M15 White Phosphorous Grenade

Used for signaling, screening, and incendiary purposes.

Body is sheet metal, contains 15 ounces of white phosphorous.

Grey in color with a single yellow band.

Total weight: 31 ounces.

Fuse Delay: 4-5 seconds

Average soldier can throw the grenade 30 meters. 

Bursting radius: 17 meters. All friendly personnel within this 17-meter area should be in a covered position to avoid being struck by burning particles.

WP filler burns for about 60 seconds at a temperature of 5,000 degrees,.

Burns from the WP are treated in the usual way unless particles of WP are embedded in the skin. In that case, immerse the wound in water or pack with wet cloths to halt combustion. Then pick out or squeeze out the WP. The particles will reignite spontaneously if allowed to dry. Apply copper sulphate solution to halt combustion of the WP particles. This permits them to be removed without igniting.

More Information on Hand Grenades

More Information on Operational Safety

From Operational Medicine 2001: Health Care in Military Settings
CAPT Michael John Hughey, MC, USNR
NAVMED P-5139
  January 1, 2001

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Department of the Navy, 2300 E Street NW, Washington, D.C, 20372-5300
United States Special Operations Command, 7701 Tampa Point Blvd., MacDill AFB, Florida, 33621-5323

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