Chemical artillery shells

Compatibility with existing weapons systems, that is, chemical artillery shells could have been fired from the same guns as conventional artillery shells, chemical bombs could have been dropped... 

Figure 2 Configuration of a typical chemical artillery shell (projectile).

Stokes Mortar The 4 in. Stokes mortar developed for chemical agent delivery was first fielded by the British in September 1915 at Foos, and was in wide use by the Somme battles of 1916 this represented the first use of projectiles filled with lethal chemicals in World War I. Chemical artillery shells (or projectiles ) and mortars remained in chemical arsenals throughout the twentieth century. During World War I, the Germans produced chemical agent-filled projectiles for 77, 105, and 150 mm artillery pieces,... 

During the period from 1920 to 1940 the CWS initiated approximately 700 projects for the Army, the Navy, and for civilian organizations. The military subjects encompassed gas masks, protective clothing, protective ointments, incendiary materials, mortars, airplane spray tanks, chemical cylinders, chemical artillery shells, colored smoke, chemical grenades, toxicological studies, meteorology, analytical methods, pilot plants, full-scale plants, filling plants, and medical studies. 

By the end of the war, poison gases filled one in four artillery shells used by both sides. In military terms, however, poison gas failed. Since masks provided quite effective protection, poison gas was never a decisive weapon on the Western Front the fatality rate for firearms was ten times higher. Poison gas was not used in the next world war. In fact, if World War I had continued, chemical warfare would have backfired on the Germans. Prevailing winds blow eastward, and Germany had run out of mask material and had no fabric to reclothe soldiers blistered by corrosive gases. 

Both the Departments of the Army and the Navy have used mineral-insulated band heaters for various superheating applications. For example, the Department of the Navy uses similar equipment to test chemical stability of components within artillery shells (AEA, 2001a). In addition to high watt densities, these heaters provide even temperature profiles and fairly precise temperature control. 

Military explosives must be physically and chemically stable over a wide range of temperatures and humidity for a long period of time. They must be reasonably insensitive to impact, such as those experienced by artillery shells when fired from a gun or when they penetrate steel armor. They are used for a number of applications. They are fired in projectiles and dropped in aerial time bombs without premature explosion. The raw materials necessary to manufacture such explosives must be readily available for production in bulk during wartime. 

Chemical Artillery Ammunition. See Chemical Gun, Howitzer Recoilless Rifle Shells and Chemical Mortar Shells... 

Five of the stockpile sites that store (or have stored) chemical agents configured in a variety of weapons (e.g., rockets, bombs, artillery shells, mortar rounds, and mines) have used, currently use, or will use incineration as the means of disposal. Requirements for these disposal facilities include techniques for monitoring products of incomplete combustion, acid gases, and heavy metals that may elude exhaust pollution abatement systems and be emitted with exhaust gases through the common stacks. 

Iran Has a stockpile of chemical weapons. Previously known to have produced and stockpiled blister, blood and choking agents, and probably nerve agents. Seeking aid from Chinese and Russian entities to develop more advanced self-sufficient infrastructure. Delivery systems include artillery shells, mortars, rockets and aerial bombs. Used chemical weapons during Iran-Iraq War. 

Uses Suitahle for use in small airplane bombs and sprays, artillery and chemical mortar shells, hand grenades. 

Minute quantities of sulfur mustard are used by various military and contract laboratories for defense research purposes, and for verification of Chemical Weapons Convention comphance. Bulk quantities of sulfur mustard are no longer manufactured in the USA. Military stockpiles of sulfur mustard are awaiting destruction or are in the process of being destroyed. Some sulfur mustard may also be found buried or abandoned at former defense sites. Sulfur mustard was frequently loaded into artillery shells and aerial bombs (often with lewisite). Various quantities of sulfur mustard also exist in other countries. Large amounts of sulfur mustard have been disposed of at sea. 

IHssociatton,—An important requirement of a chemical agent, when ttsed in projectiles, is capaaty to withstand the heat and pressure of dispersion from strong thick-walled containers (such as artillery shell) without decomposition or dissociation. 

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