Syria chemical attack evidence may have been destroyed: Hague

[leveymg]

5. Not likely. Chemical shells have a different design from normal high explosive.

Last edited Mon Aug 26, 2013, 12:06 AM - Edit history (3)

While some designs have enough explosive to efficiently disperse the chemical agent, pieces of the rear part of of the shell are likely to found in the area of the barrage,and that shell fragments will be coated with significant residue.

A. Here's a cross-section of a typical chemical artillery shell:



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B. Meanwhile, below, is a high-explosive shell. Note the tapering, relatively thick walls of rear shell casing (extra wall thickness required for strength to contain the initial blast so it can build up burst pressure). Quite different:



C. Shell casing fragment (105mm HE round from WW2)
(Note the tapered shape of the rear body)