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25. AMERICAN INCENDIARY BOMBS

The 4 lb. American incendiary bomb approximates to the British 4 lb. incendiary bomb in behaviour. The 100 lb. incendiary bomb contains a powerful burster charge. There is also a 500 lb. incendiary bomb identical with the American 500 lb G.P. bomb except that it is painted grey and has a purple band. It contains a powerful burster charge and has a phosphorus filling.

26. BRITISH PYROTECHNICS

(a) Flame Floats

Flame floats are of five types:—

(i) A fabric bag containing a metal cylinder 3 in. diameter and 8 in. long with the bag collapsed or 17 in. with the bag extended. It may be found packed in a metal cylinder painted red with a yellow label on the lid.

(ii) A metal body and container 24 in. long, 5·8 in. diameter and weighing about 12 lb. complete. The outer portion is painted red and the inner yellow on the conical end.

(iii) A yellow tin-plate cylinder 18·5 in. long, 2-9 in. diameter, fitted with four fins.

(iv) A metal cylinder 36¼ in. long, 6 in. diameter, painted blue-grey.

(v) A metal cylinder 30 in. or 26 in. long (according to type), 5·8 in. diameter, with the lower half painted red and top half yellow.

(b) Smoke Floats

The normal smoke float has a cylindrical body with drum tail, weighing 11 lb. It is 22 in. long and 6 in. diameter, and is painted green. The tail end is fitted with a pistol to fire the float. The smoke is poisonous in an enclosed space.

There is also a much larger type with a cylindrical body 14½ in. diameter and 45 in. long, which is painted green and weighs about 200 lb.

(c) Smoke Bombs

Smoke bombs are of four types:—

(i) The 4 lb. smoke bomb, usually dropped in the small bomb container holding 42 bombs, is a small metal cylinder 7·8 in. long and 3·7 in. diameter with a bakelite dome and is painted light green.

(ii) The 100 lb. smoke bomb is a sheet-metal can 18·3 in. by 10 in. by 9·8 in. painted green and containing a phosphorus filling.

(iii) The 120 lb. smoke bomb is a steel tube welded to a flattened nose-piece and is fitted with a tail. It is 31 in. long overall and 10 in. diameter and is fitted with a powerful ejection charge.

(iv) The 500 lb. smoke bomb is of sheet-steel construction painted green. It is 13·1 in. diameter, is fitted with a tail and contains a phosphorus filling.

(d) Smoke Generator

There is a smoke generator consisting of a small metal cylinder with a tail drum, 7 in. long and 2½ in. diameter, which weighs about 1 lb. and is painted light green. It may contain a pistol and cap.