FIRE WEAPONS AT THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 202, 15 May 1918, Page 5

FIRE WEAPONS AT THE FRONT

BOMBS, FLAMENVERFERS, AND INCENDIARY BULLETS (By Captain H. B. C. Pollard, author of "The Book of tlio Pistol," by favour of the Uoyal Colonial Institute.) The use of fire as a weapon must date back to the primitive times of tribal warfare, long, long before bronze and steel wero employed in war. Yet it is curious to note that despite all the developments of modern warfare, with its iiso of gas aud high explosives, tho oldest weapon of all is still in use.

For some purposes fire is still more usoltil than explosivos, and the incendiary bomb is often a good deal more destructive than' even the largest bursting charges. Such minor weapons as flarnmenwerfers, and the incendiary bullets for firing kite balloons and Zeppelins, have all got their particular values in modern war. No less important than its uso as an element of destruction is He application for protective purposes. Trench flares, rockets, signal lights, and tho sinoko screens used for camouflage both in the battlo area aud for ship protection are all applications of fire. So we may say that in modorn warfare fire saves as well as destroys. Inccndiary bombs aro generally used against buildings, or plaoes whoro Inflammable stores aro lodged, and it was with these shells that tho Germans bombarded Ypres. In the field they aro sometimes used by tho Germans for the long-Tanse stalling of towns. The ilammenwerfer," or flame-projec-tor, is a German .invention, and consists of an apparatus similar to a portable fire-extinguisher, which is carried upon a man's back. The cylinder contains a liighly-inflainmable oil, kept under high pressure by a chargo of nitrogen gas. This oil is ignited at the nozzle, and sprajs out in a wide streak of roaring (lamb, accompanied by clouds of black smoke. As a weapon it is more alarming than dangerous, for it has a range of only twenty yards or go, and can only bo maintained for about- two and a half minutes. In addition to the advantages, men on tho ground or in trenches aro fairly safe from its effect, because tho llamo spray, cannot bo directed against any ground objective, tho cold air wave whicli rushes up from tho earth deflecting tho flamo.

Tho signal lights used in the trencKes are fired from the "Very" pistol, a short gunmetal weapon with a ono-inch bore, faking n cartridgo similar to a 6porting cartridge. In place of shots, however, it contains a cake of compressed magnesium powder, which catches firo from the explosion, and lingors in the air like tho stars from a rocket, illuminating the darkness, so that any enemy activity can be seen. Special coloured liehts bto also used with theao pistols, lor tho purpose of sending signals. 11l addition to these, various kinds of signal refekets, Buch as the familiar golden and silver rain, are also used, as aro daylight fireworks, which leave a cloud of coloured smoke behind thorn.

It is only natural that firo projectiles should inspire more fear thr.n tlio invisible high explosives, nnd it is because of this moral effect that fers" lmve been adopted in tho German Army. Though in practico tho "flammenwerfor" is fairly harmless, the effect of the noise and flames is quito aweinspiring. . But thoy have liftlg offect upon Tommy Atkins, who likes nothing bettor than to take pot shots at tho kneeling oporators of these boßeys. That the Germans themselves keonly appreciate tho moral offect of noise and flame is shown by their terror of the deadly British tanks, which advance against them wreathed smoko and spittiug flame from all their gnnports.'