OP 1177 - Surface Pyrotechnic and Projectors; Chapter 2

SURFACE PYROTECHNICS AND PROJECTORS

Chapter 2 - STOWAGE AND HANDLING

9. The Bureau of Ordnance Manual, Chapter XIV, Article 14C14, covering the stowage of explosives and applying specifically to pyrotechnics items, gives the following instruc-tions:

(a) Pyrotechnics and pyrotechnic ammunition (excpet illuminating projectiles) shall be stowed in cool, dry magazines below decks, preferably above the water line, or in special pyrotechnic lockers located on the weather decks of surface vessels. Submarines shall stow pyrotechnics and pyrotechnic ammunition in approved designated places.

(b) If the quantity of any type of pyrotechnic ammunition be large, it shall be stowed se-parately from other types of pyrotechnics.

(c) That part of signaling pyrotechnics for boats shall be packed in watertight boxes, and may be stowed in boats as required by existing instructions.

(d) Certain material classed as pyrotechnics, such as illuminating elements of illuminating projectiles, and fuses which are assembled to go with such ammunition, do not require separate stoarge as pyrotechnics, but are stored with the ammunition with which assem-bled.

(e) ... smoke signals shall be stored in cool, dry locations above decks, owing to diffi-culty of combating objectionable smoke in case of fire.

Pyrotechnic stowage on board ship, at depots, and at stations, shall be so selected that the stowage temperature shall not exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Pyrotechnics should be stowed in the boxes or watertight containers in which they are supplied, wherever possible. When necessary to remove pyrotechnic ammunition from boxes for ready ser-vice, the individual items should be placed so as to be protected from direct sunlight or any excessive heat, and from spray or moisture.

Hazard and Safety Precautions

10. The following information is from the Bureau of Ordnance Manual.

(a) Pyrotechnic ammunition is more subject to deterioration than some other types of ammunition, and some types are liable to spontaneous ignition if exposed to moisture, high temperatures, or rough handling.

(b) Pyrotechnic ammunition is in general a fire hazard and forms a very hot fire, difficult to extinguish. Almost all types furnish their own oxygen upon combustion; but large volu-mes of water and copious dousing may serve to cool the materials, or at least adjacent materials, below the ignition temperature.

(c) Because of the different types of pyrotechnic ammunition, and the kind of pyrotech-nics effects required, numerous substances of various stabilities and sensitivities enter into the compositions. Nitrate mixes are fairly insensitive. Mixes containing chlorate or mixes containing red phosphorous are very sensitve. Mixes containing chlorate and sul-phur are subject to spontaneous ignition. Mixtures containing powdered aluminum or magnesium are subject to explosion in fire.

The best protection against accident is cool, dry stowage, careful handling, and protec-tion against shock or continual movement caused by the roll of the ship.

Fire Precautions

11. Smoking or carrying lighted cigars, pipes, or cigarettes is not permitted in or near magazines in which pyrotechnics are stowed. Similarly, carrying open lights, matches, or spark-producing articles is prohibited. When pyrotechnic items are removed from the ma-gazine for use, the above rules must be enforced, not only in areas through which they are carried, but in areas where they are placed on deck preparatory to firing. Pyrotech-nic ammunition must be kept clean of dirt and dust. Any foreign substances must be re-moved carefully before the items are stowed or fired.

Stroage Ashore

12. The foregoing instructions from the Bureau of Ordnance Manual refer to ship stow-age, but apply with equal weight to storage of pyrotechnics ashore. In shore placement of magazines, or temporary dumps ashore, the following tables should be used as a guide:

	MINIMUM DISTANCE FROM
MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF MATERIAL IN ONE MAGAZINE OR STOW	OCCUPIED BUILDING	PUBLIC RAILWAY	PUBLIC HIGHWAY	SMOKELESS POWDER OR MAGAZINE
143,000 lbs. of contained explosive	400 feet	400 feet	400 feet	200 feet
Wherever possible, the following distances should be kept:
	DISTANCE FROM NEAREST
MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF MATERIAL IN ONE MAGAZINE OR STOW	OCCUPIED BUILDING	PUBLIC RAILWAY	PUBLIC HIGHWAY	SMOKELESS POWDER OR MAGAZINE
500,000 lbs. gross weight of items*	800 feet	800 feet	800 feet	400 feet
* This figure includes the weight of pyrotechnics and their containers.

