory system. It is also lighter than water, which allows it to burn on its surface.

When light metals (sodium) are added to napalm, the mixture is called "super napalm", which spontaneously ignites on a target, especially water or snow.
Metallized mixtures based on petroleum products (pyrogels) are a type of napalm mixtures with the addition of aluminum, magnesium powders or heavy petroleum products (asphalt, fuel oil) and some types of flammable polymers.

By appearance- a thick mass with a grayish tint, burning with flashes with a combustion temperature of up to 16000C, a burning time of 1-3 minutes.

Pyrogels are distinguished according to the quantitative content of the combustible base

Thermite compounds- are powdery mixtures of iron oxide and aluminum. Their compositions may include barium nitrate, sulfur, and binders (varnishes, oils). Ignition temperature 13000C, combustion temperature 30000C. burning thermite is a liquid mass that does not have an open flame, burning without access to air. Capable of burning through sheets of steel and duralumin, and melting metal objects. Used to equip incendiary mines, shells, small-caliber bombs, hand-held incendiary guarantors and checkers.

White phosphorus- a solid, waxy substance that ignites spontaneously in air and burns with the release of thick, acrid white smoke. Ignition temperature 340C, combustion temperature 12000C. It is used as a smoke-forming substance, as well as an igniter for napalm and pyrogel in incendiary ammunition.

Plasticized phosphorus- a mixture of white phosphorus with a viscous solution of synthetic rubber. It is pressed into granules, which, when broken, are crushed, acquiring the ability to stick to vertical surfaces and burn through them. It is used in smoke ammunition (aircraft bombs, shells, mines, hand grenades) as an igniter in incendiary bombs and fire mines.

Electron is an alloy of magnesium, aluminum and other elements. Ignition temperature 6000C, combustion temperature 28000C. burns with a dazzling white or bluish flame. Used for the manufacture of casings for aircraft incendiary bombs.

Self-igniting incendiary mixture- consists of polyisobutylene and triethylene aluminum (liquid fuel).

Methods and means of using incendiary weapons

According to current views, ZZhO can be used independently or in combination with other means of destruction. It should be used massively, in the main direction, which ensures the greatest effectiveness of its combat use. At the same time, the use of ZZZH is organized and carried out in a system of complex fire destruction of the enemy to solve the following combat missions:

1. Rapid defeat on land and water of large masses of open and partially hidden enemy manpower.

2. Damage to transport (landing) vehicles and special equipment, both on the battlefield and in places where they are accumulated and concentrated.

3. Creation of extensive landscape and facility fires that destroy manpower, military equipment and material assets.

4. Destruction of buildings and structures.

5. Ensuring the effective destruction of specific targets in the tactical depth of enemy combat formations, especially when fighting in populated areas.

6. Psychological influence on enemy personnel with the aim of demoralizing him.

To solve problems of combat use in the army of a potential enemy, the following are used:

In the Air Force - incendiary bombs, incendiary tanks, cassettes;

In the ground forces - artillery shells, mines, tank, self-propelled, backpack flamethrowers, incendiary grenades, fire mines.

Incendiary aircraft munitions are divided into napalm (fire) incendiary bombs and incendiary cassettes and cassette installations.

Napalm bombs- thin-walled containers made of steel and aluminum alloys with a thickness (0.5 - 0.7 mm) filled with napalm.
Napalm bombs that do not have stabilizers and an explosive projectile are called tanks. They are used on fighter-bombers and attack aircraft.
Aviation cassettes (create fires over large areas) They are disposable shells containing from 50 to 600-800 small-caliber incendiary bombs and a device that ensures their dispersion. Used in aircraft and helicopter aviation.

Artillery incendiary ammunition used in multi-barrel rocket launchers (made from thermite, electron, napalm, phosphorus).

Backpack flamethrowers, the action of which is based on the release of a fire mixture using compressed air.

Rocket launchers In addition to the incendiary grenade, they have in their ammunition a cumulative and a chemical grenade filled with a CS toxic substance.

