MCWP 3-16.1 Artillery Operations.pdf - Marine Corps Community ...

B-2 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ MCWP 3-16.1
High Explosive Shell, Delay (Concrete
Piercing) Fuze (MK399 Mod 1 Series)
This fuze can be set for PD or delay. In PD mode,
the fuze functions as a standard supercargo fuze. In
the delay mode, it penetrates for 4 to 9 milliseconds
before functioning. This combination is used
against urban targets to reduce rubble.
White Phosphorus Shell (M110 Series)
This burster-type projectile is filled with white
phosphorus (WP). On detonation, WP is expelled
over a limited area. It is usually fuzed with PD
fuzes M557 or M739. However, it can be fuzed
with mechanical time (MT) fuzes M564 or M582
to produce an airburst. WP is used for marking,
screening, obscuring, and incendiary effects. It is
effective against vehicles, POL storage areas, etc.
Smoke Shells (M116 Series and M825)
Smoke shells are an expelling charge type projectile
that contain canisters filled with a pyrotechnic
smoke mixture. When an MT fuze (M564 or
M577) activates, these canisters expel from the
rear of the projectile, producing smoke for 60 to
90 seconds. The projectile usually requires
adjustment. The smoke has a greater screening
effect than WP, but requires more time to build
up. The hexachloroethane (artillery smoke) (HC)
smoke projectile is being replaced with the M825
improved smoke round. The M825 uses felt
wedges impregnated with WP for rapid dissemination
and provides 5 to 10 minutes of smoke. An
MT fuze activates a charge causing base ejection
and ignition of the WP felt wedges in a large
area. As unburned WP can cause a hazard to
friendly forces, caution must be exercised when
operating in these areas.
Illuminating Shell (M485)
Illumination is an expelling charge-type projectile
that contains an illuminant canister and parachute
assembly. When the MT fuze functions (M564 or
M577), the canister/parachute assembly expels
from the base of the projectile, and the illuminant
suspends from the parachute providing 1,000,000
candle power of battlefield illumination.
Improved Conventional Munitions
(M449 and M483A1)
This expelling charge-type projectile contains
submunitions (grenades). When an MT fuze (M564
or M577) or an electronic time fuze (M762)
functions, the grenades eject over the target area.
The two types of ICM are antipersonnel improved
conventional munition (APICM) and dual purpose
improved conventional munition (DPICM).
APICM contains 60 grenades. When the grenade
strikes the target, it hurls a ball-like grenade 5 to
6 feet into the air, where it detonates and scatters
over the target area. APICM has maximum effectiveness
against troops in the open. Some effect
can be gained on troops in fighting positions.
DPICM contains 88 dual-purpose armor defeating
and antipersonnel grenades. When the projectile
detonates, an HE shaped-charge grenade
suspended from a ribbon streamer expels. On
impact, a shaped-charge jet expels downward
through the body of the grenade, while the rest of
the grenade bursts outward producing fragmentation.
The jet penetrates approximately 2.75 inches
of homogenous armor plate. DPICMs are effective
against vehicles such as armored personnel
carriers and trucks. Minimal effects are produced
against hard materiel targets.
The effects pattern of ICM is generally uniform
and circular. Pattern size varies with the caliber,
characteristics of the target area, and the HOB.
Six 155-millimeter howitzers can deliver an
effects pattern of 150 meters in radius. The
HOB may require adjustment. Deep snow (over
6 inches) can reduce the effects by more than
50 percent. All ICM grenades are subject to
duds. At the optimum HOB, the dud rate is
normally less than 2 percent; on some types of
terrain, it may be as high as 15 percent. ICM
are more effective than HE on area personnel