Pyrotechnic ammunition, with its combustible ingredients, demands careful dispersal in several stows, either aboard ship or ashore. Items should be separated according to type, color, and lot number, wherever practicable.

Issue, Custody and Reports

13. The issue of pyrotechnics for fleet activities is covered in the Bureau of Ordnance Manual under section 2B and 2C. These sections state that Naval Ammunition Depot and Magazines shall supply, on request, materials to fill allowances as established or appro-ved by the Bureau of Ordnance. In requesting pyrotechnic ammunition, it is essential that the correct nomenclature be used. In cases where several colors ar available in items bearing the same Mark, the desired colors must also be specified. Written requests should be made to the Bureau of Ordnance for pyrotechnics in excess of allowances, and for items not on the allowance lists. Request from overseas activities should be screened through the appropriate Area or Force Commander. Issue to ships will be made in accord-ance with allowance lists; but issue for overseas shipment and shore activities will be made in full container, quantities only. In issuing pyrotechnic items every effort should be made to:

(a) Issue the oldest lot on hand first.

(b) Issue and ship in full lot quantities wherever possible.

Semi-annual reports of all pyrotechnic ammunition on hand are to be submitted to the Bureau of Ordnance on NAVORD FORM 41b by all ships and all shore activities not on the Ammunition Stock-Recording System. For instructions for filling out these forms, see NAVORD OCL X12-44 and NAVORD FORM 41. It is necessary that not only the lot number but the manufacturer's initials be given in these reports.

Allowances and Expenditures

14. Allowance lists for pyrotechnic items have been estabilshed for all classes of ships. These allowances may be varied by Force or Type Commanders to meet requirements of actual operations. In such variances, however, care must be taken not to exceed the weight, stability, and immersion limits established by the Bureau of Ships. Ordnance Equipment Lists have been prepared for majority of ships, establishing the limit weight of pyrotechnics normally carried. These weights must not be exceeded. No training allowan-ces have been established, and all pyrotechnics may be considered available for routine use in tactical and gunnery exercises and in navigational problems.

Conservation of Ammunition

15. When pyrotechnic ammunition is exposed to moisture, malfunctioning may result. Some items are packed in moisture proof containers, the seals of which must not be bro-ken until the time of actual use. Should the item remain unused, it should be dried before returning it to its container. Loose rounds must be placed in dry containers before re-turning them to stowage. Careful handling is essential at all times.

Disposition of Defective Ammunition

16. When so directed by the Bureau of Ordnance, pyrotechnic items may be disposed of in one of two ways: dumping overboard or burning. Dumping must be done at least ten miles off shore and in water at least 100 fathoms deep. This method is preferred to burn-ing. Certain items must always be dumoed, while others may be either dumped or burned. This list of such restrictions will be found under the paragraphs covering dumping and burning. Photoflash bombs and other pyrotechnic items not listed herein shall be disposed of in accordance with specific Bureau of Ordnance instructions.

Dumping

17. As described above, pyrotechnic ammunition must be dumped in at least 100 fathoms of water and not less than ten miles from shore. Before dumping, all material must be re-moved from wood packing boxes, crates, mailing tubes, or sheet metal containers. Ex-treme caution must be taken to prevent accidental ignition of the loose ammunition made ready for dumping. Obsolete or deteriorated pyrotechnic ammunition can be ignited by rough handling. As a further precaution, it is also advisable to shield other ammunition on deck in case of accident. All ammunition items which have a tendency to float must be dumped in weighted sacks or perforated metal containers. The following items must al-ways be dumped, never burned:

(a) Ships Emergency Identification Signals.