Rifle incendiary bullets- are intended mainly to destroy manpower, as well as to ignite engines, fuel and flammable materials. Firing range - 120 m.

Incendiary smoke cartridge- is an individual infantry weapon and is designed to combat manpower and armored vehicles. It is loaded with a mixture of powdered phosphorus and magnesium. Flame temperature 1200°C. throwing range 100 m, effective 50-60 m. When burning, a large amount of smoke is released.
Fire bombs- designed to destroy manpower, equipment, as well as to strengthen explosive and non-explosive obstacles.

Incendiary weapons are a means of destroying enemy personnel and military equipment, the action of which is based on the use of incendiary substances. Incendiary weapons include incendiary ammunition and fire mixtures, as well as means of delivering them to the target.

An incendiary substance is a specially selected substance or mixture of substances that can ignite, burn steadily and ensure maximum manifestation of the damaging factors of incendiary weapons during combat use.

The main damaging factor of incendiary weapons is the release of thermal energy and combustion products toxic to humans.

An important distinctive combat property of incendiary weapons (IW) is its ability to cause secondary fire processes, which in terms of thermal power and the scale of manifestation of damaging factors can be many times greater than the primary fire effect on the target.

The second important feature of the damaging effect of ZZH in relation to manpower is the “production” of a huge number of burn wounds, entailing the incapacitation of manpower and long-term hospitalization, i.e., as a rule, irreversible losses. The third feature of the damaging effect of ZZhO is the high moral and psychological impact on the enemy’s manpower.

A special group of incendiary substances consists of ordinary and plasticized phosphorus, alkali metals, and a self-igniting mixture based on triethylene aluminum.

Incendiary mixtures based on petroleum products are divided into unthickened (liquid) and thickened (viscous).

Unthickened incendiary mixtures are prepared from gasoline, diesel fuel and lubricating oils. They ignite well and are used from backpack flamethrowers.

Thickened incendiary mixtures are viscous, gelatinous substances consisting of gasoline or other liquid fuel mixed with various thickeners. They were called napalm. They are a viscous mass that adheres well to various surfaces and resembles rubber glue in appearance. The color of the mass ranges from pink to brown depending on the thickener.

When light metals (sodium) are added to napalm, the mixture is called "super napalm", which spontaneously ignites on a target, especially water or snow. Metallized mixtures based on petroleum products (pyrogels) are a type of napalm mixtures with the addition of aluminum, magnesium powders or heavy petroleum products (asphalt, fuel oil) and some types of flammable polymers.

In appearance, it is a thick mass with a grayish tint, burning with flashes with a combustion temperature of up to 16000C, a burning time of 1-3 minutes.

Pyrogels are distinguished according to the quantitative content of the combustible base:

Thermite compounds are powdery mixtures of iron and aluminum oxide. Their compositions may include barium nitrate, sulfur, and binders (varnishes, oils). Ignition temperature 13000C, combustion temperature 30000C. burning thermite is a liquid mass that does not have an open flame, burning without access to air. Capable of burning through sheets of steel and duralumin, and melting metal objects. Used to equip incendiary mines, shells, small-caliber bombs, hand-held incendiary guarantors and checkers.

White phosphorus is a solid, waxy substance that is self-igniting in air and burns with the release of thick, acrid white smoke. Ignition temperature 340C, combustion temperature 12000C. It is used as a smoke-forming substance, as well as an igniter for napalm and pyrogel in incendiary ammunition.

Plasticized phosphorus is a mixture of white phosphorus with a viscous solution of synthetic rubber. It is pressed into granules, which, when broken, are crushed, acquiring the ability to stick to vertical surfaces and burn through them. It is used in smoke ammunition (aircraft bombs, shells, mines, hand grenades) as an igniter in incendiary bombs and fire mines.

Self-igniting incendiary mixture - consists of polyisobutylene and triethylene aluminum (liquid fuel).

