Drawing of a Fei Huo Xiang Mo Chui, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'. |
Fei Huo Xiang Mo Chui is made of white poplar wood of about eight cun long and three cun circumference (not counting its narrower handle). The top half of the wood is hollowed, filled with incendiary gunpowder, and waterproofed with oil paper, while the bottom half is a solid wooden handle. The bomb is not designed to explode like ordinary grenade, instead it project flames through multiple holes drilled all over the cylinders for a short period of time. It also features up to twenty barbed spikes that allow the bomb to catch on enemy rigging, deck, or even human body easily. The barbed spikes (and the fact that the bomb will be spewing flames) also render extraction extremely difficult, if not impossible.
While usually employed as naval weapon, this weapon works just as well on land.
Hi. Have u seen or joined my related Facebook group yet...?
ReplyDeletehttp://web.facebook.com/groups/ChineseMilitaryHistoryGroup
I visit the group from time to time, but do not actually join it.
DeleteSpeaking of your group, recently I saw a Ming picture of General Yue Fei in the group. Where does it come from? Any idea on its date?
DeleteThe bow in that picture seems to have a rather large siyah. Could it be a Kai Yuan Gong?
The painting is from a PRC book on Yue Fei, stating it's Ming. I suspect it is in the collection of the Yue Fei Temple in Hangzhou...
DeleteThat might be another rare picture evidence of Kaiyuan bow.
Deletehttps://imageshack.us/i/plkTtMg1j
ReplyDeleteBy the way, have u seen this rare late Ming portrait of a General ?
Yes. But I have no idea on its exact date (other than Ming period), or painter.
DeleteThe helmets of the bodyguards are of a certain style that indicates 1570s or later. Yeah, no one knows who this General was or the name of the painter...
Delete