M34 White Phosphorous Hand Grenade (Smoke)

by Steven A. Smith [SASMITH@MIDWAY.UCHICAGO.EDU]

Weight: 1.5 pounds.
Fuse: 4 second (3-6 seconds in reality)
Casualty radius: 30 meters (ca. 35 yards)

GURPS stats:

Produces thick white smoke in the area affected, which is very hot and rises quickly. Fragmentation is per High Tech, with each fragment doing 1d-1 cutting damage. Each fragment is also covered with white phosphorous, which does an additional 1d6 burn damage per turn. It will burn through DR or armor(in fact, WP grenades are often used as anti-tank weapons by underfunded guerillas). Damage fragments remain ignited 3d6x10 seconds, unless put out by smothering. Water will not put out white phosphorous, but dirt usually will.

For optional detail, white phosphorous fragments often cauterize themselves into wounds, putting themselves out. When the victim is opened up to surgically remove the fragment, the white phosphorous re-ignites, and can be propelled from the wound by the resultant steam created, creating a hazard for medical personnel as well as the victim. GM's discretion on how to play this. I'd consider it a rare event, resulting on an 8- per fragment which hits. Fragments which cauterize themselves cease doing burn damage and do not bleed.

My $.02. I've seen WP artillery rounds, and dummy grenades, but I've never had the opportunity to use one. The manuals are quite explicit about not being with 30 meters of one when it goes off, though. One more thing, WP is also colloquially referred to as Willie Pete.