ABSTRACT
Anti-personnel fragmentation munitions produce a large number of fast-moving fragments of material intended to incapacitate several people simultaneously. Fragmentation weapons are the main source of battlefield casualties in the twentieth century. Fragmentation weapons are best regarded as area weapons, even if the area of effect is small in some cases. Fragmentation munitions are often divided into two classes: natural fragmentation munitions, which have a simple metal case, and controlled fragmentation munitions, where the case is designed to produce uniform fragments of a predetermined size and shape. But the high fragmentation steels and more powerful explosives used in some modern shells may produce more than six times as many effective fragments as do older types of shell. During World War II much smaller anti-personnel fragmentation bombs were also widely used. Medical studies have shown that while fragmentation munitions are responsible for the greatest proportion of combat casualties, the mortality of these casualties is less than the mortality due to bullet wounds.