Methods and means of using incendiary weapons

1. Rapid defeat on land and water of large masses of open and partially hidden enemy manpower.
2. Damage to transport (landing) vehicles and special equipment, both on the battlefield and in places where they are accumulated and concentrated.
3. Creation of extensive landscape and facility fires that destroy manpower, military equipment and material assets.
4. Destruction of buildings and structures.
5. Ensuring the effective destruction of specific targets in the tactical depth of enemy combat formations, especially when fighting in populated areas.
6. Psychological influence on enemy personnel with the aim of demoralizing him.

To solve problems of combat use in the army of a potential enemy, the following are used:

In the Air Force - incendiary bombs, incendiary tanks, cassettes; - in the ground forces - artillery shells, mines, tank, self-propelled, backpack flamethrowers, incendiary grenades, fire mines.

Incendiary aircraft munitions are divided into napalm (fire) incendiary bombs and incendiary cassettes and cassette launchers.

Napalm bombs are thin-walled containers made of steel and aluminum alloys with a thickness of (0.5 - 0.7 mm) filled with napalm.

Napalm bombs that do not have stabilizers and an explosive projectile are called tanks. They are used on fighter-bombers and attack aircraft.

Aviation cassettes (create fires over large areas) are disposable shells containing from 50 to 600-800 small-caliber incendiary bombs and a device that ensures their dispersion. Used in aircraft and helicopter aviation.

Artillery incendiary ammunition is used in multi-barrel rocket launchers (made from thermite, electron, napalm, phosphorus).

Backpack flamethrowers, the action of which is based on the release of a fire mixture through compressed air.

Rocket-propelled grenade launchers have in addition to an incendiary grenade a cumulative and a chemical grenade filled with a CS toxic substance.

Rifle incendiary bullets - designed primarily to destroy manpower, as well as to ignite engines, fuel and flammable materials. Firing range - 120 m.

An incendiary smoke cartridge is an individual infantry weapon and is designed to combat manpower and armored vehicles. It is loaded with a mixture of powdered phosphorus and magnesium. Flame temperature 1200°C. throwing range 100 m, effective 50-60 m. When burning, a large amount of smoke is released.

Fire mines - designed to destroy manpower, equipment, as well as to strengthen explosive and non-explosive obstacles.

This body can be solid or hollow, streamlined (ogive) or arrow-shaped, carry a payload or not - all these factors (together with the internal structure) are determined by the purpose of the projectile. Conical artillery shells were first used by the Italian artilleryman Cavalli for the rifled gun he invented in 1845, and with the spread of rifled cannons around 1860, they completely replaced the previous cannonballs. Subsequently, for several more decades, shells were divided into “bombs” and “grenades”, but since the First World War, the term “grenade” was assigned to hand grenades and grenade launcher shells, “bomb” to aircraft bombs, and artillery shells began to be called simply "shells".

Classification of artillery shells

Artillery shells of the 19th century (in order of location in the figure): Top row: 1-3 - spherical shells (grenade, bomb, shrapnel grenade) of the first half of the 19th century, 4 - high explosive bomb, 5 - grenade, 6 - sharokha (rounded cast iron grenade from the 1860s), 7 - a bomb with a thick lead shell, 8 - a bomb with a thin lead shell, 9 - a bomb of the 1867 model with a copper belt. Middle row: 10 - grape grenade, 11 - grenade shot, 12 - luminous core (lighting projectile), 13 - ring cast iron grenade, 13-a- section of light and battery ring grenades, 18 - cast iron bomb before 1881, 20 - steel high-explosive deck-piercing bomb, 21 - mountain shrapnel. Bottom row: 14 - high-explosive powder bomb for a 6-inch (152 mm) field mortar, 15 - 42-line (107 mm) high-explosive bomb, 16 - high-explosive powder bomb for coastal guns, 17 - cast iron bomb model 1881, 22 - light cannon shrapnel, 19 - steel armor-piercing bomb, 23 - shrapnel with a central chamber, 24 - segment bomb.

