Cloud of Terror-Gas Warfare

[cyberia]

Gas was invented and successfully used in the First World War as both a terror weapon to incite confusion and panic among the enemy prior to an offensive; and as a deadly, heavier than air killer that could drift in on the wind then seep into the hollows of trenches and craters to neutralize any unprotected enemy hiding within.

Aerial view of German gas attack on Allied lines

It is generally assumed that gas was first used by the Germans in World War One. This was in fact Allied propaganda of the time.
The first recorded gas attack was by the French. In August 1914, the French used tear gas grenades containing xylyl bromide on the Germans. This was more an irritant rather than a gas that would kill. It was used by the French to stop the seemingly unstoppable German army advancing throughout Belgium and north-eastern France. In one sense, it was an act of desperation as opposed to a premeditated act that all but went against the 'rules' of war. However, while the French were the first to use a gas against an enemy, the Germans had been giving a great deal of thought to the use of poison gas as a way of inflicting a major defeat on an enemy.
In October 1914, the Germans attacked Neuve Chapelle. Here they fired gas shells at the French that contained a chemical that caused violent sneezing fits. Once again, the gas was not designed to kill rather than to incapacitate an enemy so that they were incapable of defending their positions.

Gas shells exploding in No Man's Land

Gas used in World War One was available in three basic varieties:
Lachrymator (tearing agent)
Similar to comtemorary tear gas and mace, this gas caused temporary blindness and greatly inflamed the nose and throat of the victim. A gas mask offered very good protection from this type of gas. xylyl bromide was a popular tearing agent since it was easily brewed.

German gas shells exploding on a French trench

Asphyxiant
These are the poisonous gases. This class includes chlorine, phosgene and diphosgene. Chlorine inflicts damage by forming hydrochloric acid when coming in contact with moisture such as found in the lungs and eyes. It is lethal at a mix of 1:5000 (gas/air) whereas phosgene is deadly at 1:10,000 (gas/air) - twice as toxic! Diphosgene, first used by the Germans at Verdun on 22-Jun-1916, was deadlier still and could not be effectively filtered by standard issue gas masks.

French troops dead in their trenches following a gas attack

Chlorine gas destroyed the respiratory organs of its victims and this led to a slow death by asphyxiation. One nurse described the death of one soldier who had been in the trenches during a chlorine gas attack. "He was sitting on the bed, fighting for breath, his lips plum coloured. He was a magnificent young Canadian past all hope in the asphyxia of chlorine. I shall never forget the look in his eyes as he turned to me and gasped: I can’t die! Is it possible that nothing can be done for me?" It was a horrible death, but as hard as they tried, doctors were unable to find a way of successfully treating chlorine gas poisoning.

Although often passed off as the real thing, this photo was actually posed by American troops in France
to demonstrate the importance of wearing a gas mask

Blistering Agent (Mustard Gas)
Dichlorethylsulphide: the most dreaded of all chemical weapons in World War I. Mustard gas, unlike the other gases which attack the respiratory system, acts on any exposed, moist skin. This includes, but is not limited to, the eyes, lungs, armpits and groin. A gas mask could offer very little protection. The oily agent would produce large burn-like blisters wherever it came in contact with skin. It also had a nasty way of hanging about in low areas for hours, even days, after being dispersed. A soldier jumping into a shell crater to seek cover could find himself blinded, with skin blistering and lungs bleeding.

The agonized features of death by gas

After the first German chlorine gas attacks, Allied troops were supplied with masks of cotton pads that had been soaked in urine.
It was found that the ammonia in the pad neutralized the chlorine. These pads were held over the face until the soldiers could escape from the poisonous fumes.

French troops wearing urine soaked masks

Other soldiers preferred to use handkerchiefs, a sock, a flannel body-belt, dampened with a solution of bicarbonate of soda, and tied across the mouth and nose until the gas passed over.
Soldiers found it difficult to fight like this and attempts were made to develop a better means of protecting men against gas attacks. By July 1915 soldiers were given efficient gas masks and anti-asphyxiation respirators.

An American soldier wearing a much improved issued gas mask

From 1915 to wars end, gas masks, gas warning systems and medical treatment for victims continued to improve.

Still, estimates of the number of gas casualties from World War One are staggering:


Russia, 56,000 wounded-419,340 killed
Germany, 9,000 wounded-200,000 killed
France, 8,000 wounded-190,000 killed
British Empire (includes Canada), 8,109 wounded-188,706 killed
Austria-Hungary, 3,000 wounded-100,000 killed
United States, 1,462 wounded-72,807 killed
Italy, 4,627 wounded-60,000 killed
Total-88,498 wounded-1,240,853 killed

[McCoy]

The Germans where the first to use poisonous gas though, but they did that on the east front against the Russians.

[cyberia]

Gas Early Warning Systems

As the use of gas in World War One increased, so did the number of gas warning systems for those in the trenches. These ranged from ships bells and gongs to whistles.

There were also these:

One the of the earliest gas warning alarms: A British pot complete with stick for banging




Gas Rattle: In effect, an English football timber noise maker. By holding the handle and spinning the rattle a loud clacking noise was created. This one is marked, in ink, "2nd Batt Devonshire Regt Trench143 1916 Gas Only Rotate in 3 second Bursts"on the other side a soldier's inscription reads: "If you see's it rotate it, If you smells it you's too late mate".




Finally, sirens such as this one were mass produced and distributed to the trenches.

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by McCoy

The Germans where the first to use poisonous gas though, but they did that on the east front against the Russians.

True, but the point was they were not the first to use gas, as reported by the Allies.

[McCoy]

I know! This is mainly due to propaganda n' the history written by the victorius.

But the French can't just claim that they only was first with using gas in warfare. It was also a French pilot that was the first one to shoot down another plane. You know, those French...

[cyberia]

The Victims of Gas

British troops, blinded by gas, lead each other by hands on shoulders to the rear in April, 1918



A Russian nurse comforts gas victims with cups of cool water




British issued anti-gas ointment



A German medical staffer armed with an anti-asphyxiation respirator


WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE
http://worldwartwozone.com/photopost...um/graphic.jpg
Massive burns to the arms, hands and crotch area of a soldier
when the mustard gas/liquid burned through the clothing


WWI Veteran Harry Milton Russell carried the terrible scars associated with mustard gas burns
long after the war had ended

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by McCoy

I know! This is mainly due to propaganda n' the history written by the victorius.

But the French can't just claim that they only was first with using gas in warfare. It was also a French pilot that was the first one to shoot down another plane. You know, those French...

Yep, the trouble makers.

[cyberia]

Neither Man Nor Beast

Gas warfare was a threat not only to the men fighting in the trenches, but service animals as well. When possible, protection was offered to them as well...

A German messenger dog outfitted with a canine gas mask



French cavalry horses in gas protective gear



An American ammo caisson drawn by horses in gas masks
Equine gas goggles were developed, but sadly not used because they proved programmatic to fit



A gas safe coop for German carrier pigeons



A British trench dog outfitted with a gas mask

[Geek44]

When I was born (in 1967) our neighbour was a woman caring for her husband who'd been a veteran of WW1. He spent the better part of forty years dying from the gas he'd inhaled in France.

[cyberia]

A sad but common story for so many of those men.