Board Thread:Timeline Discussions/@comment-5018798-20130213102011/@comment-32656-20130214110449

Quite frankly, that it took so long otl to be discovered - the mid-9th century, in China, is when the earliest mentions of it have been found - is a bit of a stretch. And there's records of the science behind its development going back a few more centuries. There's really no way it's going to be delayed more. Records also indicate that the Muslim World, and Europe as well, were not too far off developing it for themselves when the Mongols introduced it to them, either.

Flechette ammunition dropped from airplanes was rather useless. About as effective as dropping rocks, truth be told, without a bomb added to the ammo.