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Concept
Munition incendiaire
Résumé
Incendiary ammunition is a type of ammunition 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.
The first time incendiary ammunition was widely used was in World War I, more specifically in 1916. At the time, phosphorus was the primary ingredient in the incendiary charge 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 m), as the phosphorus charge burned quickly. Incendiary bullets called "Buckingham" ammunition were supplied to early British night fighters for use against military zeppelins threatening the British Isles. The flammable hydrogen 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 Royal Flying Corps 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 St. Petersburg Declaration. 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.
During World War II, incendiary bullets found a new use: they became one of the preferred types of ammunition for use in interceptor fighters. They were not nearly as effective at puncturing bomber aircraft as armor-piercing bullets, but were far more effective than standard bullets because they could also ignite fuel if they came into contact with a fuel tank or pipeline.
Belgian inventor de Wilde, who was living in Switzerland, invented a new bullet in 1938. In December of that year the British Air Ministry purchased the design. However, as the bullet had to be made by hand rather than mass-produced, Major C.
Source officielle
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