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"Mischmetal" Incendiary ammo - question

Speedy

Well-Known Member
Mischmetal (in Germany "mixed metal") is an alloy of rare earth metals like cerium, lantanium, neodymium etc. with some other metal added (iron, magnesium, nickel...) for better properties. It is highly pyrophoric and frequently used as a "flint" in lighters.

I know that in early 1970's US military experimented with mischmetal-based incendiary ammunition. The main purpose was to attack enemy trucks in Ho Chi Minh Trail. A 40 mm (Bofors) and probably 20 mm (Vulcan) rounds were developed and put into small-scale production and shot in action from AC-130 gunships. Maybe someone have a drawings or photos of this ammunition?

Recently I found on DTIC a interesting report about tests od 60 grn (3,9 g) flechettes (from 2,75" FFAR rocket) coated with mischmetal for incendiary effect against trucks. Authors try some methods of coating (generally by dipping forward part of flechette in molten mischmetal alloy). Then they shot flechettes against mock-up truck fuel tank (an sheet-steel gasoline can behind mild steel plate) with surprisingly good effect. They doesn't used live rockets; instead they shot the flechette in plastic sabot from a special smoothbore test gun. They also suggested that the shells of spherical small fragmentation bomblets could be mischmetal-coated in similar way.

http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0902536
 
Many thanks, Slick

And how about 40 mm round? Was it similar to 20 mm in your link? Plastic shell with mischmetal core, without explosive?
 
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