Identify explosion please?

[jlvfr]

Hia folks

This is a shot from the war in Gaza:

http://www.pbase.com/image/108066897

Does anyone know what those airbursts are? I'm thinking either packs of chaf/flares from the airforce, or some weird artillery shell...

[Yusuf]

No aircrafts are visible, so i dont think those are flares. Weird explosion. Maybe the pros have a better idea.

[dave lukins]

They look like they are laying a smoke screen prior to an ground assault. S2(Artillery Officer) will probably put us straight:)

[jlvfr]

They look like they are laying a smoke screen prior to an ground assault. S2(Artillery Officer) will probably put us straight:)

These blasts were visible even before the ground assault phase, so...

[bolo121]

I think those might be those white phosphorous rounds that the anti israeli press keeps fussing about.

[zraver]

Those are artillery delivered WP rounds.

[Dreadnought]

Yep, Those rounds appear to be WP or "Willie Pete" White phosphorus can not be extinguished by the common fire extinguisher or fire hose they must burn out. Not sure about the artilliary that fired it but for the Navy 5" rounds were standard for smoke cover and night illumination for a strike or to burn out a target if necessary.

[RustyBattleship]

I haven't seen WP explode that directionally before and they are too high to really cause any serious incendiary damage. But they really look more like Chaff explosions to divert AA for the incoming aircraft.

[jlvfr]

they are too high

This is also why I didn't think they were incendiaries...

[zraver]

Yep, Those rounds appear to be WP or "Willie Pete" White phosphorus can not be extinguished by the common fire extinguisher or fire hose they must burn out. Not sure about the artilliary that fired it but for the Navy 5" rounds were standard for smoke cover and night illumination for a strike or to burn out a target if necessary.

Looks similar to the M825 WP shell the US uses.

[omon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPY2M6IxDRA

[JCT]

Looks similar to the M825 WP shell the US uses.

Sorry, can't remember the source, but I did see a picture of some Israeli M825 shells stacked in one of their arty positions.

[RustyBattleship]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPY2M6IxDRA

Well now, that video explains a lot. It also indicates that WP shells have vastly improved over the last few decades allowing, what appears to be, sub-munition shells to continue down over a wider area than a single shell would.

[GraniteForge]

Yep, Those rounds appear to be WP or "Willie Pete" White phosphorus can not be extinguished by the common fire extinguisher or fire hose they must burn out.

WP will burn as long as it is in contact with oxygen. I think its a Class D fire, by US standards. So you have to use a Class D extinguishing agent. Low-tech solution is to cover it with sand.

[RustyBattleship]

WP will burn as long as it is in contact with oxygen. I think its a Class D fire, by US standards. So you have to use a Class D extinguishing agent. Low-tech solution is to cover it with sand.

Those fireballs are pretty big and seem to hold their size all the way down. White Phosphorus may be the exploding agent to "grape shot" them out of the shell casing, but I would bet beers to doughnuts they are actually magnesium based thermite cannisters.