These firebombs were equipped with simple delay fuses, relying on gravitational potential to smash through wooden roofs and then explode inside—most villas in the United States favored wooden structures, which were cheap and convenient but not sturdy enough.
If they used more reinforced concrete, the effectiveness of such rudimentary firebombs would be greatly reduced.
The falling firebombs exploded thunderously inside the house, instantly dispersing hundreds of strips of cloth, cotton, or even waste paper drenched in viscous heavy oil.
The ignited fragments rapidly released billowing thick smoke and scorching heat, turning the house into a sea of fire. Once the blaze spread, it would fully consume the entire building within two or three minutes.
The survivors hiding inside could not withstand such roasting, and they were forced to flee the inferno in a sorry state, trying to find new hiding places.
