Overview

Napalm is jellied gasoline that sticks to strutures as it burns at an incredibly high temperature. On July 17, 1944, napalm incendiary bombs were dropped for the first time by 14 American P-38 Lightning aircraft of the 402nd Fighter Squadron / 370th Fighter Group on a fuel depot at Coutances, near St. Lô, France. Further use by the Allied forces occurred in the Pacific theater (warfare) against Japanese cities

Napalm (naphthenic and palmitic acids) is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in military operations. The term napalm is a combination of the names of its derivatives (coprecipitated aluminum salts of naphthenic and palmitic acids). Colloquially, napalm is used as a generic reference to several flammable liquids used in warfare, often jellied gasoline. "Napalm B" is the modern variant of napalm and, although chemically different, is often referred to simply as napalm.

Use of fire in warfare has a long history; thickened burning compositions proved their advantages. The development of napalm was precipitated by the use of jellied gasoline mixtures by the Allied forces in World War II. The latex used in these early forms of incendiary warfare became logistically difficult to use in the Pacific theatre as natural rubber was in short supply; which prompted the researchers of chemical companies Du Pont and Standard Oil, as well as researchers at Harvard University, to engage in a government competition to develop a superior alternative. A team of chemists lead by Louis Fieser at Harvard were the first to develop napalm in 1942 for the U.S. Army.

Between 1965-1969, Dow Chemical Company manufactured napalm for the US government. After news reports of the weapon's effects the company experienced boycotts of its products and its recruiters faced protests on college campuses. The company however decided that "its first obligation was the government". Meanwhile, napalm became a symbol of the Vietnam War

References

• Napalm - wikipedia