b. Material and Equipment.
Concentrated sulfuric acid (para 0103).
Gasoline.
Potassium chlorate (powdered).
Sugar (granulated).
Jar or bottle, with cap or stopper ½ pint).
Cloth or absorbent paper.
Jar or bottle, with cap or stopper (1 quart).
String or tape.
Heat resistant glass or porcelain pot (1 pint capacity).
Heat source.
Glass funnel.
Spoon.
Small container for measuring.
c. Preparation.
Using the funnel, pour the gasoline into the quart bottle until approximately two-thirds full. Caution: Keep this material away from open flames.
Slowly add concentrated sulfuric acid through the funnel to the gasoline in the bottle and fill the bottle to within one inch of the top. The funnel must be used to direct the concentrated acid into the gasoline in the center of the bottle. Stopper or cap the bottle securely.
Note. If only battery-grade sulfuric acid is available, it must be concentrated. See instructions under paragraph 0103.
Flush the tightly capped bottle with water to remove any gasoline or acid adhering to the outside surface and dry the bottle. This must be done to avoid accidental combustion during the following steps.
Wrap a clean cloth or several sheets of absorbent paper around the bottle. Fasten with strings or rubber bands.
Prepare a saturated solution of granulated sugar and potassium chlorate in water as directed below.
Add six measures of water to the porcelain pot and dry the measuring container with a clean rag or paper towel.
Bring the water to a boil.
Using a clean, dry spoon, place granulated sugar in the measuring container and add one and one-half measures of sugar to the boiling water.
Wipe the spoon with a clean rag or paper towel and place one measure of potassium chlorate into the boiling sugar water.
Remove the pot of boiling mixture immediately from the heat source and shut off heat source.
When the solution is cool, pour it into the small ½ pint bottle using the glass funnel and cap tightly.
Flush this bottle with water to remove any solution or crystals adhering to the outside surface and dry the bottle. When the crystals settle, there should be about ⅓ liquid above the crystals. Caution: Store this bottle separately from the other bottle containing gasoline and concentrated sulfuric acid.
d. Application.
Just prior to actual use, shake the bottle containing the sugar-potassium chlorate crystals and pour onto the cloth or paper wrapped around the gasoline-acid bottle. The fire bottle can be used while the cloth is still wet or after it has dried. However when dry, the sugar-potassium chlorate mixture is very sensitive to sparks, open flame, bumping and scraping. In the dry condition the bottle should be handled carefully.
The fire bottle should be gripped in one hand and thrown like a hand grenade. Upon impact with a metallic or other hard surface, the bottle will break and the sugar-potassium chlorate will react with the sulfuric acid. This reaction ignites the gasoline which will engulf the target area in flames.
0306. FIRE BOTTLE (DELAY IGNITION)
a. Description.
This item consists of a bottle of gasoline and concentrated sulfuric acid which is ignited by the chemical reaction of the acid with Sugar-Chlorate Igniter (0201). A delay feature is incorporated in this incendiary. The amount of delay is determined by time it takes the sulfuric acid to corrode a rubber membrane and react with the igniter mix. Immediate ignition may also be achieved by breaking the bottle and allowing the ingredients to mix.
Prepared fire bottles are stored upright. This allows the heavier acid to lay on the bottom, with the gasoline on top. When put in use, the bottle is inverted, allowing the acid to come in contact with the rubber membrane and to begin corroding it.
b. Material and Equipment.
Wide mouth bottle.
Cork or rubber stopper (must fit snugly in bottle).
Sheet rubber on rubber membrane.
Sugar-Chlorate Igniter (0201).
Concentrated Sulfuric Acid (0103).
Gasoline.
c. Preparation.
Cut or drill a cavity on the bottom of the cork big enough to hold at least two teaspoonfuls of sugar-chlorate igniter. Be careful not to break through the cork. If the hole does go all the way through, it must be sealed with another smaller cork.
Fill the bottle with a 50/50 concentration of gasoline and sulfuric acid. Pour the gasoline in first, then add the sulfuric acid carefully, making certain not to splash acid on the skin or in the eyes. Note. If only battery grade sulfuric acid is available it must be concentrated before it can be used. See paragraph 0103 for details of concentration process.
Fill the hole in the cork with Sugar-Chlorate Igniter (0201). Cover the side of the cork containing the igniter with a piece of thin rubber membrane and then force the cork into the gasoline-acid filled bottle. Take care to prevent any of the igniter mix from falling into the jar.
d. Alternate Method of Preparation.
Drill or cut a hole all the way through the cork.
Fill the bottle with gasoline and acid as described above.
Place the rubber membrane over the cork and install in the bottle. Make certain that cork is fitted tightly and rubber membrane fully covers the inner portion of the bottle.
Fill the hole in the cork with igniter mixture as before and install a small cork in the hole covering the igniter mixture.
e. Application.
To start the delay working invert the bottle. The acid will begin corroding the rubber membrane. When the acid breaks through, it will react violently and either break the bottle or blow out the cork stopper and ignite the gasoline.
