Burning Phosphorus From a 100-Pound Incendiary Bomb

Burning Phosphorus From a 100-Pound Incendiary Bomb on an enemy airfield, Rabaul, New Britain. Aircraft are Japanese Betty-type bombers. 

Surprising as it may seem, the first great incendiary raids of World War II were not carried out with large bombs, but with small missiles weighing only a few pounds. In September 1940 the Germans showered London with 1-kg. magnesium alloy bombs, starting innumerable fires, 

During the preliminary work it became apparent that the old demarcation between the CWS and Ordnance Department which gave the former responsibility for the filling and the latter jurisidiction over the casing would not be an efficient way of manufacturing magnesium bombs. One 

Engineers at CWS strengthened the fuze to withstand harder impacts, replaced metal vent plugs with cork, and developed a better first fire mixture. The improved bomb, AN-M50A2, slightly lighter and thinner than its predecessor, functioned well. As fast as the new munitions came from plants they were shipped to Europe and used. The earlier model remained in reserve until 1944 when it was discarded.  

Aircraft dropped more 4-pound magnesium bombs than all other incendiary bombs put together. Almost thirty million fell on Europe, and almost ten million on Japan, causing damage that ran into astronomical figures. 

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