The classification of projectiles is very diverse and can be carried out according to several criteria at once. The main classification characteristics include

Purpose of shells

An armor-piercing projectile is ammunition designed to combat enemy armored vehicles. According to their design, armor-piercing projectiles, in turn, are divided into caliber, sub-caliber with a permanent or detachable tray, and swept-finned projectiles.
A concrete-piercing projectile is an ammunition designed to destroy reinforced concrete long-term fortifications.
A high-explosive projectile is ammunition designed to destroy field and long-term fortifications, wire fences, and buildings.
A cumulative projectile is an ammunition designed to destroy armored vehicles and garrisons of long-term fortifications by creating a narrowly directed stream of explosion products with high penetrating ability.
A fragmentation projectile is ammunition designed to destroy enemy personnel with fragments formed when the projectile explodes. The rupture occurs upon impact with an obstacle or remotely in the air.
Buckshot is ammunition designed to destroy openly located enemy personnel in self-defense of the weapon. It consists of bullets placed in a highly combustible frame, which, when fired, scatter in a certain sector from the gun barrel.
Shrapnel is ammunition designed to destroy openly located enemy personnel with bullets located inside its body. The hull ruptures and bullets are thrown out of it in flight.
A nuclear projectile is ammunition for delivering a tactical nuclear strike against large targets and concentrations of enemy forces. The most effective and destructive weapon available to artillery.
A chemical projectile is an ammunition containing a potent toxic substance to destroy enemy personnel. Some types of chemical shells may contain a non-lethal chemical agent that deprives enemy soldiers of their combat capability (tear, psychotropic, etc. substances)
A biological projectile is a munition containing a potent biological toxin or culture of infectious microorganisms. Designed to destroy or non-lethally incapacitate enemy personnel.
A thermobaric projectile is an ammunition containing a formulation for the formation of an explosive gaseous mixture. Extremely effective against hidden enemy personnel.
Incendiary projectile - ammunition containing a formulation for igniting flammable materials and objects, such as city buildings, fuel depots, etc.
Smoke projectile - ammunition containing a formulation to produce smoke in large quantities. Used to create smoke screens and blind enemy command and observation posts.
Illumination projectile is ammunition containing a recipe for creating a long-lasting and brightly burning flame. Used to illuminate the battlefield at night. Typically equipped with a parachute for longer duration of illumination.
A tracer projectile is an ammunition that leaves behind a bright trail during its flight, visible to the naked eye.
A propaganda shell is an ammunition containing leaflets inside for agitating enemy soldiers or disseminating propaganda among the civilian population in enemy front-line settlements.
A training shell is usually a solid ammunition intended for training personnel of artillery units. It can be either a dummy or a weight-and-size mock-up, unsuitable for firing, or ammunition suitable for target practice.

Some of these classification characteristics may overlap. For example, high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing tracer shells are widely known.

Projectile design

The material of the projectile body or core is steel, steel cast iron, tungsten, uranium, etc.
Type of explosive (high explosives, etc.)
Projectile body geometry - sharp-headed, blunt-headed, long-range
Projectile payload - a solid shell without a load or an artillery grenade with a cavity for loading (explosives, shrapnel bullets, leaflets, anti-personnel mines)
Type of gun - howitzer, cannon, rifled or non-rotating projectiles
Other design features - a projectile with a leading belt (English)Russian, winged projectile, active-rocket projectile (with an auxiliary jet engine), guided (adjustable) projectile, etc.

Adjustable projectiles

For extended range projectiles, correction is applied to reduce deviation from the target due to guidance errors and atmospheric disturbances. For this purpose, an inertial control system and/or correction based on signals from navigation systems (for example, GPS) are used. For example M982 "Excalibur".
Laser target designation is used to hit moving targets at long distances or targets without topographic reference. The target is illuminated with a laser, and the homing head points the projectile at the illuminated target. These are, for example, “Copperhead”, “Krasnopol”, “Flower Garden”, “Russian. ", "BONUS-155".

