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#1159231 - 09/10/02 04:37 PM What tracer colours did the various airforces use in WW2?
Drawde Offline
Member

Registered: 06/07/01
Loc: Cookham,Berkshire,UK
I know from IL-2 that the VVS generally used green MG (white for the 50-cals?) and orange/red cannon tracers,
whilst the Luftwaffe used orange MG and blue cannon tracers. The Luftwaffe tracers also seem to generate a lot
more smoke than the Russian ones. (were the smoke trails intentional, to assist in aiming/tracking?)
However does anyone know what tracer colours and types the other airforces in WW2 used? Not only the RAF and
USAAF but also the Japanese, Italian and French airforces (who all had their own weapon types, so presumably their
own ammo as well). Most sims represent all tracers as yellow-white regardless of the weapon and nation.
In the recent series "America's War" which showed a lot of colour video footage from WW2, I remember one scene showing
RED tracers - not red-white or fiery orange-red, but bright red, almost laser-like. No idea what chemical these contained
to give this effect (doesn't sodium burn red?). These were from ground MGs, not aircraft though. Another scene showed red-white
tracers from the defensive flak guns on a carrier.
I also remember reading an anecdote from an AA gunner (think it was in "Flypast" magazine") which described the tracers
from German bomber guns as being bright white.
(In case you're wondering, the reason I'd like info on tracers is for the WW2 game I'm developing (http://www.edwardpinniger.bctalk.net/ww2/ww2strat.html)
- accurate tracer colours may be only a small detail, but it still adds to the game!)


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#1159232 - 09/11/02 04:17 AM Re: What tracer colours did the various airforces use in WW2?
Anonymous
Unregistered

Quote:
Originally posted by Drawde:
I know from IL-2 that the VVS generally used green MG (white for the 50-cals?) and orange/red cannon tracers,
whilst the Luftwaffe used orange MG and blue cannon tracers. The Luftwaffe tracers also seem to generate a lot
more smoke than the Russian ones. (were the smoke trails intentional, to assist in aiming/tracking?)
However does anyone know what tracer colours and types the other airforces in WW2 used? Not only the RAF and
USAAF but also the Japanese, Italian and French airforces (who all had their own weapon types, so presumably their
own ammo as well). Most sims represent all tracers as yellow-white regardless of the weapon and nation.
In the recent series "America's War" which showed a lot of colour video footage from WW2, I remember one scene showing
RED tracers - not red-white or fiery orange-red, but bright red, almost laser-like. No idea what chemical these contained
to give this effect (doesn't sodium burn red?). These were from ground MGs, not aircraft though. Another scene showed red-white
tracers from the defensive flak guns on a carrier.
I also remember reading an anecdote from an AA gunner (think it was in "Flypast" magazine") which described the tracers
from German bomber guns as being bright white.
(In case you're wondering, the reason I'd like info on tracers is for the WW2 game I'm developing (http://www.edwardpinniger.bctalk.net/ww2/ww2strat.html)
- accurate tracer colours may be only a small detail, but it still adds to the game!)


This might help...

Tree

WWII German Military Pyrotechnics

I Would Like To Extend A Deep Thanks To John Deer(johnniejj@hotmail.com) For Allowing Me To Make This Excellent Information Available To The Public!

Item No.3, 7 & 17

File No. XXXII - 9

The Chemical Compositions of German Pyrotechnic Colored Signal Items.

Reported by : Mr. Henry J. Eppig U.S. Ord

. June - August 1945

Combined Intelligence Objectives Sub-Committee

G-2 Division SHEAF (Rear) APO. 413

______________________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

Subject

I. Summary

II. Sources of Information (Deleated)

III. General Description

A. Fundamental Research

B. Red Light Compositions

C. Green Light Compositions

(ed. note: Part 1 ends here)

