What color smoke was used in vietnam?

What color smoke was used in vietnam?

Smoke billowing from a green M18. The AN-M18 Colored Smoke Grenade is a US Army grenade used as a ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling device, a target or landing zone marking device, or a screening device for unit movements.

What does smoke grenade colors mean?

There are two kinds of smoke grenades in various military forces: Obscurants which typically generate white, grey, or dark grey smoke intended to obstruct the enemy’s view, and various colored smoke grenades which are used for signaling. Both kinds are used only in specific situations.

What does the military use smoke grenades for?

A smoke grenade is a canister-type grenade used as a signaling device, target or landing zone marking device, or as a screening device for unit movements. The phrase “to smoke”, meaning to fake, bluff, or beat around the bush, comes from the military usage of smoke grenades to obscure and conceal movement.

What do different colored smoke mean?

At times, black smoke can be an indicator that a manmade material is burning such as tires, vehicles or a structure. As a general rule, the darker the smoke, the more volatile the fire is. Grey smoke can indicate that the fire is slowing down and running out of materials to burn.

What do the different colors of smoke mean?

White smoke can often mean material is off-gassing moisture and water vapor, meaning the fire is just starting to consume material. White smoke can also indicate light and flashy fuels such as grass or twigs. Thick, black smoke indicates heavy fuels that are not being fully consumed.

What does blue exhaust smoke mean?

Blue smoke can often look like grey smoke at first. But if you notice a distinctive bluish tint, it may signal that the engine is burning lots of oil. This could be due to worn engine components like piston rings, valve seals, or PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valves.

What do different color smoke grenades mean?

The gunships could identify our positions and avoid firing at us. We could carry any color smoke except white. White smoke was the universal identifier for enemy positions. Gunships would drop white smoke grenades on enemy positions to easily identify them from the air. If you see white smoke, you fire on it.

What color smoke does the military use?

CCS oversees the Army’s M18 Smoke Grenade family which comes in green, yellow, red and violet. The colonel explained that as a grenade ignites, the dye inside vaporizes and condenses to form a colored cloud.

What is the M18 colored smoke grenade?

Smoke billowing from a green M18. The M18 Colored Smoke Grenade is a US Army grenade used as a ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling device, a target or landing zone marking device, or a screening device for unit maneuvering. The M18 was developed in 1942 during World War II and was completed in November of that year.

Why did the Viet Cong use colored smoke grenades?

The Viet Cong would attempt to draw enemy air forces into an ambush by popping standard smoke grenades, or “false flags.” By using colored grenades, American troops could provide air forces with a color specific target and help them to avoid enemy ambushes. Military grade smoke grenades come in a variety of colors.

What color was the M18 carbine in WW2?

Olive drab body with a pale green band and markings, the top painted red, yellow, green, or violet to indicate the smoke color and the color’s name marked on the side. In World War II the M18 had a light gray body with a yellow band and markings and the top was in the smoke color.

What do the different colors of smoke created by smoke grenades mean?

In the United States military, the various colors of smoke created by smoke grenades do not have preassigned meanings or uses. The specific meaning of a given color is determined by the needs of the user at the time of use. This means that the same color of smoke could be used in several different situations to mean several different things.