Qun Feng Pao (羣蜂砲)

Qun Feng Pao and its fillings, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Qun Feng Pao (羣蜂砲, lit. 'Wasp swarm bomb') is a very powerful grenade that is thrown like a bolas. This grenade is made of bamboo or reed basketry, covered with up to fifty layers of thick paper as well as fifteen layers of oil paper. It is filled with three catties of explosive, half a catty of iron caltrops, and several dozen of Fei Yan (飛燕) and firecrackers with poison smoke-incendary gunpowder.

When lit and thrown, Qun Feng Pao will explode into deadly showers of fire, poisonous smoke, caltrops, and swarms of incendiary micro-rockets, the last of which gives rise to its name. Due to its great power and the ability to fulfill multiple purposes at once (i.e. as antipersonnel grenade, incendiary device, clatrop dispenser, and disorient enemy), Qun Feng Pao is particularly useful as a naval weapon.