INCENDIARY BOMBS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 January 1942, Page 2

INCENDIARY BOMBS

NEW EXTINGUISHING METHODS CONCLUSIONS FROM TESTS IN WELLINGTON. ALL PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS CANCELLED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Following on the announcement that it was intended, to depart from the British instructions for dealing with incendiary bombs, in consequence of experiments conducted at the Wellington Central Fire Station, a statement was issued that at a conference of superintendents of fire services from all parts of the Dominion resolutions had been adopted as under: — That it be made clear that all previous instructions dealing with incendiary bombs be cancelled and that all films not approved in the light of the new instructions be recalled. That the memorandum sent out contain a recommendation advising the public that any type of garden, spray, .or stirrup pump which will throw a continuous stream of water may be utilised in conjunction with buckets or other water containers.

That a general instruction be issued that in view of the severe action of incendiary bombs on collections of rubbish or similar inflammable material an instruction be given to the public that all such collections, particularly in attics, roof areas, or other floors of buildings, should be cleared up immediately, and that strict housekeeping with regard to this matter be observed. The conference found that the tests established: — 1. The incendiary bomb itself is in effect a large firework. Both the thermite discharged in the initial stages and the subsequent discharge of portions of burning electron metal, though alarming at first sight and capable of causing quick ignition in inflammable materials such as tow, packing materials, and light fabrics, were much less dangerous than they appeared. Though the clothing of the operators and persons in the vicinity were struck on a number of occasions, no serious damage resulted, it being evident that the burning material will fall off smooth surfaces even of inflammable fabrics without causing ignition. It is understood that the German incendiary bomb gives more violent discharge of thermite, which appears to be used in powder and not pellet form, but the latest indications received from Russia indicates that the same principals apply. MEANS OF EXTINGUISHING. 2. Unless the bomb falls into inflammable material, the ends of the burning bomb may be picked up with the hand for at least a minute after the fall of the bomb and completely extinguished by dumping in a bucket of water. The molten electron metal can then be readily extinguished by the application of water either with or without the application of sand. The application of water from a bucket causes violent spluttering, but this is not dangerous, and the resulting ignitions where the particles fall on inflammable material can be readily dealt with with water splashed from the bucket by the hand. 3. When the bomb falls on inflammable material or where it cannot be dealt with before the bulk of the electron metal has been melted, it is readily extinguished either with a waterstream of l-Bin. or larger diameter at bucket pump pressure (501 b. to the square inch or less), or with water poured from a bucket. It was. clear from the tests that though, as indicated in the British pamphlets, violent spluttering of the. molten material occurred, this was not dangerous to the operator, and any small fires resulting from the molten metal projected could be extinguished either by the water-stream or with water splashed from the bucket. CONTROL WITH SAND, 4. Sand is of considerable value as a retardant of both the rate of burning of the bomb and the projection of burning material. It was shown to be quite safe to approach close enough to pour sand from small hessian sandbags (21in. x 8-Mn.) over the burning bomb. The latter could then either be scraped into the wooden shovel by means of a rake and dumped into a bucket of water or outside the building or extinguished with water through the sand, which as indicated above considerably restricts the projection of burning fragments. 5. Where the bomb falls on clear space and no water is available, the bomb can be controlled by completely covering it with sand. This will so greatly retard the rate of burning that it would be practicable to travel some distance to obtain the necessary water for extinguishing.