About that helicopter video that Manning released: what the hell were they shooting the people with?

[arcane1]

Were those bullets??? Because they seemed pretty damned powerful and destructive.

I admit to knowing nothing about armaments

[NYC_SKP]

1. 30 mm cannon aboard Apache helicopters. 30 mm is bigger than one-inch in diameter.

Attack on personnel and a van per US Army report account

According to the U.S. Army investigation report released by the United States Central Command, the engagement started at 10:20 Iraqi local time and ended at 10:41. A unit from Bravo Company 2-16 was within 100 meters of the individuals that were fired upon with 30mm AH-64 Apache cannons. The company was charged with clearing their sector of any small armed forces, and had been under fire from small arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). The company was supported by two Apache helicopters from the 1st Cavalry Division's Aviation Brigade, callsigns "Crazyhorse 1/8" and "Crazyhorse 1/9". Two men were identified by Crazyhorse 1/8 as carrying an RPG launcher and an AKM or AK-47. When the cameraman on the ground aimed his camera in the direction of Bravo Company 2-16, a pilot remarked "He's getting ready to fire". An Apache maneuvered around a building to get a clear field of fire and shot all nine men, killing eight. A van then arrived and attempted to load a wounded man. After getting permission to fire, the Apache crew fired on the van. When Bravo Company arrived at the scene, they reported finding two RPGs and an AK-47 or AKM. They also found two Canon EOS digital cameras with telephoto lenses. Two children were found in the van, a four year old girl with gunshot wounds and embedded windscreen glass wounds and an eight year old boy with multiple wounds, including brain damage arising from shrapnel damage to his right temporal lobe. Both children were evacuated to the 28th Combat Support Hospital via Forward Operating Base Loyalty, then transferred to an Iraqi medical facility the next day.[7] This account of first bringing the wounded children to the Combat Support Hospital appears to be contradicted by orders by radio that form part of the video record, which forbids it and orders that the children be handed over to local police.[102]

wikipedia

[PoliticAverse]

2. The Apache uses a M230 30mm chain gun...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M230_chain_gun

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_mm_caliber

[arcane1]

3. Thanks to you both! So they were explosives of some kind...

I can't imagine walking down the street and suddenly having something like that hitting the ground around me

[leveymg]

4. M230 Chain gun - 30 mm automatic cannon - armour piercing shells.

Hundreds of rounds per minute. Designed to cut through just about anything.