"White Phosphorus" Topic

After watching Fury, I was looking to see how various rule sets handle this type of ammo?

Looking for 1:1 ideas. Nobody seems to cover it.

Shoots like smoke, kills like a flamethrower?

Supplies were limited until late 1944 into 1945. Was there doctrine for it's usage?

The 3rd edition of WWII Microsquad will cover this with an optional rule.

12.7.3 Through combat experience stemming from the Sherman's 75mm gun's lack of penetration power, U.S. tankers learned to initially target the heavier German tanks such as Tigers and Panthers with white phosphorous (WP) rounds. White phosphorous rounds would have two effects. First, it would temporarily blind German gunners. Second, if the smoke entered the tank's fighting compartment, it would force the crew to abandon the vehicle until it dissipated.

•1 Beginning in June 1944, 75mm and105mm armed U.S. Shermans may be equipped with WP ammo.

•2 WP ammo does not have an AP or HE value. The range for WP ammo is identical to the Sherman's 75mm gun: 80 inches.

•3 If any 75mm or 105mm armed Sherman successfully fires at any armored vehicle or weapons stand (any type) using WP ammo, the stand is automatically suppressed. The owning player must then make a modified (+4 for suppression) Cohesion Die Roll. If he fails this roll, the German stand is disrupted too!

•4 If any 75mm or 105mm armed Sherman successfully fires at any personnel stand using WP ammo, the stand is automatically suppressed. The owning player must then make a modified (+4 for suppression) Cohesion Die Roll. If he fails this roll, the stand must move back one inch and is disrupted too!

•5 If any 75mm or 105mm armed Sherman successfully fires at any unarmored transport stand using WP ammo, the stand is automatically eliminated.

•6 Because supplies of WP rounds were limited, it is possible that the supply of WP ammo will be depleted. Any time one of these stands makes a 2D6 die-roll on the CRT and the roll 6 or less, the supply of WP rounds is exhausted. The shot still counts as having been WP ammo, but the supply of WP rounds has been exhausted for the remainder of the scenario and the stand reverts to its standard firepower. Mark the stand in some way or note on a side record.

Bill Warnock of ETO History, does a lot of NARA research on WW2.

A recent HQ Twelfth Army Group study (US Army) from 10 October 1944, he uncovered, relates -

WP is well liked, particularly for its casualty and incendiary affect.
b. Percentage by type desired:
709th Bn – 30% APC, 40% HE, 30% WP.
741st Bn – 30% APC, 55% HE, 15% WP.

WP isn't supposed to be used to target enemy personnel but their equipment such as vehicles, small arms, web gear, etc.

US tankers used it against personnel, with relish. (equipment, weapons, web gear, and the poor saps wearing it)

Fight dirty. A great Michael Caine movie by the way.

- and – "They drew first blood, not me." – John Rambo

Regarding rules for WP, without going into specific rule sets etc. based upon experience, I would specify its effects as follows:
a. General – instant smoke, no build-up.
b. Against armour – no damage effect but morale check for a hit.
c. Against dismounted troops – slightly reduced damage as per HE shells and massive morale effect on survivors within targeted unit.

In our modified Arc of Fire rules, we simply treat it as an HE round that produces smoke; but if a unit morale test results, they incur the same negative modifier as from a flamethrower attack.

Codiver – very elegant!

(maybe even something like "if entrenched" – out of action for a game interval, or "if not entrenched/in Open" an automatic retreat result)

Like the simple mechanisms – fewer gamer mistakes, more time to get the game on.

In a training exercise, I was "defending" in a trench with an M60 and the attackers were going to assault and throw smoke. However, some new 2LT threw a WP grenade that landed about 15 feet to my left. I immediately knew that it was WP making a loud "pop" rather than an explosion and the white burning particles rose up in the air towards me. I jumped out of the trench as the burning and hissing particles fell around me.

My opinion is that the infantry getting hit by WP will attempt to flee ASAP. Staying in a bunker will be a very chocking experience. Open top vehicles crew bail out and there will most likely be a fire. Unbuttoned tanks and tanks with an open deck like German Panthers and Tigers may catch fire or bail out.

Giving Sherman WP rounds will really equalize the combat against German tanks. Getting hit by WP will mean it burns for about 60 seconds in which the tank is basically blind and neutralized.

Wolfhag

In the 170s and early 1980s, I had a 4.2" mortar track in my cavalry platoon. Later I was the HHC XO of an armor battalion. As such in combat, I was in charge of the mortar lagoon. Double hating was common in the Division Restructuring tests of the First Cavalry Division.
The two round we shot the most were flares and WP. The WP explosion scattered phosphorus flakes similar to any HEP hit. So the skin and clothing was only in a normal radius. The smoke effect was normal type. Very effective at blocking line of sight. In the cavalry our M551s had six smoke grenade launchers and no smoke rounds for the 152mm gun.