With the development of aviation technology used for combat operations, ammunition was required that could destroy enemy ground forces over a large area. Incendiary bombs appeared on the eve of the First World War. These were primitive devices, consisting of a container with kerosene and an inertial fuse, the basis for which was an ordinary rifle cartridge.
In the 30s of the last century, the so-called phosphorus balls were used for bombing. The filling for them was yellow phosphorus in the form of granules 15-20 mm in size. When such a ball was dropped, it was set on fire, and closer to the ground, burning particles of phosphorus, having burned out the shell, scattered, covering a huge area with a fiery rain. The method of spraying ignited pellets from special aircraft tanks at low altitude was also used.
During the Second World War, humanity first learned what a phosphorus bomb is in the form in which it exists today. It was a container filled with phosphorus balls weighing from 100 to 300 g, with a total weight of up to one ton. Such ammunition was dropped from a height of about 2 km and exploded 300 m from the ground. Nowadays, incendiary shells onphosphorus-based armies in the strongest armies in the world occupy a significant part of the entire ammunition used for bombing.
White Phosphorus
Among all the combustible substances used in incendiary munitions, white phosphorus occupies a special place. This is due to its unique chemical properties and, first of all, to the combustion temperature reaching 800-1000 degrees Celsius. Another important factor is the ability of this substance to ignite spontaneously when interacting with oxygen in the air. When burned, white phosphorus emits thick poisonous smoke, which also causes burns to the internal respiratory tract and poisoning the body.
A dose of 0.05-0.1 g is lethal to humans. White phosphorus is obtained artificially by the interaction of phosphorites or apatites with silica and coke at a temperature of 1600 degrees. Outwardly, it looks like paraffin, it is easily deformed and cut, which makes it very convenient for equipping any ammunition. There are also bombs stuffed with plasticized white phosphorus. Plastification is achieved by adding a viscous solution of synthetic rubber.
Types of incendiary phosphorus munitions
Today there are several types of weapons in which the damaging substance is white phosphorus:
- air bombs;
- rockets;
- artillery shells;
- mortar shells;
- hand grenades.
The first two types of ammunition are the most dangerous, as they have a greater destructive potential than the rest.
What is a phosphorus bomb
Modern phosphorus bombs are aviation munitions consisting of a body, a combustible filler in the form of white phosphorus or a complex charge of several mixtures, as well as a mechanism for its ignition. They can be conditionally divided into two types according to the method of operation: in the air and after hitting the surface. The former are activated by a controlled detonator, based on the desired altitude and flight speed of the aircraft, the latter explode directly on impact.
The body of such an aerial bomb is often made from a combustible alloy called "electron", consisting of magnesium and aluminum, which burns with the mixture. Often, other combustible substances, such as napalm or thermite, are added to phosphorus, which significantly increases the combustion temperature of the mixture. The action of a phosphorus bomb is similar to the explosion of a bomb filled with napalm. The combustion temperatures of both substances are approximately the same (800-1000 degrees), however, for phosphorus and napalm in modern ammunition, this figure exceeds 2000˚С.
The air forces of some armies are armed with cluster incendiary bombs, which are a special container stuffed with dozens of small bombs. The dropped container is controlled by the onboard surveillance system and deploys at a certain height, which makes it possible for the main ammunition to hit the target more accurately. In order to understand what a phosphorus bomb is in action, it is necessary to be aware of the danger posed by its damaging factors.
Affecting factors
When using white phosphorus as a fuel for an aerial bomb, several damaging factors are obtained:
- strong flames from burning the mixture at temperatures up to 2000˚C, causing burns, terrible injuries and painful death;
- poisonous gas that stimulates spasms and burning of the respiratory tract;
- burnout of oxygen in the area of application, leading to suffocation;
- psychological shock caused by what he saw.
A small phosphorus bomb, detonated at the right height, hits an area of 100-200 square meters, covering everything around with fire. Getting on the human body, particles of burning slag and phosphorus stick and char organic tissues. You can stop burning by blocking the access of oxygen.
Special phosphorus bombs are also used to defeat the enemy in cover. Heated to 1500-2000˚С, the combustible mixture is able to burn through armor and even concrete floors, and given that oxygen in the air quickly burns out at this temperature, the chances of survival hiding in the basement, dugout or other cover, almost none.
It was from strangulation that killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians during one of the bombings of the US Air Force. These people found death in pre-dug dugouts, having no idea what a phosphorus bomb was.
Consequences of the use of phosphorus munitions
During the combustion of napalm and phosphorus, a mass ofpoisonous chemicals, among which dioxin is a powerful toxic substance with strong carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. During the Vietnam campaign, American aviation actively used napalm and phosphorus bombs. The consequences of the impact of the products of combustion of these substances on the human body can be observed in our time. In areas that were subjected to such bombing, children are still being born with serious abnormalities and mutations.
Phosphoric Bomb Ban
Phosphorus munitions are not officially classified as weapons of mass destruction, but their use is limited by the protocol of the UN Convention. This document regulates their use for military purposes and prohibits their use for strikes against civilian targets. According to the protocol, phosphorus bombs are prohibited from being used in and around populated areas, even if there are military facilities located there.
Known facts about the use of phosphorus munitions in our time
During the occupation of Kampuchea in the 1980s of the last century, the Vietnamese army used unguided rockets loaded with white phosphorus to destroy the Khmer Rouge. Rocket phosphorus shells were used by British intelligence services in 2003 near the city of Basra in Iraq.
A year later, in Iraq, the US army used phosphorus bombs in the battles for Fallujah. You can see a photo of the consequences of this bombing in the article. In 2006 and 2009, the Israeli army used phosphorus munitions during the Second Lebanon War.war, as well as in the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead.
How to protect yourself from the effects of burning phosphorus
In order to protect yourself as much as possible from the damaging factors of phosphorus ammunition, it is necessary to clearly define the type of weapons used. In the event that phosphorus bombs are used by aircraft, accompanied by flames flying downwards and thick white smoke, or the territory burning after the explosion, you should immediately leave the affected area, moving in a windless direction.
As a refuge, it is better to use rooms with a solid ceiling and forced ventilation. If such places could not be found, basements, trenches, pits, vehicles should be used, covering oneself with improvised means, which can be metal or wooden shields, boards, awnings, etc., given that they will provide only short-term protection.
To protect the respiratory tract, filter gas masks, respirators or a soft cloth soaked in a solution of baking soda should be used. If a burning mixture gets on clothes or an open area of the skin, it is necessary to extinguish the flame by covering the affected area with a cloth, blocking the access of oxygen. In no case should the flame be knocked down by rubbing, since the burning area may increase in this case. It is not allowed to extinguish and the use of water due to the possibility of spraying a combustible mixture. It should also be taken into account that quenched white phosphorus particles can ignite again.