The Delay Fire Bottle works well on readily ignited materials where the scattering of the burning gasoline will start a number of fires at once. To ignite wooden structures, preparation such as piling up of flammable tinder and kindling is required.
The delay time for initiation of the gasoline is slowed down in cold weather and may be stopped if the acid freezes. Check the delay time by testing the acid with the identical thickness rubber membrane at the temperature of expected use. Always use concentrated sulfuric acid.
0307. THERMITE
a. Description.
Thermite is composed of magnetic iron flakes and aluminum powder. Thermite may be obtained as a manufactured item or may be improvised for use in welding machinery parts together and burning holes in metal structures. The termite reaction is initiated Ly strong heat and therefore cannot be directly ignited with a safety fuse or match. The following igniters, found in chapter 3, may be used to initiate thermite: Powdered Aluminum—Sulfur Pellets (0207), Magnesium Powder—Barium Peroxide Igniter (0210), and Subigniter for Thermite (0211).
Thermite is very safe to handle and transport because of its high ignition temperature. It burns well in cold and windy weather. Thermite will penetrate a sealed metal container and ignite the contents. It may be easily improvised if aluminum powder and iron oxide particles of the proper size are available.
b. Material and Equipment.
Aluminum powder (no coarser than ground coffee).
Iron oxide flakes (Fe3O4—similar to coarse ground coffee).
Spoon or cup for measuring.
Jar or can with tight fitting lid.
Cardboard can with metal ends.
c. Preparation.
Place three parts by volume of iron oxide and two parts by volume of aluminum powder into the jar. Leave enough empty space to facilitiate mixing.
Tighten the lid on the jar, turn the jar on its side and slowly roll until the two powders are completely mixed. The mixture is now ready for use and may be stored for months in the sealed container.
d. Application.
Thermite is used to attack metallic targets such as transformers, electric motors, file cab
inets, gears, bearings, boilers, storage tanks and pipelines. In operation, the methods described below produce a quantity of molten metal that streams out the bottom of the unit. On contact with the target, the molten metal will cut through the outer metal casing and pour molten metal on the interior. Thermite is not recommended for use on moderate or heavy wouden structures or other applications where a persistent flame is required. Two basic techniques are described, one for burning holes in steel and the other for welding steel parts together. (a)Burning holes. . In order to penetrate a steel plate with the minimum quantity of thermite, the mass of ignited thermite must be held away from the target during the initial combustion period. This minimizes conductive heat loss (from the thermite to the target) during this period and results in the thermite attaining maximum combustion temperature. When that temperature is reached, the thermite is dropped onto the steel plate surface and a hole is burned through the plate. The following illustrates the method for burning a hole through a plate of ⅜ inch structural steel.
. Cut a cardboard can (having metal ends) into two equal sections. Example of the type of cardboard container required are which contain household abrasive cleaners such as AJAX, BON AMI and OLD DUTCH CLEANSER.
. One section of the can trimmed to a height of 2 inches and two side vents are cut as shown below.
. The other section is filled approximately ⅔ full with thermite. The thermite is then completely covered with one of the three above mentioned igniter materials to a depth of at least ¼ inch. Place the end of a length of Fuse Cord (0101) into the igniter mix, making certain that it does not extend into the thermite itself but ends in the center of the igniter mixture. Improvised String Fuse (0102) may be substituted for the Fuse Cord (0101) if desired.
. The final assembly is constructed by placing the vented section, open face down, over the target area. The metallic end of this section is now facing up, away from the target surface. The section filled with thermite, igniter, and fuse is placed on top of the vented section. Both metal ends of the cardboard can are now touching.
. After ignition, the thermite burns a hole through the steel plate dropping extremely hot particles of molten slag into the interior of the steel container. The side vents cut in the bottom section of the can allow excess slag to run off and not close up the hole in the steel target.
(b) Welding. A different method is employed when thermite is used to weld machinery components or plates together. The procedure is similar to that used for burning through steel except that the bottom stand-off is eliminated and the amount of thermite can be less than that used to burn through a ⅜ inch steel plate. The assembly is shown below.
In this instance, heat is conducted from the thermite to the steel during the combustion period. Thus, the steel is heated to nearly the same temperature as the slag and a weld is effectively made. Caution: Never attempt to ignite thermite without at least a few seconds delay time because it burns so quickly and so hot that the user could be seriously burned if he were nearby when ignition took place.
0308. FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS
a. Description. Flammable liquids are an excellent incendiary for starting fires with easily combustible material. They burn with a hot flame and have many uses as incendiaries. Most of these liquids are readily available and they are easily ignited with a match. However, these liquids tend to flow off the target and their characteristic odor may cast suspicion on the person found carrying them.
b. Material and Equipment.
Can or bottle with tight fitting lid (minimum 1 pint capacity).
