Toxicity Smoke bombs

The role of arsenic in ancient warfare was ingenious. It was cited as an ingredient of the devilish incendiary material used by Marcus Graccus to burn the Roman naval fleet (1, p 438). Early Chinese alchemical texts recommended arsenic sulfides for making toxic smoke bombs or holy smokes for mass poisoning of soldiers—one of the earliest references to chemical warfare. Death lamps in which oil and wax impregnated with arsenic were burned to poison victims slowly presumably owe their roots to the holy smokes of ancient Chinese (27). 

Porton Down made use of this logic between 1919 and 1939 to carry out a mass of offensive research, developing gas grenades and hand contamination bombs a toxic air smoke bomb charged with a new arsenic codenamed D M was tested anti-tank weapons were produced and Porton developed an aircraft spray tank capable of dispersing mustard gas from a height of 15,000 feet. At the same time the weapons of the First World War — the Livens Projector, the mortar, the chemical shell and even the cylinder - were all modified and improved. 

This defensive work included improvements to many First World War weapons, including gas shells, mortar bombs, the Livens Projector and toxic smoke generators and the development of apparatus for mustard gas spray from aircraft, bombs of many types, airburst mustard gas shell, gas grenades and weapons for attacking tanks . The various inventions were tested in north Wales, Scotland, and in installations scattered throughout the Empire, notably northern India, Australia and the Middle East. 

Toxic smoke, usually an arsenical compound, could penetrate gas masks— which were quite effective by 1918 because smoke is not a gas and the smoke particles would not be absorbed by the charcoal or lime in the mask canisters. Moreover, America had developed a thick felt that would filter out the smoke particles even with Brownian motion operating. This felt was simply wrapped around existing mask canisters. Also, the small size of bombs and projectiles made candles and smoke generators particularly attractive. 

The Japanese also used mustard for filling shells and bombs, primarily as a 50 50 mixture with Lewisite to lower the freezing point. Examples of Japanese chemical munitions are Artillery shells, 150 mm and 105 mm and Mortar rounds 90 mm, filled with either mustard gas /Lewisite mixture or diphenylcyanoarsine, and Artillery shells 75 mm filled with either phosgene or diphenylcyanoarsine. In addition there were 15 kg and 60 kg aerial bombs, toxic smoke candles and canisters filled with diphenylcyanoarsine. [12] Japan is estimated to have produced a total of around 1.7 million CW bombs and shells, and 5.7 million chemical candles and grenades. One source quotes the total amount of chemical munitions produced by Japan, regardless of agent fill, as approximately 7.4 million.[20] As already stated in an earlier paragraph, Chinese sources estimate that approximately 2 million of these rounds were abandoned in Northern China.[7]... 

Darra. Queensland 435 tonnes of bulk agents 90,000 artillery rounds and a small supply of toxic smoke candles, empty bombs, spray tanks and chemic land mines... 

A solution of sulfur trioxide [7446-11-9] dissolved in chlorosulfonic acid [7990-94-5] CISO H, has been used as a smoke (U.S. designation FS) but it is not a U.S. standard agent (see Chlorosulfuric acid Sulfuric acid and sulfur trioxide). When FS is atomized in air, the sulfur trioxide evaporates from the small droplets and reacts with atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric acid vapor. This vapor condenses into minute droplets that form a dense white cloud. FS produces its effect almost instantaneously upon mechanical atomization into the atmosphere, except at very low temperatures. At such temperatures, the small amount of moisture normally present in the atmosphere, requires that FS be thermally generated with the addition of steam to be effective. FS can be used as a fill for artillery and mortar shells and bombs and can be effectively dispersed from low performance aircraft spray tanks. FS is both corrosive and toxic in the presence of moisture, which imposes limitations on its storage, handling, and use. 

Chemical Ammunitions Ammunition in which the filler has the basic function of producing a toxic or irritant effect on the body, a screening effect(smoke) or an incendiary action(See also Chemical Energy Ammunition, Chemical Bombs, Chemical Grenades,Chemical Gun. "Howitzer and Recoilles Rifle Shells, Chemical Land Mines, Chemical Mortars Chemical Mortar Shells, and Chemical Rockets Refs l)Ohart(1946), 86,101,105,120,220,234, 268,290,355,357-8 362 2)Anon, "Ordnance Safety Manual , Dept of the Army ORDM 7 224, C3, Paragraph 209(1954) 3)Anon,... 

In the Middle East, where petroleum is abundant, naphtha (the volatile and toxic light fraction of oil) was ignited and poured on attackers. The ancient Indians and Chinese added fire chemicals to their incendiaries, explosive saltpeter or nitrite salts, a key ingredient of gunpowder, and they also mixed a great variety of plant, animal, and mineral poisons, such as arsenic and lead, in smoke and fire bombs. In the New World and in India, the seeds of toxic plants and hot peppers were burned to rout attackers. 

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-... 

---