Grenades white phosphorus

Smoke Rifle Grenade, WP, M19A1 with MID Fuze, shown in Fig l-20g, consists of three basic pgrts the body, the fuze, and the stabilizer, made of steel. The cylindrical body, 2-inches in diameter, is made of sheet steel and is fitted with a rounded ogive. It is filled with 8.5 oz of white phosphorus and is completely sealed to prevent the entrance of air. The fuze is MID (mechanical impact detonating) type. 

White Phosphorus (WP) (Hakurin). It was used as an Incendiary and in Incendiary Mixtures in Bombs, Grenades and Projectiles, described here under Incendiaries and in Refs 2 3, WP was also used in Smoke Compositions as described here under Smoke Producing Materials, items d, e, h and in Refs 2 3... 

In the military, white phosphorus is used in ammunitions such as mortar and artillery shells, and grenades. When ammunitions containing white phosphorus are fired in the field, they burn and produce smoke. The smoke contains some unbumt phosphorus, but it mainly has various burned phosphorus products. In military operations, such smoke is used to conceal troop movements and to identify targets or the locations of friendly forces. White phosphorus munitions are intended to burn or firebomb the opponents, in other words, to effectively produce widespread damage but not kill the enemy. 

There are several allotropic forms of phosphorus, but only white phosphorus and red phosphorus (see Figure 8.18) are of importance. White phosphorus consists of discrete tetrahedral P4 molecules (Figure 21.9). A solid (m.p. 44.2°C), white phosphorus is insoluble in water but quite soluble in carbon disulfide (CS2) and in organic solvents such as chloroform (CHCI3). White phosphorus is a highly toxic substance. It bursts into flames spontaneously when exposed to air hence it is used in incendiary bombs and grenades ... 

During World War I, the difficulties experienced by the Allies in using white phosphorus as an obscurant smoke led both the French and the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service to search for other smokes zinc oxide (military designation, HC or HC smoke) is an outgrowth of that search. HC contains equal percentages of zinc oxide and hexachloroethane, with approximately 7% grained aluminum. The material is currently formulated for use in smoke pots, smoke grenades, and artillery rounds. 

Phosphorus occurs in three allotropic forms white, red, and black. Of these, white phosphorus was used most often during World War II in military formulations for smoke screens, marker shells, incendiaries, hand grenades, smoke markers, colored flares, and tracer bullets. 

Because of the toxicity associated with the manufacture of white phosphorus and because of its field risks, a gradual shift to red phosphorus (95% phosphorus in a 5% butyl rubber base) was undertaken after World War II. The British smoke grenade (L8-Al-3), which used red phosphorus, produced adequate field concentrations of smoke and functioned as an effective tank screen. Oxidation of red phosphorus produces a variety of phosphorus acids that, on exposure to water vapor, produce polyphosphoric acids. These acids may produce mild toxic injuries to the upper airways that result in a cough and irritation. There are no reported deaths resulting from exposure to red phosphorus smokes. Therapy... 

The active contents of smoke grenades or shells are various colored solids, powders, or liquids. They produce various colors of smoke. The liquids are acid and can cause bums of tbe skin. Some solids are potent irritants. White phosphorus burns on exposure to air. Burning white phosphorous also... 

Although known from World War I, phosphorus-filled smoke cartridges remain in military use. In these, a cloud of very fine white phosphorus is produced in such a way that immediate oxidation occurs to produce a dense white smoke of P2O5 (4.11). Hand grenades which produce a mixture of white smoke and burning particles of phosphorus constitute another modem military weapon. 

At the end of May, Shadle expressed his satisfaction with the chemical offensive potential and ammunition status in the North African theater. His view seems to have been overly optimistic since smoke pots, tear gas, and HC smoke grenades were the only ammunition items available in sufficient supply. All the chemical supply officers reported urgent requests for unavailable white phosphorus grenades. The Twelfth Air Force reported limited quantities of ANM50A1 4-pound incendiary bombs, a few Mja yoo-pound incendiary bomb clusters, and a considerable number of My4 loo-pound incendiary bomb clusters. There was no other chemical ammunition in the theater although the New York port had promised that 120 days supply of high explosive and smoke shell was en route for the three chemical mortar battalions which had recently arrived in the theater. Aside from a small amount of artillery shell stored by Ordnance, no toxics were available in the theater and none was scheduled to arrive until the fall of 1943. The March theater plan for gas warfare, the first such plan, was based on meeting possible enemy gas attack with this plainly inadequate supply of artillery shell. The new War Department policy for retaliation in event of enemy initiation of gas warfare called for the use of aerial munitions as the principal gas weapons. Shadle s satisfaction with the toxic supply status can be explained by the fact that he did not con-... 

---