D. Yellow Light Compositions

E. White Light Compositions

F. Blue Light Compositions

G. Ignition Compositions

H. Stability Problems

I. New Loading Methods

IV. Individual Signal Compositions

A. Single star Green signal cartridge

B. Single star Green signal cartridge Model 38

C. Single star Red signal cartridge

D. Single star Red signal cartridge Model 38

E. Recognition signal cartridge, White Trace with three red stars

F. Recognition signal cartridge, Red trace with three white stars

G. Recognition signal cartridge, Four white stars

H. Recognition signal cartridge, Four red stars

I. Recognition signal cartridge, Six white stars

J. Recognition signal cartridge, Six red stars

K. Signal cartridge, Two star red

L. Signal cartridge, Three star green

M. Star cluster signal cartridge, Two red, two yellow and two green stars

N. Star cluster signal cartridge, Yellow tracer, branching into three red

and three green stars

O. Star cluster signal cartridge, white tracer, branching into six white

stars

P. Star cluster signal cartridge, red tracer, branching into six red stars

Q. Star cluster signal cartridge, red tracer, branching into six green stars

R. Cartridge,white trace, for artillery surveys

S. Variable red and green star signal cartridge

T. Whistling signal cartridge

U. Additional colored signal compositions

I. Summary As a result of the investigation of the nine targest dealing with research, testing and the manufacture of German military pyrotechnics, information pertaining to the chemical compositions used in colored signal lights has been obtained.

It has been found that these compositions were chiefly mixtures of nitrates,magnesium and polyvinyl chloride. The compositions are given in detail in this report.

Research was also in progress with a view toward the improvement of the saturation of the colors emitted by the green light compositions. The direction of the research is indicated.

Several methods which facilitated loading of pyrotechnic compositions were also found. These include the use of a four piece flare mold, and the incorporation of synthetic polymerizable substances in the compositions

II. Sources of information

Sources A. - I. (Deleated) (ed. note: these were interrogations of plant directors, chemists, etc. at various plants and factories.)

Note: All of the compositions and functioning data given here below have been taken from German "Herstellungsberichten", or "Reports of Manufacture" obtained at the individual targets (sources A, C, E, F and H). They are believed to be accurate representations of the compositions which were actually used. Drawings of the signals themselves were obtained also, but were in C.I.O.S. channels and were not availible at the time of the preparation of this report.

III. General Description A. Fundmental Research

Very little fundamental research was done on the problem of the radiation emmitted by pyrotechnic signal lights. Only small, direct vision spectroscopes had been used in three of the pyrotechnic manufacturing plants Sources A, B and C. Nevertheless, it was known that blue lights were caused by the radiation emitted by the bands in the molecular spectrum of copper chloride, green lights by the bands of the molecular spectrum of barium chloride, and red lights by molecular bands due to strontium chloride. Yellow colored lights were known to be obtainable in two ways: a) by the emission of radiation by the sodium D lives and b) by the combination of radiation emitted by barium chloride bands, and strontium chloride bands. The latter method was scarcely employed, however. Almost all of the yellow light compositions were obtained from mixtures of sodium compounds.

B. Red Light Compositions

Red light compositions were almost invariably mixtures of strontium nitrate, magnesium and polyvinyl chloride, with the occasional addition of wax or other organic material to retard the burning rate. The following general formula is representative of practically all of the red signal light compositions which were in use during the past five years:

Strontium nitrate 50 - 61% Magnesium 17 - 35% Polyvinyl Chloride, or 14 -28% Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride I.G. Wax or Vaseline 1 - 5%

A few compositions were found in which the magnesium of the above composition had been replaced by magnesium aluminum alloy. However, it was recognised (Source D) that the replacement of the magnesium by either aluminum, or magnesium-aluminum alloy caused a loss in the saturation of the color. The alloys were used only in order to affect a saving in the critically scarce magnesium.

C. Green Light Compositions

There was perhaps no other problem which caused as much difficulty in the manufacture of German pyrotechnic ammunition, as the task of the production of green signal lights having deep colors together with high luminous intensities. (ed. note: this hits me where I live!)

The following general formula is representative of most of the green light compositions which were manufactured:

Barium nitrate 54 -61%

Magnesium 11 - 30%

Polyvinyl chloride, or 18 - 25%

Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride

Wax or vaseline 0.5 - 4%

The colored lights which were obtained by the use of these compositions were said to be satisfactory for use at night. However, for daylight use, where very deep green colors were necessary, these compositions were declared unsatisfactory.

