Hand Grenade variant
![Ming Dynasty Paper Flare Grenade Ming Chinese Incendiary Grenade](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rPoCWSMA4VA/VyF5FaTrzaI/AAAAAAAACtM/NFjMQVe6id4XGaEwu8W4HBKl9BSeze3RgCLcB/w445-h640/fire-bullet.jpg) |
Five huo dan, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'. |
Huo Dan (火彈, fire bullet), also known as
Huo Yao (火妖, lit. 'Fire monster') is a simple hand grenade/flare grenade used by the Ming army. It is a fist-sized paper ball coated in rosin, Chinese tallowtree wax and beeswax, and filled with rosin, poison smoke-incendiary gunpowder, and poisoned
caltrops.
While usually thrown by hand, Huo Dan can also be launched from a hand mortar known as
Huo Dan Tong (火彈筒).
Late Ming "Roman candle" variant from Bing Lu (《兵錄》)
![Ming Dynasty weaponized Roman candle Weaponized Roman Candle](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xFmvm81mWeg/X6IeQS64jmI/AAAAAAAAF30/ZhlFyF-T7N8F-xh2nyMmGYdQRX2DTCD4gCLcBGAsYHQ/w422-h640/huotong.jpg) |
Huo Dan in Roman candle form, from 'Bing Lu (《兵錄》)'.
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Late Ming military treatise Bing Lu features an improved delivery method for Huo Dan. Essentially, multiple Huo Dan are pre-packed into a weaponised Roman candle made of cotton paper, which is then inserted into a handheld bamboo tube for firing. This allows for drastically increased rate of fire and reload time, as well as easier storage.
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