Posted on 01/05/2009 4:20:30 AM PST by Blueflag
Israel Rains Fire on Gaza, Vows No Let-Up in Assault
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Photos are captioned to imply Israeli airburst artillery shells over civilian areas are 'raining fire' on Gaza; but I do not recognize the ordinance, which look more like anti-missile flares dropped from an aircraft descending to the ground.
Inquiring FReepers want to catch Reuters in the act of misleading again, and then inform Fox news.
The top photo on this page http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475664,00.html may be especially misleading with the caption stating the arty set the building ablaze, since the building underneath the 'artillery shell' is fully involved in flames, with no evidence of a recent secondary explosion.
Any arty guys out there who can ID this?
I think they are naval star shells and artillery smoke shells.
That particular burst didn’t set the building on fire. It’s already well engaged with fire.
That was my guess. Flares to illuminate the scene. I guess they could start a fire, but urban renewal is needed in any case in the area.
I am with you, the slow descent of the ‘stars’ does not look like a munition designed to destroy or ignite something. And in the one photo, the ‘airburst’ is too high for proper effect ... unless of course the fuse was improperly set.
I have no background in arty, so I am looking for FReepers in the know to ‘splain these shots. Some of our pilots may know as well.
WP smoke round.
yeah, I saw that as well. My presumption is that we have an ignorant, biased Reuters reporter on the scene feeding dramatic photos to an unknowing NYU media grad at Fox News who posts the photos with the Reuters-suggested captions.
Perhaps. Makes sense.
WP I thought burns with a whiter ‘flame’ than these yellow ‘flames’ but I could be wrong.
Remembering that I don’t know squat about arty ... isn’t THE WORLD against the use of white phosphorous?
Admin - could you add the Military category to this post please? I forgot to do that when I posted it. Many thanks.
White P is the "MAN" holding the other phosporouses of color down.
Multiple warhead shells, like Cluster bombs for cannons controlled by a radar altimeter and set to go off a specific altitude vary similar to shells used in flak cannons during WWII.
Here’s another photo to help you discern.
http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,6177,00.html#9_0
Clearly two are illumination flares on parachutes. The other I just don’t recognize.
Gotcha, but ... (remembering I know nuthin about arty) The smoke trails behind the ‘stars’ imply a slow descent through the atmosphere. Cluster bomblets don’t fall slowly or ‘burn’ in the air as they descend.
Am I off base here?
Just tryin’ to get to the bottom of it ... and burn Reuters of course.
One more to look at. Looks like it was improperly fused and exploded on or near the ground.
http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/photoessay_6177_images/0103091236_M_010309_gaza5.jpg
Jan. 3: An explosion and illumination flares fired by Israeli forces are seen above the northern Gaza Strip from the Israeli side of the border with Gaza.
that was the caption under the photo you just linked...
Chemical racism of the first magnitude..........can't we all just get along?
Thanks Robe.
So smoke rounds can have impact, proximity and altimeter fuses like any arty round, I presume. IF the round bursts in the air, then smaller pieces ignite, emit smoke and tumble to the ground and continue to emit smoke until consumed.
I’ll now go do some research on smoke rounds and be back in a bit.
yes. THAT one is not the inflammatory caption (pun intended). The ones at the main foxnews.com site are the problem. The captions and titles speak of a ‘rain of fire’ that set a building ablaze.
If these are indeed smoke rounds, then the captions and titles are patently false and misleading.
BTW, the photo with the illumination flares PROPERLY ID’d does not ID the multiple smoke trails from the other ordinance.
Not white, but Yellow Phosphorous *IS* the largest demographic, and is CLEARLY underrepresented in the military.
We need to take action immediately to correct the injustice!
BTW, what is the carbon footprint of an invasion? ;-p
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