[lit-ideas] Re: Willie Pete

White phosphorus shells, and napalm, terrible as the latter is, are not illegal weapons. In my experience, white phosphorus is used as a way of marking a target or an aiming point, but that is pretty clearly not the use here. There is a smoke shell that is better than white phosphorus at screening. (I don't know if it's bombs or shells or mortar rounds that are in question.) For those fascinated with military arcana, here is what FM 6-30 (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Observed Fire) has to say:

4-16. SHELL WHITE PHOSPHORUS

Shell white phosphorus (WP) has four uses: incendiary, marking, obscuring, and screening. It can be used to destroy the enemy's equipment or to limit his vision. It is used against the following:

    * Vehicles.

    * Petroleum, oils and lubricants (POL) and ammunition storage areas.

    * Enemy observers.

Also, shell WP can be used as an aid in target location and navigation. It can be fired with fuze time to obtain an airburst.

4-17. SHELL SMOKE

Shell smoke is a base-ejection projectile that is filled with canisters containing smoke. It is more effective than WP as a screening agent, because it lasts longer and has less tendency to pillar. The direction of the wind must be considered in the use of any smoke shell (WP or hexachloroethane [HC]). Further employment considerations are in Chapter 6, Section IV.

ROME (Reuters) - U.S. forces in Iraq have used incendiary white phosphorus against civilians and a firebomb similar to napalm against military targets, Italian state-run broadcaster RAI reported on Tuesday. 

Robert Paul
The Reed Institute
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