Very flare

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Very flares (named after E. W. Very, 1847–1907, US inventor) were signal flares, fired from a hand-gun, used during World War I and World War II (and still used today). They were produced in three color variants: green, red, and "white star". The flares come in two sizes, 26.5 mm and 38 mm; both sizes have a "burn time" of ~5 s.

When radio silence was important aircraft and ground forces used the flares in colour combinations as specific-action signals and recognition signals.

A typical WWII-era box of flares contained 10 shells (fired from a Very flare pistol) and the value of a period box (with flares) is currently (2003) ~$80.

[edit] Quotes

"Rockets and Very flares trailing their long red tails were fired at the brightening wisp of yellow, shining palely now on the obsidian seas silently rolling over fleets of sunken ships and armies of drowned men and untold stores of treasure lost forever." (Leckie - p.3)