One of the following volatile liquids:
Gasoline Cleaners naptha
Kerosene Turpentine
Toluene or Toluol Lighter fluid
Xylene or Xylol Fuel oil
Benzene or Benzol Alcohol
c. Preparation. No preparation other than placing the liquid into an air-tight container for storage and transportation to the target is required.
d. Application. The most effective way to use flammable liquids is to pour at least a pint of the liquid on a pile of rags or sawdust which have been place in a corner of a packing box or other wooden object. This procedure keeps the liquid concentrated in a small area and gives a more persistent flame for igniting wooden objects. If small pieces of charcoal are available, they should be soaked with the flammable liquid and placed on the target. The charcoal will ignite and give a hot, persistent glow that is long lasting. After placing the flammable liquid on the target, throw a lighted match on a soaked area. Do not stand too close when this is done.
0309. INCENDIARY BRICK
a. Description.
This incendiary is composed of potassium chlorate, sulfur, sugar, iron filings and wax. When properly made, it looks like an ordinary building brick and can be easily transported without detection. The incendiary brick will ignite wooden walls, floors, and many other combustible objects.
This incendiary can be directly ignited by all igniters listed in chapter 3, coupled with a specific delay mechanism found in chapter 5. To ignite this incendiary with White Phosphorus Solution (0209), the solution must first be poured on absorbent paper and the paper placed on top of the brick.
b. Material and Equipment.
Parts by volume
Potassium chlorate (powdered) 40
Sulfur (powdered) 15
Granulated sugar 20
Iron filings 10
Wax (beeswax or ordinary candle wax) 15
Spoon or stick
Brick mold
Red paint
Measuring cup or can
Double boiler
Heat source (hot plate or stove)
c. Preparation.
Fill the bottom half of the double boiler with water and bring to a boil.
Place the upper half of the boiler on the lower portion and add the wax, sulfur, granulated sugar, and iron filings in the proper amounts.
Stir well to blend all the materials evenly.
Remove the upper half of the double boiler from the lower portion and either shut off the heat source or move the upper section several feet from the fire. Caution: Extreme care should be exercised at this point because accidental ignition of the mixture is possible. Some means of extinguishing a fire should be at hand, a fire extinguisher or sand. It is important to keep face, hands, and clothing at a reasonably safe distance during the remainder of the preparation. A face shield and fireproof gloves are recommended.
CAREFULLY add the required amount of potassium chlorate and again stir well to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Pour the mixture into a brick mold and set aside until it cools and hardens.
When hard, remove the incendiary from the mold, and paint it red to simulate a normal building brick.
d. Application.
When painted, the incendiary brick can be carried with normal construction materials and placed in or on combustible materials.
A short time delay in ignition can be obtained by combining Fuse Cord (0101) or Improvised String Fuse (0102) and one of the igniter mixtures found in chapter 3. (For example, several spoonfuls of Sugar-Chlorate mixture (0201) are placed on the incendiary brick. Fuse cord is buried in the center of the igniter mixture and the fuse is taped to the brick. Delay times are determined by the length of the fuse. Suitable delay mechanisms are given in chapter 5 for delay times longer than those practical with fuse cord.)
CHAPTER 5
DELAY MECHANISMS
0401. CIGARETTE
a. Description.
This item consists of a bundle of matches wrapped around a lighted cigarette. It is placed directly on easily ignited material. Ignition occurs when the lighted portion of the burning cigarette reaches the match heads. This delay mechanism can be used to initiate all igniters listed in chapter 3 except Magnesium Powder—Barium Peroxide (0210) and Powdered Aluminum—Sulfur Pellets (0207). A cigarette delay directly ignites the following incendiaries: Napalm (0301), Gelled Gasoline (exotic thickeners) (0302), and Gelled Gas
oline (improvised thickeners) (0303).
The following dry tinder type materials may also be directly ignited by the cigarette delay mechanism: Straw, paper, hay, woodshavings and rags.
Usually this delay will ignite in 15 to 20 minutes, depending on length of cigarette, make of cigarette, and force of air currents. A duplicate delay mechanism should be tested to determine delay time for various ambient conditions.
The cigarette must be placed so that the flame will travel horizontally or upward. A burning cigarette that is clamped or held will not burn past the point of confinement. Therefore, the cigarette should not contact any object other than matches.
b. Material and Equipment.
Cigarette.
Matches (wooden).
Match box.
String or tape.
c. Preparation.
Picket-fence delay.
(a) Push one wooden match head into a cigarette a predetermined distance to obtain the approximate delay time.
(b) Tie or tape matches around the cigarette with the match heads at the same location as the first match in the cigarette.
Match box delay.
Tear out one end of the inner tray of a box of matches (the end next to the match heads). Push one match into the cigarette. Insert this cigarette into the bunch of matches and parallel to the matches at the center of the pack. Slide the tray out of the inner box, leaving the match heads and the cigarette exposed. The head of the match in the cigarette should be even with the exposed match heads.
U.S. Army Special Forces Guide to Unconventional Warfare Page 6