The first step taken in order to improve the depth of color was the removal of all sodium compounds from both the paper cases and the composition itself. (ed. note: European papers of the 1940's are notorious in the museum and archives community for their fragility, due in some part to sodium hypochlorite bleaching processes.) The polyvinyl chloride used was found to have been manufactured with the aid of sodium bicarbonate, which left an apreciable sodium residue. A new, specially washed polyvinyl chloride was therefore tried. However, the increase in saturation was still not sufficient to produce a satisfactory color for use in daylight.

Many different chlorinated organic compounds (about 60) were tried, in an effort to obtain a chlorine carrier which would be more effective than polyvinyl chloride. Some of the substances tried were chlorinated rubber, hexachlorbenzine, chloral urea, barium tetrachlorphthalate, barium trichlorphenolate, barium trichlorbenzoate, hexachlorethane and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride containing about 63% chlorine. Of all these substances it was reported (Sources C and E) that the chlorinated polyvinyl chloride produced the best results. However, for daylight use, the green colors produced by compositions containing this ingredient were still not satisfactory.

Accordingly, the old barium chlorate/shellac mixtures were reverted to. These produced deep green colors, but were quite low in intensity. They were employed from 1940 to 1944 for the "Signalpatrone Einzelstern Grun" Single Star Green Signal Cartridge. Two representative formulae of this type which were widely used are as follows:

A B

Barium chlorate 79% 64%

Potassium chlorate ----- 18%

Shellac ---- 18% --

Barium nitrate 6.5%

Anthracene 10.5%

Lactose 1.7%

Methyl cellulose 2.3%

Composition A was employed in 1940. It was mixed wet with the aid of alcohol, and pressed while still slightly moist in order to avoid the hazard of explosion due to the sensitivity of the chlorates. Composition B was a later development (1942) which was mixed and loaded in the same way, but with the aid of water instead of alcohol.

The low candlepower values produced by the above compositions were undesirable, and efforts to produce brighter signals while maintaining the same depth of color were continued.

After much work it was found that all increases in brightness caused decreases in saturation. Nevertheless, a compromise between high intensity and high saturation was finally reached in the following composition which was employed late in 1944 (Sources D and F).

Barium nitrate 58%

Polyvinyl chloride 22.5%

Magnesium 7.5%

Silicon 7.0%

Resorcylic acid 5.0%

The silicon served as a fuel which did not produce as hot a flame as magnesium; and this tended toward the production of a flame with less white light, and a higher color saturation. The reason for the addition of resorcylic acid is interesting. Mixtures of resorcylic acid and potassium chlorate were used for whistle compositions. It was supposed that in the presence of a strong oxidizing agent, the resorcylic acid emitted a copious flow of gasses which produced the high pitched whistling effect. It was therefore thought that if resorcylic acid were used in colored light compositions, the great efflux of gas produced by it's combustion would make the flame larger and cooler, which in turn would cause a higher saturation.

Some of the more recent attempts to produce deep green flames of high saturation involved the following compositions:

A

Potassium perchlorate 60%

Amorphus boron 30%

Lactose 10%

B

Barium chlorate 80%

Tetranitrocarbazol 20%

Composition A was found to produce a greenish-yellow tinted light. However, further efforts in the direction of the use of boron were discontinued because of it's high cost. Composition B produced a good green flame, but was thought to be too dangerous even to consider. (ed note: no, do you think? sort of like shooting a shell containing lead azide and ball bearings)

Toward the end of the war efforts were made (Source C) to produce deep green flames by making uses of flares containing inner axial center tubes containing ammonium chloride. It was said that promising results had been obtained, but that time was not available to carry the work to a successful conclusion.



------------------
United States Navy 1979-1982
Aviation Machinists Mate 2nd Class
VT-23, HS-1, USS Carl Vinson CVN70 (Plank Owner)


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#1159233 - 09/11/02 02:56 PM Re: What tracer colours did the various airforces use in WW2?
Drawde Offline
Member

Registered: 06/07/01
Loc: Cookham,Berkshire,UK
Thanks, that info should be very useful!

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