The Very pistol cartridges are made in two sizes, a 25-mm size, which is issued to the companies of infantry, and a 35-mm size, which is used by the airplanes. These Very pistols fire both signal and illuminating cartridges.
2. VB Cartridges.
The VB cartridges are fired from a cylinder which is attached to the end of a rifle. This cylinder, on account of its resemblance to the old-fashioned blunderbuss (which the French call “Tromblon”) has taken the name of tromblon and now even the VB cartridges, which are fired from this cylinder, are often spoken of as Tromblons.
3. Rockets.
The rockets comprise fireworks which are made in the form of cartridges attached to a wooden stick and fired from a tube or trough. They are used both for signaling and illuminating.
4. Flares.
Flares are used only in the front lines to mark the position of the advanced troops when called for by an airplane.
THE USES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF FIREWORKS.
It will be seen that the above classification of fireworks is an arbitrary one, made according to the method of projecting them. The same signal can be made by several different means. The means employed depend upon the type of fireworks issued to the particular unit using them and also upon the distance through which the signal must be read.
Flares are not projected at all and consequently have the most limited range of visibility in any but a perpendicular direction.