Incendiary device
Incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs. These bombs have been designed to start a fire. Sometimes they are also called firebombs. They were used very frequently in World War II. Materials such as Napalm, White phosphorus, thermite, chlorine trifluoride are often employed in such bombs. A very crude such bomb (which uses fuel) is the Molotov cocktail.
The United States still uses such bombs, called Mark 77 bomb. They were used during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Most other countries no longer use them, since they are banned by Section III of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. This treaty was ratified in 1980.
Probably the most famous incendiary attack is the bombing of Dresden, Germany during WWII by the Allies. Flamethrowers are also incendiary devices.
Incendiary Device Media
Mark 77 napalm bomb is loaded in a June 1993 training exercise onto a US Marine Strike Fighter Squadron F/A-18A Hornet aircraft
A 17th century fire or light ball from Veste Coburg, Germany
An incendiary bomb dropped on Southend-on-Sea in 1916
Burning ballroom at the Royal Castle, Warsaw, as a result of incendiary bombing by the German Luftwaffe
British I.B. 4-lb. Mk IV type incendiary bomb. Top: complete device, nose is red. Middle: dud found without the tin plate tail. Bottom: the remains after burning. RAF Bomber Command dropped 80 million of these 4 lb incendiary bombs during World War II. The 4 lb bomb was also used by the US as the "AN-M50".
Avro Lancaster bomb bay showing later mix of 4,000-pound "Cookie" blast bomb and 12 Small Bomb Containers each containing 236 4 lb incendiaries.
