Molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail (petrol bomb) is the generic name for a variety of crude incendiary weapons. Commonly associated with irregular military forces and rioters, they are more frequently used for basic arson.
How it works
A Molotov cocktail (or petrol bomb; also benzine torch) consists of a glass bottle partly filled with flammable liquid, usually petrol (gasoline) or alcohol (generally methanol or ethanol). The mouth of the bottle is stopped up with a cork or other type of airtight bung (rubber, glass, or plastic), and a cloth rag is fixed securely around the mouth. The weapon is used by first soaking the rag in a flammable liquid immediately prior to using it, lighting the rag, and throwing the bottle at the target. The bottle shatters on impact, spilling the flammable liquid over the target, which is then ignited by the burning rag.
Common practice is to throw several full unlit bottles to saturate an area, then to ignite the target with a lit one. This avoids some of the risk of throwing several lit devices (the enemy sees the flaming bottles approaching and knows which direction to start shooting, possibility of missing, dropping the device after lit, etc).
Many substances may be added to the basic Molotov cocktail to enhance its use as a weapon:
- Self-inflammatory materials (such as white phosphorus) may be used to guarantee the bottle's explosion as it hits the target surface.
- Tar, palm oil, laundry detergent, liquid dish soap, dissolved polystyrene, sugar or other thickening agents are often added to make the burning fluid stick to the target. Tar also helps to make a thick black smoke. In their wars with the Soviet Union, Finnish soldiers often used hand soap suds and tar for this purpose.
- Acid may be added to increase both the damage from the explosive device and its ability to penetrate fire-resistant surfaces.
Molotov cocktails are similar to napalm bombs in principle. Napalm (short for naphthenic palmitic acids) was originally made by combining flammable naphthalene and petrol with thickening agent palmitic acid, the latter two being the main ingredients of Molotov cocktails.
According to Che Guevara's "Guerilla Warfare" the ideal mixture for creating an anti-personell sheet of flame is three parts gasoline to one part motor oil. This type of Molotov may also be launched from a modified 16-gauge shotgun.
History
The name "Molotov cocktail" is derived from Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, a Soviet politician who was the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs (Foreign Minister) of the Soviet Union, with an ironic reference to the 1930s fashion for pre-dinner "cocktails". During the buildup to World War II, when Finland refused to surrender some land to the Soviet Union, the Soviets invaded. The poorly-equipped and heavily-outnumbered Finnish Army, facing Red Army tanks in what came to be known as the Winter War, borrowed an improvised incendiary device from the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War; in that conflict, the Church- and Axis-backed Nationalists under General Francisco Franco had used the weapon against Soviet T-26 tanks supporting the Spanish Republicans in a failed 1936 Soviet assault near Toledo, 30 km from Madrid[1].
When Molotov claimed in radio broadcasts that the Soviet Union was not dropping bombs but rather delivering food to the starving Finns, the Finns responded by saluting the advancing tanks with "Molotov cocktails." At first the term was used to describe only the burning mixture itself, but in practical use the term was soon applied to the combination of both the bottle and its contents. This Finnish use of the hand- or sling-thrown explosive against Soviet tanks was repeated in the subsequent Continuation War. Molotov cocktails were eventually mass-produced by the Finnish military, bundled with matches to light them.
These weapons saw widespread use by all sides in World War II. They were very effective against light tanks, and very bad for enemy morale. The following is a first-hand description of their effects, written during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943:
- The well-aimed bottles hit the tank. The flames spread quickly. The blast of the explosion is heard. The machine stands motionless. The crew is burned alive. The other two tanks turn around and withdraw. The Germans who took cover behind them withdraw in panic. We take leave of them with a few well-aimed shots and grenades.
- — Eyewitness reporting for the Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa (Jewish Fighting Organization), 19 April 1943
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, members of the Israeli Kibbutz Dgania managed to stop a Syrian tank assault by using Molotov cocktails. They were frequently used against Soviet tanks with great efficiency in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, although it should be noted that Molotov cocktails are much more effective against gasoline engines than diesel engines. (As diesel is very viscous, and has a very high flashpoint of 64C - making it much less flammable or runny compared to petrol).
The reason the weapon has been used against tanks so effectively is that parts of tanks, particularly around the undersides and fuel tank "entrances", are very susceptible to Molotov attacks. A Molotov cocktail will often blow up the gasoline tank, destroying the machine (particularly for older tank models). Some Soviet tanks actually had an entry to the gas tank on the side of the vehicle, which could be opened by combatants in close quarters, letting out the highly flammable liquid and making destruction of the tank even easier. Note that these tactics were only effective due to the advantage guerrillas had in close quarters; tanks can barely maneuver in such conditions and are not able to counter quick-moving enemies armed with incendiary bombs.
Petrol bombs were widely used throughout the Troubles in Northern Ireland in riot situations, directed towards the RUC or the British Army. As well as occasional situations where they continue to be used against the PSNI and army, they are frequently used in sectarian attacks on homes and businesses by both communities. Fireworks and homemade grenades (blast bombs) now commonly accompany petrol bomb attacks on the security forces.
Handling
The easy construction of a Molotov cocktail makes it a standard weapon of guerrilla warfare and violent rioters, but it can be challenging for an amateur to make an effective device. The most common failure is in over-filling the bottle, as a full bottle will not ignite quickly when it breaks on impact (although it has a longer burning potential). For a device to explode rapidly on impact, the bottle should be only one-half to two-thirds full. Another common mistake is failing to wipe down the bottle, which removes flammable residue, prior to lighting the rag. Yet another error is to use the ignition rag directly to stopper the bottle. Other common difficulties include failing to make an airtight seal with the stopper to prevent escaping fumes, a too-long or too-loosely secured ignition rag, using an inappropriate bottle (e.g., short-necked, wide-mouthed, too fragile, or too tough), and above all, mishandling after the rag is ignited.
A common modification is to use a sealed bottle of flammable liquid (still no more than two-thirds full), for example a liquor bottle with a screw-on lid, and tightly rubber-band a tampon (without applicator) soaked in flammable liquid to the neck. The feminine product holds a large quantity of liquid, does not degrade due to the corrosiveness of the petrol, and its lightweight aerodynamic shape causes less drag than would a rag. Using a sealed bottle prevents the thrower from dousing himself and those near him in flaming liquid when winding up to throw. In order to easily transport the device, the tampon can be wrapped in cellophane after being soaked in gasoline. A cigarette lighter can easily burn through the cellophane and ignite the tampon at the moment of use. It is thus possible for a woman carrying a bottle of liquor, tampons, a scarf, cigarettes and lighter to be in the possession of deadly ingredients that would ordinarily arouse little suspicion.
In short, Molotov cocktails are inherently dangerous devices due to their incendiary or explosive nature. The manufacture and use of Molotov cocktails involves serious danger to the unskilled manufacturer. These dangers can be mitigated by following the above methods, using common sense, and testing devices with low fill levels prior to "needing" them - however the dangers can never be fully removed.
Legality
As incendiary devices, Molotov cocktails are illegal to manufacture or possess in many regions. Their use against people is typically covered under a variety of charges, including assault, actual or grievous bodily harm, manslaughter, attempted murder, and murder, depending upon their effect and upon local laws. Their use against property is usually covered under arson charges. In the United States, Molotov cocktails are considered "destructive devices" and regulated by the ATF. Before attempting to build a Molotov cocktail it is advisable to check the legality of doing so with local law enforcement officials. Take this advice seriously.