(b) Submarine Emergency Indentification Signals.

The above items should be punctured at least twice to insure sinking. They may be per-forated htrough the ogive caps, or pierced through the metal bodies within two inches of the caps. In puncturing Submarine Emergency Identification Signals, extreme caution should be observed to prevent accidental firing of the primers or the inner grenades.

(c) All pistols rocket signals, when dumped, must have end caps removed unless placed in weighted sacks of perforated containers.

(d) Submarine Emergency Identification Flares Mks 10, 11, and 12, and Mods.

(e) White Marine Type Rockets Mk 1 must be placed in weighted sacks to be dumped.

(f) Trip Flares M48.

(g) Snowflake Rockets.

(h) Ground Signals (U.S. Army Ordnance).

(i) 60-mm Illuminating Shells.

(j) Hand Illuminating Grenades Mk 1.

(k) High-Altitude Parachute Flares.

Burning Preparations

18. When burning deteriorated or obsolete pyrotechnic ammunition, similar precautions to those stated in paragraph 15 must be taken. It is also essential that the following safety measures be observed:

(a) A suitable site must be selected at least 1,000 yards from any magazine, inhabited buildings, public highway, or public railroad.

(b) An incinerator must be used, or a pit dug, which will prevent fragments from flying in case detonation occurs.

(c) The material to be disposed of should be separated and burned in small quantities, and the incinerator or pit bottom must be allowed to cool before each lot is burned.

(d) It is imperative that material being prepared for burning be kept at least 200 feet away from the incinerator, or pit; and personnel must not be statined at or near what is awaiting disposal.

(e) A barricade should be erected to protect the personnel conducting the burning ope-rations.

(f) Adequate firebreaks should be erected, and fire-fighting equipment should be on hand to protect nearby property.

(g) Rocket-type pyrotechnic ammunition must never be burned.

Burning

19. The following pyrotechnic ammunition items must always be burned and never dispo-sed of by dumping:

(a) Target Rocket Flares Mk 1 and Mods.

(b) Float Flares Mk 15 and Mods.

(d) Float Lights Mk 6 and Mods.

Metal parts remaining after burning should be salvaged for scrap, if in sufficient quanti-ties to be practicable.

Material Burned or Dumped

20. Unless on the lists in paragraphs 17 and 19, items of pyrotechnic ammunition may be either burned or dumped. Dumping is usually preferred, because it involves less prepara-tion and hazard. The following list of items may be either dumped or burned:

(a) Signal Lights, which should be placed in weighted sacks if dumped.

(b) Hand, Smoke, White Grenades HC AN-M8.

(d) Aircraft Parachute Flares Mks 4, 5, 6, 8, and AN-M26, which must be burned singly in an upright position as in paragraph 17 (b), as flares occasionally detonate.

(e) Aircraft Parachute Signals M11.

(f) Slick-Marker Cartridges Mk 1, which must be placed in weighted sacks, if dumped.

(g) Aircraft Signal Cartridges Mk 3 Mod 3, Mk 4, AN-M28 to AN-M33, AN-M37 to AN-M45, and AN-M53 to AN-M58, all must be dumped in weighted sacks.

(h) Tow Target Flares Mk 1.

(i) Trip Wire Flares Mk 1.

(j) Trip Flares M49.

(k) Day Depth Charge Markers Mk 1 Mod 1, which must be placed in weighted sacks, if dumped.

(l) Night Depth Charge Markers Mk 2 must be dumped after both tear strips have been removed.

(m) One-inch Salutes, which must be placed in weighted sacks if dumped.

(n) Ignition Cartridges for Snowflake and Miniature Practice Bomb Singal Mk 4. It is ne-cessary that these be burned in a special pit having tube and baffles, similar to that used for primers and small-arms ammunition.

(o) Aircraft Engine Starter Cartridges.

(p) Distress Smoke Hand Signal.