Detonation method

Contact (the fuse is triggered by hitting a target, ground or other obstacle), can be instant or delayed;
Non-contact (no need to hit the target, ground or other obstacle), in turn, is divided into subtypes:
- Remote (after a given flight time - shrapnel tube, electronic timer, mechanical timer, chemical timer (not used since the 40s, due to too high dependence on ambient temperature), radio range finder (used in air-to-air missiles) and ammunition of the “shock core” type);
- Radio command (by command from the fire control system, most often at less than a given distance from the target);
- Barometric (detonation at a given altitude based on atmospheric pressure measurements);
Combined (combination of several methods in one ammunition).

In the historical past of artillery, other types of projectiles were also used, now out of use, such as cannonballs.

Any artillery shell, with the exception of training, solid and some types of sub-caliber armor-piercing ammunition, is an extremely life-threatening item. If you find an unfired or unexploded shell, you should immediately contact the authorities to eliminate it as quickly as possible. The design of some types of sub-caliber armor-piercing ammunition uses depleted uranium, which makes them to a certain extent hazardous to the health of military personnel and the environment. These include // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

During the First World War, various types of incendiary projectiles appeared: aerial bombs, arrows, artillery and mortar shells, bullets and hand grenades. Incendiary ammunition, which is in the arsenal of modern armies, is represented by a large number of incendiary artillery shells, grenades, bombs, cartridges and other means that are intended to destroy various targets.

Incendiary bullets filled with yellow phosphorus first appeared in World War I and were intended to ignite balloons and airplanes. After all, both the huge Zeppelins and nimble airplanes turned out to be very vulnerable to fire. Combat experience has shown that an ordinary tracer bullet has a great incendiary effect, and one special incendiary bullet was often enough to destroy an enemy aircraft. Therefore, incendiary bullets are most widely used in aviation. And it was the incendiary bullet that became the gravedigger of combat airships, since a tiny fighter in one burst destroyed a giant zeppelin, in which the carrier gas was flammable hydrogen. By the way, in the ground forces the use of incendiary bullets is prohibited by the Hague and Geneva Conventions, as a type of weapon that causes particularly serious injuries and suffering to humans. But, so to speak, semi-legally, they were used by almost all the warring parties, bashfully calling them targeters. What can you do, combat effectiveness comes first...

Later they noticed that a standard flare is also excellent at setting fire to flammable objects. Therefore, they were used by troops as an improvised incendiary agent.

The Spanish Republicans were the first to use flammable mixture bottles against Franco's tanks in 1936. During the Second World War, “liquid grenades” were already used en masse by all belligerents.

Incendiary hand grenades appeared in the First World War. They were of two types: phosphorus (incendiary-smoke) and thermite. The latter burn for 3-4 minutes. and could be used to render metal tools and machines unusable. Ignition was carried out before throwing or at the moment of throwing the grenade.

Hand-held incendiary and smoke cartridges DM-24 and DM-34 have been adopted into service with the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. They are individual weapons and are designed to combat armored vehicles, create fires, as well as blind and smoke out manpower from defensive structures, basements and various shelters. Their equipment is a mixture of red phosphorus and powdered magnesium
(flame temperature 1200°C).

Gun incendiary grenades were used extremely rarely in the First World War. They found use only in the interwar period, and their use was limited to special cases of trench or mountain warfare. They are somewhat reminiscent of the design and equipment of hand grenades. They were used from the then widespread rifle grenade launchers and rifle mortars. The flight range of a rifle grenade is 150-200 m. They are equipped with phosphorus, thermite or a mixture of thermite and electron.
A modern rifle grenade can be fired from standard small arms or thrown by hand. It is made of sheet steel and filled with white phosphorus. For shooting from a rifle (machine gun), a special device with an expelling powder cartridge is used, which allows you to throw a grenade at a distance of up to 120 m. When it falls to the ground, it explodes, scattering pieces of phosphorus in a radius of 25-30 m, which set fire to flammable objects and vegetation (grass, bush, forest).

