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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Napalm is effectively just sticky fire, and sticky fire has a long history in warfare spanning millennia. It’s very useful against vegetation, personnel, structures, and lighter vehicles. It’s also very useful as an area-denial weapon, because the enemy is unlikely to want to move into areas covered with sticky fire.
The primary issue with it was that it was indiscriminate. While the use of such weapons was tolerated under the total war doctrines of WW2 and Korea, by Vietnam and the introduction of mass media to warfare, the public found the use of such indiscriminate weapons objectionable.
In addition, napalm is somewhat toxic and carcinogenic. While interacting with it is unlikely to be imminently dangerous to your health beyond the obvious dangers of handling what could very easily become sticky fire, prolonged exposure is going to be a serious health problem, and the usage of napalm (particularly in Vietnam) led to significant ecological damage, as well as water and soil contamination.
Napalm is effectively just sticky fire, and sticky fire has a long history in warfare spanning millennia. It’s very useful against vegetation, personnel, structures, and lighter vehicles. It’s also very useful as an area-denial weapon, because the enemy is unlikely to want to move into areas covered with sticky fire.
The primary issue with it was that it was indiscriminate. While the use of such weapons was tolerated under the total war doctrines of WW2 and Korea, by Vietnam and the introduction of mass media to warfare, the public found the use of such indiscriminate weapons objectionable.
In addition, napalm is somewhat toxic and carcinogenic. While interacting with it is unlikely to be imminently dangerous to your health beyond the obvious dangers of handling what could very easily become sticky fire, prolonged exposure is going to be a serious health problem, and the usage of napalm (particularly in Vietnam) led to significant ecological damage, as well as water and soil contamination.
Napalm is effectively just sticky fire, and sticky fire has a long history in warfare spanning millennia. It’s very useful against vegetation, personnel, structures, and lighter vehicles. It’s also very useful as an area-denial weapon, because the enemy is unlikely to want to move into areas covered with sticky fire.
The primary issue with it was that it was indiscriminate. While the use of such weapons was tolerated under the total war doctrines of WW2 and Korea, by Vietnam and the introduction of mass media to warfare, the public found the use of such indiscriminate weapons objectionable.
In addition, napalm is somewhat toxic and carcinogenic. While interacting with it is unlikely to be imminently dangerous to your health beyond the obvious dangers of handling what could very easily become sticky fire, prolonged exposure is going to be a serious health problem, and the usage of napalm (particularly in Vietnam) led to significant ecological damage, as well as water and soil contamination.
Everyone is pointing out napalm is sticky. Yes. But the real advantage of it’s stickiness is that it sticks to itself. This makes the spray less likely to turn into small droplets which get blown by the wind. Big clumps of napalm tend to go where you shoot it, not where the wind blows it.
Adding to that: big clumps of napalm burn longer than small droplets when it reaches its target. That does more damage/sucks up more oxygen.
Everyone is pointing out napalm is sticky. Yes. But the real advantage of it’s stickiness is that it sticks to itself. This makes the spray less likely to turn into small droplets which get blown by the wind. Big clumps of napalm tend to go where you shoot it, not where the wind blows it.
Adding to that: big clumps of napalm burn longer than small droplets when it reaches its target. That does more damage/sucks up more oxygen.
Everyone is pointing out napalm is sticky. Yes. But the real advantage of it’s stickiness is that it sticks to itself. This makes the spray less likely to turn into small droplets which get blown by the wind. Big clumps of napalm tend to go where you shoot it, not where the wind blows it.
Adding to that: big clumps of napalm burn longer than small droplets when it reaches its target. That does more damage/sucks up more oxygen.
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