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This looks to be a white phosphorous incendiary. They were also called smoke tracers. I believe they were first developed during WW1 for the purpose of igniting hydrogen filled balloons.
The solder plug in the side of the projectile would melt due to the friction caused by the friction between the projectile and barrel. This would cause the phosphorous to ignite on contact with the atmosphere.
These projectiles left a spiral of smoke in the air behind them. Any phosphorous left inside the projectile would be ignited on impact with a hard surface.
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