There are special incendiary artillery shells that operate on the same principles as incendiary bombs: they are divided into grenades with a concentrated effect and shrapnel with a dispersive effect.

An incendiary mine fired from a conventional mortar, upon explosion, showers the target with a sheaf of sparks, ash, burning incendiary equipment (phosphorus), flame, rain of molten metal or slag (thermite). Mines can also be filled with 3B mixtures, for example, coal tar strips mixed with phosphorus, TNT, dissolved in carbon disulfide, a self-igniting substance. Such mines burn very intensely for several minutes, producing strong smoke.

Incendiary rockets are somewhat similar in appearance and equipment to incendiary mines. The principle of their operation is based on the reactive action of powder gases from a powder charge enclosed in a reaction chamber. For stabilization in flight, they are equipped with an elongated stabilizer of a special shape.
American experts consider the modern experimental incendiary unguided rocket E42R2, the body of which is made of fiberboard and holds about 19 kg of fire mixture, to be quite effective.

Incendiary bombs and cartridges (false flares, flares) are used for signaling, burning secret documents, ciphers, direct-printing devices, secret components and mechanisms of military equipment, as well as materials that ignite at high temperatures. In the US Army, there are about a dozen types of such devices, practically no different from each other in design, but having different weights. Their main equipment is termites, sodium nitrate and napalm. The bodies of checkers and cartridges are made of tin or cardboard, equipped with electric and lever (or grating) igniters. When the igniter burns, the transitional and then the main composition is ignited, which melts the tin body, and the burning mass is poured onto the object being set on fire.

The saboteurs-arsonists used sabotage incendiary mines. Both standard incendiary bombs and special equipment disguised as ordinary household items were used.

Incendiary (fire) land mines have become somewhat widespread, used mainly to destroy enemy personnel and strengthen mine-explosive barriers. They, according to military experts, are the most effective of homemade and improvised means.

Fire bombs are widely used in military maneuvers and exercises as simulators of an atomic explosion. To do this, a tank of napalm is dug into the ground, under which a detonating cord is first laid in coils. The psychological effect of the explosion usually exceeds all expectations: the fireball, flash and “mushroom” look just like “atomic” ones, only without the shock wave and radiation (which we all know well from Hollywood products). Usually, troops, if they were not warned in advance, are sure that real tactical nuclear weapons were used in these exercises (cases of psychosis and military personnel receiving combat mental trauma have been noted).

Since its birth, aviation has widely used a variety of incendiary ammunition: bombs, arrows, cassettes, ampoules, thermite and phosphorus balls.

Modern incendiary bombs are designed to create fires and to directly destroy personnel and military equipment with fire. The caliber of most incendiary bombs ranges from 1.5 to 500 kg. Incendiary bombs of 1.5-2.5 kg caliber are equipped with thermite compositions, the basis of which is thermite (a mixture of iron oxides and aluminum). When thermite burns, slags with a temperature of 2500-3000°C are formed. For the manufacture of thermite bomb bodies, combustible metal electron (an alloy of aluminum with magnesium) is often used, which burns together with thermite. Small incendiary bombs are dropped from carriers in disposable bomb clusters.

Among the means of delivering incendiary substances by air, two groups of ammunition are known: incendiary aerial bombs (IAB) and napalm bombs. ZABs usually have a small caliber and are used in cassettes or bundles. The first cassettes appeared in the interwar period. In Vietnam, American aviation for the first time widely used cassettes, which contained 800 pieces.

Napalm bombs are thin-walled tanks made of sheet steel, aluminum or magnesium-aluminum alloys, filled with napalm mixtures with phosphorus and sodium additives. They usually do not have stabilizers and are essentially tanks that are suspended from the outside of the aircraft (from 2 to 6 tanks). When they are released upon impact with an obstacle (target), fuses and igniters of incendiary substances are triggered.

