[edwest]

It depends. Some aircraft were set on fire by the crew, others had explosive charges with "ignitors" that were designed to destroy part of the aircraft; usually some technical equipment that would be denied to the enemy intact. Some explosive charges were put into the midsection of aircraft that were on the ground to deny their use by the enemy. I can't confirm this, but it appears a timing device, not like that for a grenade, was used. In other cases, a grenade was thrown into the cockpits of fighter aircraft on the ground to prevent their use by the enemy.




Ed