Explosive bullets

[John_P]

Why weren't the rules of "humane" warfare suscribed to by most if not all of hte warring powers, such as requiring FMJ bullets, not followed in the use of explosive bullets against aircraft? The target was considered an object not a person??

[stephen]

I believe such ammunition was indeed outlawed for use against a/c. Balloon busters often carried written orders on missions to justify their use of such ammo in the event they were shot down over enemy territory.

[Michael_Dailey]

If my source is correct, non FMJ bullets were proscribed by the 1899 Hague Peace Conference. It specifically mentions 'bullets which expand or flatten easily in the human body as, for instance, bullets with a hard case which does not cover the whole of the enclosed mass, or contains incisions.'

Interestingly enough, the United States and the UK did not sign this agreement. I do not know if the Geneva Convention also addressed this subject.

The term 'explosive bullet' although apparently in common use at the time, is somewhat misleading.

What I would like to know is if the Germans ever used hollow point or non FMJ 7.92mm bullets against the Allies in air to air combat, or if the fearsome wounds sometimes experienced in these engagements were due only to fragmentation of a very high velocity FMJ round in tissue, bullet yaw, etc.

Anyone have Woodman handy?

MDD


ps: I do remember being told in my Army days that .50 Ammunition was only supposed to be used against equipment and not against personnel. Of course in the same breath it was mentioned that helmets, LBE, fatigue jackets, sleeping bags etc were all equipment..

[rammjaeger]

>>What I would like to know is if the Germans ever used hollow point or non FMJ 7.92mm bullets against the Allies in air to air combat<<

The Becker 2 cm-Kanone was tested in air combat in some cases at the end of the war but the results were not as expected. Also the use as Flak was not convincing.

[TonyWilliams]

From 'Flying Guns – World War 1: Development of Aircraft Guns, Ammunition and Installations 1914-32' by Emmanuel Gustin and myself:

"It is worth starting by commenting on the legal status of the explosive and incendiary ammunition. The signatories to the Declaration of St Petersburg in 1868 renounced the use of any projectile weighing under 400 g which was either explosive or "charged with fulminatory inflammable matter." At that time, the appropriate calibre for 400 g shells was 37 mm, which accounts for the popularity of this calibre for decades thereafter. This limitation was generally adhered to until 1914. However, as we have seen, tracer, explosive and incendiary bullets were all developed and used even in rifle calibres during the First World War. After the fighting was all over, it was decided that the legal position should be clarified so in 1922 a Committee of International Jurists met at the Hague to consider a set of rules for aerial warfare. They decided that the use of tracer, incendiary or explosive projectiles by or against aircraft was not prohibited. This draft Convention was never formally ratified, but everyone thereafter behaved as if it had been, albeit with a degree of nervousness in some quarters."

The HE/incendiary bullets were first developed in WW1 for use against balloons, and it was later considered acceptable (with rather less confidence) to use them against aircraft, on the grounds that the purpose was to destroy the aircraft, not to increase the severity of the wounds of the crew.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion
forum

[John_P]

Enlightening, as usual.

[EdStevens]

You will come across many first-hand accounts written by Allied airmen during the war that describe and decry the Germans' use of "exploding bullets." Personally it's been my suspicion for a long time that most of these were in fact tracer rounds, which could fragment easily upon striking a target and would cause pretty horrible wounds in the human body, especially if they were still burning.

[John_P]

Lt. Drew of the 13th AS claims he was hit by an explosive round in the right arm, severely wounding him and requiring amputation in a German hospital.

[TonyWilliams]

A bit more info from FG:WW1

"The first rifle-calibre incendiary bullets – actually explosive/incendiary which detonated on impact – were introduced into Austro-Hungarian service in 1914 for ground-based anti-balloon guns. The Pomeroy, Brock and Buckingham entered British air service in .303 in (7.7x56R) calibre during 1916, the RTS in the following year. Germany followed suit in 1916/17 with 7.92x57 Phosphor-F bullets apparently based on the Buckingham, and Austro-Hungary produced improved ammunition in 1917. Although they were becoming widespread, there was still some nervousness about the hazards associated with their use. The British banned them from synchronised guns for some time, concerned about the consequences should one hit the propeller as a result of synchroniser failure (a not uncommon occurrence), and possibly also by the fact that the Vickers guns fired from a closed bolt, increasing the risk of the projectiles "cooking off" in a hot chamber. In Germany there were cases of spontaneous ignition of the ammunition in the magazines (particularly affecting the Fokker D.VII), an alarming prospect for the pilot."

Tony Williams

[Barrett]

Incendiary ammo (legally used against balloons) was loaded in one gun with the standard mixture of ball & tracer (or whatever) in the other. That way the aviator was able to be selective in his use of ammo against appropriate targets.

Riiiight....

Actually, FMJ rounds were preferable in almost all instances over lead because the coppro-nickel (or whatever) jacket limited fouling of the barrel. There are other instances: the dreaded hollow-point was an accidental "discovery" that resulted in superior ballistic performance. HPs are still legit as long as there's no exposed lead.