Incendiary bombs of IUU-500 kg caliber are filled with organic flammable substances (gasoline, kerosene, toluene) thickened to a jelly-like state. Aluminum salts of high-molecular acids, artificial rubbers, etc. are used as thickeners. Unlike liquid fuel, a thickened fire mixture is crushed by explosion into large pieces, which are scattered over long distances and burn at a temperature of 1000-1200 ° C for several minutes. The fire mixture adheres well to various surfaces and is difficult to remove from them. The combustion of the fire mixture occurs due to the oxygen in the air, therefore, within the radius of action of an incendiary bomb,
a significant amount of carbon dioxide, which has a poisonous effect on people. To increase the combustion temperature of the fire mixture to 2000-2500°C
combustible metal powders are added.

A type of incendiary aerial bombs are high-explosive incendiary aerial bombs, designed to destroy various structures (fuel and ammunition depots, oil storage facilities, etc.) with fire and high-explosive action. High-explosive incendiary aerial bombs have a durable body, are equipped with a powdered pyrotechnic composition and thermite cartridges. Pyrotechnic compositions used to equip high-explosive incendiary bombs have the ability to explode, forming a fiery sphere. Thermite cartridges ignite and are scattered by explosion products, creating separate fires.

History of artillery [Armament. Tactics. Major battles. Beginning of the 14th century - beginning of the 20th] Hogg Oliver

Incendiary shells

Incendiary projectiles have a long history. One of the first such projectiles was invented by a certain Valturio in 1460. It consisted of two bronze hemispheres held together by hoops with a small hole for fire to access a bird's feather tube filled with an incendiary substance that ignited the compressed powder charge. Another such projectile, of approximately the same time and designed from two iron hemispheres, was filled with resin and rosin. Such shells existed until the advent of carcass – incendiary shells “frame”, invented in 1672 by a gunner in the service of Christopher van Galen, the belligerent bishop of Munster (province of Ireland). The name Carcass is probably due to the fact that fireballs were originally bound with iron hoops wrapped in cloth and tightening cords, which was necessary in connection with the gradually improving tools. At first they tried to make oblong-shaped projectiles to accommodate more incendiary mixture, but their flight was so chaotic that they had to return to spherical shapes. Gradually the iron hoops and cloth gave way to thick spherical projectiles with vent holes to start the fire after the fuel was ignited. Then the thickness of the walls began to be reduced in order to increase the internal volume of the capsule, and it came to the point that the thin walls could not stand it and the projectile crumbled in the barrel. During the siege of Quebec in 1759, to avoid this, turf was laid between the “frame” and the charge. Initially, the number of ventilation holes in the sphere was not specified; there could be 4, 5, or even 1 or 2. However, by 1828, all the “frames” of British aircraft had 4 holes. The experience of the Crimean War, almost thirty years later, showed that this was an unlucky number; experiments carried out in 1855 showed that 3 holes performed their functions perfectly, which was adopted for service. By the time of Waterloo (1815), the obsolete oblong "frames" had already disappeared, but the new three-hole ones did not appear until July 9, 1860. Until 1854, a primitive prototype of an illuminating projectile was used as an incendiary projectile. It consisted of a “frame” filled with the composition “Valenciennes stars” - a mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, antimony and linseed oil, which also sprayed when burning. However, the “stars” had the unfortunate property of exploding, which reduced their effectiveness. In 1863, this type of incendiary shells was officially abandoned. A new type of incendiary projectile was fired by smoothbore guns of all types and calibers from 12-pounders and above, except for 100-pounders. The projectile consisted of a hollow iron sphere with three ventilation holes. Since the thickness of the metal of such a projectile was slightly greater than that of a conventional projectile, they were naturally heavier. Such shells were filled with a mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, resin, antimony sulphide, turpentine and fat, poured in hot; three recesses in the filler were made as a continuation of the ventilation holes. A fuse of the appropriate composition and a fast-burning fire cord were inserted into the holes for ignition. The holes were plugged with brown paper secured with putty. Before the shot, the putty and paper were removed and the fire cord was released. Such shells burned with furious fire, which was difficult to extinguish. The big disadvantage of such shells was the rapid deterioration of the composition and too short shelf life, so they were not included in the official list of ammunition, although they were made from time to time for special purposes as long as smooth-bore guns were used. The next incendiary shell worthy of our attention is the Martin shell. This shell, filled with liquid iron, was proposed by Martin, a civilian, in March 1855. In April 1856, tests were carried out, and on October 29, 1857, its 8-inch version was presented to the Secretary of War and approved for use in the British Armed Forces. The last model of such a projectile was approved on February 10, 1860, and in the same year, on May 30, a 10-inch version of this projectile was approved. Only two of these calibers were produced: 8- and 10-inch. The projectile consisted of a hollow cast iron sphere, covered on the inside with loam and filled through a special hole with liquid cast iron before loading the gun. Such a projectile had a thickened bottom to withstand the impact of firing, and an appropriate thickness at the head with a flat inner surface to cool the top layer of hot metal to a temperature below the melting point. The projectile filled in this way was clogged with the cooled molten metal itself. The side walls were cast thin so that they would collapse on impact and eject the molten contents. The internal coating of loam acted as a heat-insulating medium, preventing the outer surface of the projectile from overheating and keeping its contents in a semi-molten state.

