star shell

Artillery projectile containing a magnesium flare and parachute, used during World War I to illuminate the battlefield during night operations.

It was fused so as to burst in the air and release the ignited flare to float to the ground, illuminating the area beneath. This allowed sentries to see patrols or an approaching enemy and could also be used during an attack to allow supporting weapons to fire at specific targets. Coloured star shells were also used for signalling purposes; these contained a varying numbers of coloured pyrotechnic stars without parachutes which simply fell through the sky to give a visual signal.