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In 1232 AD the town of K'ai-Fung-Fu in China was being besieged by invading Mongols from the north. The chronicle T-hung-lian-kang-mu documents two new weapons, the first being "heavy-shaking-thunder", which was a delay-action grenade dropped from the city walls on to the invaders - in fact a hand-grenade. The second was called "arrow-of-flying-fire" and was a rocket assisted arrow, which could be fired from box-launchers in waves against the enemy. The weapon probably consisted of a conventional arrow fitted with a bamboo tube with nozzle, containing a basic form of gun-powder. Ranges quoted were up to 2,000 feet, while the incendiary effect "spread fire across 10 paces". There are earlier references to civil use of gunpowder in China, for instance the Wu-Ching-Tsung-Yao of about 1040 AD, gave a coded reference to the recipe. Even earlier, the writer Sun-Saumiso left evidence in his medical reference book, found in 682 AD, that described a saltpetre/surphur/acacia seed mixture which exploded when lit. Use in fireworks for public displays was well known between this time and the Battle of K'ai-Fung-Fu.
After the battle, the secret didn't last long, for in 1233, the Mongols, under their leader Subutai, captured a Chinese munitions factory at Bian-Qin.

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