Martin shells replaced red-hot shells used against ships. They were sometimes used against buildings and other flammable targets. The Artillery Modernization Committee recommended Martin shells for four reasons:

1. They filled easily.

2. They were easier to handle than hot projectiles.

3. They were safer.

4. Their incendiary power was higher.

Martin shells were declared obsolete in 1869.

From the time of the abandonment of Martin shells until the beginning of the 20th century, a lot of time passed during which not a single incendiary shell was considered. In 1911, one such projectile, developed by Dr. Hodgkinson, was approved, but remained in service only through the First World War, serving to revive interest in this type of projectile. During this war, two patents were approved for use by the British Armed Forces. One of them (AZ shell) was aimed against Zeppelins (German airships), and the second was used to set fire to obstacles, crops, etc. in the field. In the AZ projectile, the base was drilled out and replaced with a steel plug secured with copper shear pins and steel anti-makeup pins. The projectile was filled with a special composition and equipped with a fuse with an adjustable response time, located in the bow. When triggered, the composition ignited and the plug in the rear of the projectile flew out. In this case, ignition occurred at a given time, and the projectile could burn out before falling to the ground. The base of the second type of projectile was solid, and the projectile itself was filled with seven burning candles. When triggered, the incendiary composition was ignited by a flash passing down to an explosive charge on the bottom, and the candle was then ejected. Their sequential spontaneous ejection affected a large area. Incendiary shells were declared obsolete in September 1920, but were produced in limited numbers in 1940 for the rapid-firing 25-pounder and breech-loading 5.5-inch guns. Projectiles for this purpose were not in demand in peacetime, but World War II aroused interest in developing more advanced methods of spreading fire into enemy territory and among enemy troops. These methods need to be mentioned solely for the sake of completeness. There are two of them: incendiary bombs dropped from aircraft over specially selected targets, and flamethrowers - melee weapons. Flamethrowers such as the "crocodile tank" (based on the heavy Churchill tank) had nothing to do with incendiary shells, but were rather a development of the siphon-throwing method of Greek fire from the bow of a ship. On February 7, 1709 (100) in Woolwich (Woolwich), Warren tested the Orlebar and Powell flamethrowers. During World War I, German was used flammenwerfer. This flamethrowing method is based either on the release of an ignited jet of fuel, or on the release of compressed air from vessels placed in an armored car. The basis of the method is a burning liquid that is easily ignited when ignited, with sufficient fluidity to provide the effect of a fire hose, but sufficient viscosity not to splash in flight and stick to the target. The effective range of such a weapon is about 175 yards (160 meters), the effect can be described in one word - deadly. Considering the development path of weapons, one can hardly expect the development of new artillery incendiary shells.

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