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171:"I could smell powder smoke, hot and strong, but it didn't make me feel tough this time. It was from the cannon shells and incendiary bullets that had hit my machine...Bullets were going between my legs, and I remember seeing a bright flash of an incendiary bullet going past my leg into the gas tank...Then a little red tongue licked out inquiringly from under the gas tank in front of my feet and became a hot little bonfire in one corner of the cockpit."
160:. The explosive power, coupled with the flash on impact which guided their aim, was much appreciated by pilots. The bullets were at first scarce, and as a result, a mix of ball, AP, Mk IV incendiary tracer and Mk VI incendiary was used until production increased to sufficient levels. By 1942 the standard loading for fixed .303s was half loaded with AP and half with incendiary bullets.
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penetration, are more effective if they explode after penetrating a surface layer, such that they explode inside the target. Additionally, targets with onboard electronics or computers can be damaged by metal fragments when they explode on the surface. Ignition is often delayed by varying means until
139:
Incendiary B Mark VI. For security reasons, and to confuse the enemy, it was initially called "de Wilde" ammunition, even though the design was almost entirely different from the original version. The B Mark VI incendiary bullet was packed with
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gas of the zeppelins made incendiary bullets much more deadly than standard ones which would pass through the outer skin without igniting the gas. Similarly, incendiary ammunition was used against non-rigid observation balloons. The
British
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and ignited upon firing, leaving a trail of blue smoke. These early forms were also known as "smoke tracers" because of this. Though deadly, the effective range of these bullets was only 350 yards (320
144:, and a small steel ball was placed in the tip of the bullet to ensure that the chemical exploded on impact. As opposed to earlier designs, the B Mark VI was a true incendiary rather than
96:. Pilots were permitted to deploy them against only zeppelins and balloons. Furthermore, they were required to carry written orders on their person when engaging these targets.
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that contains a chemical that, upon hitting a hard obstacle, has the characteristic of causing fire/setting flammable materials in the vicinity of the impact on fire.
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forbade the use of incendiary ammunition for air-to-air combat with another airplane, as their use against personnel was at first considered to be a violation of the
54:. From left to right: 90 mm shrapnel shell, 120 mm pig iron incendiary shell, 77/14 model - 75 mm high-explosive shell, model 16 - 75 mm shrapnel shell
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purchased the design. However, as the bullet had to be made by hand rather than mass-produced, Major C. Aubrey Dixon of the
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bullets, but were far more effective than standard bullets because they could ignite fuel if they pierced a fuel tank or pipeline.
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Belgian inventor de Wilde, who was living in
Switzerland, invented a new bullet in 1938. In December of that year the British
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75:), as the phosphorus charge burned quickly. Incendiary bullets called "Buckingham" ammunition were supplied to early British
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can have a mild incendiary effect. This is particularly dangerous when they strike flammable substances or dry brush.
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developed a greatly improved bullet with similar incendiary capabilities. This was adopted by
British forces as the
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108:, incendiary bullets found a new use: they became one of the preferred types of ammunition for use in
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148:. The B Mark VI incendiary bullets were first issued in June 1940 and tested operationally in the
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The Few: The
American "Knights of the Air" Who Risked Everything to Fight in the Battle of Britain
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Flying Guns World War II - Development of
Aircraft Guns, Ammunition and Installations 1933-45
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bullets, contain an incendiary charge intended to ignite explosives within the shell.
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An RAF fighter pilot who was shot down by incendiary ammunition in the
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The first time incendiary ammunition was widely used was in
370:"The Battle of Britain: Armament of the Competing Fighters"
464:(Hardback). Ramsbury: Crowood Press. pp. 336 pages.
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Incendiary projectiles, in particular those intended for
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277:Heaven High, Hell Deep 1917-1918, Normal Archibald
112:. They were not nearly as effective at puncturing
460:Williams, Anthony G.; Gustin, Emmanuel (2003).
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23:A World War I era Buckingham incendiary bullet
83:threatening the British Isles. The flammable
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320:Hurricane - Victor of the Battle of Britain
62:, more specifically in 1916. At the time,
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195:Although not intended to start fires,
16:Ammunition that starts fires on impact
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322:. London: John Murray. p. 133.
239:America's Munitions: 1917–1918
188:Some explosive projectiles, such as
242:. U.S. Government Printing Office.
66:was the primary ingredient in the
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438:from the original on 2010-04-02
350:from the original on 2011-05-11
260:from the original on 2022-09-30
287:Harris, Sir Arthur T. (1995).
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234:United States War Department
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290:Despatch on War Operations
94:St. Petersburg Declaration
190:high-explosive incendiary
167:described his experience:
79:for use against military
344:"Cartridge of the Month"
254:"Zeppelins and balloons"
156:in the air battles over
432:"Bullets for Beginners"
318:McKinstry, Leo (2010).
434:. GlobalSecurity.org.
395:Kershaw, Alex (2006).
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494:U.S. patent 3,948,181
487:U.S. patent 2,398,287
368:Williams, Anthony G.
256:. Firstworldwar.com.
209:Early thermal weapons
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28:Incendiary ammunition
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154:Supermarine Spitfire
110:interceptor fighters
515:Incendiary weapons
90:Royal Flying Corps
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376:on 5 January 2013
329:978-1-84854-339-3
165:Battle of Britain
146:tracer ammunition
68:incendiary charge
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510:Ammunition
504:Categories
442:2008-04-11
354:2011-03-11
264:2008-04-18
64:phosphorus
32:ammunition
380:5 January
295:Routledge
81:zeppelins
50:from the
436:Archived
348:Archived
258:Archived
236:(1919).
203:See also
133:Woolwich
85:hydrogen
158:Dunkirk
104:During
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176:Modern
48:shells
220:Notes
182:armor
137:0.303
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