Eli5: What made Napalm so useful as a weapon of war and what were some of the drawbacks of its use in warfare?
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It sticks to whatever it hits, and burns intensely for some time afterwards. It can be put out with standard dry chemical retardants, but if you disturb a pile of gel near enough to another still flaming pile it will reignite. Napalm does not typically contain an oxidizing agent which is why you can put out without the use of special chemicals.
Napalm not only effectively defoliates and destroys soft targets in a given area, but also makes that area impassable for infantry without armoured vehicles.
This means that not only is napalm good at killing infantry (because even in an actual protective suit you can still roast), it is also incredibly effective at controlling the movement of enemy units, which arguably is more important than the damage potential. There’s a psychological trigger between humans and fire that’s difficult for one to contend with.
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