Poison Gas and World War One
Poison gas was probably the most feared of all weapons in World War One. Poison gas was indiscriminate and could be used on the trenches even when no attack was going on. Whereas the machine gun killed more soldiers overall during the war, death was frequently instant or not drawn out and soldiers could find some shelter in bomb/shell craters from gunfire. A poison gas attack meant soldiers having to put on crude gas masks and if these were unsuccessful, an attack could leave a victim in agony for days and weeks before he finally succumbed to his injuries. The debut of the first poison gas came on April 22, 1915, at the start of the Second Battle of Ypres.
in·dis·crim·i·nate adjective \ˌin-dis-ˈkrim-nət, -ˈkri-mə-\: affecting or harming many people or things in a careless or unfair way |
A New Weapon is Discovered
in·fan·try noun \ˈin-fən-trē\: the part of an army that has soldiers who fight on foot |
During the morning of April 22 the Germans poured a heavy bombardment around Ypres, but the line fell silent as the afternoon grew. Towards evening, at around 5 pm, the bombardment began afresh- except that sentries posted among the French and Algerian troops noticed a curious yellow-green cloud drifting slowly towards their line. Poison gas was used as a lethal tool in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the Second Battle of Ypres, and the Loos-Artois Offensive. Puzzled but suspicious the French suspected that the cloud masked an advance by German infantry and ordered their men to 'stand to' - that is, to mount the trench fire step in readiness for probable attack. The cloud did not mask an infantry attack however; at least, not yet. It signaled in fact the first use of chlorine gas on the battlefield. Ironically its use ought not to have been a surprise to the Allied troops, for captured German soldiers had revealed the imminent use of gas on the Western Front. Their warnings were not passed on however. The effects of chlorine gas were severe. Within seconds of inhaling its vapor it destroyed the victim's respiratory organs, bringing on choking attacks. Click here to learn more about the effects of chlorine gas.
va·por noun \ˈvā-pər\: a substance that is in the form of a gas or that consists of very small drops or particles mixed with the air bom·bard transitive verb \bäm-ˈbärd alsobəm-\: to attack (a place) with bombs, large guns, etc. |
Gas Attacks: Were they Successful?
The fetid gas affected many people, yet it was not a sure killer. 70% of infected people returned to battle and only around 10-15% affected by gas actually died. It killed a lot of soldiers at first but it’s effectiveness was quickly halted because each side quickly would use gas masks and other effective ways of avoiding the gas. However, the effects on certain soldiers were pretty gruesome and were devastating to their lives afterwards. All in all, it was most effective in just confusing the other side. This new weapon lead to new technology discoveries, such as gas masks.
fet·id adjective \ˈfe-təd, especially British ˈfē-tid\: having a strong, heavy, or unpleasant smell or effect to the senses |
Citations:
"Chemical Weapons Production and Storage ." Federation of American Scientists. Fas.org, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. <http://www.fas.org/programs/bio/chemweapons/production.html>.
Duffy, Michael. "Firstworldwar.com." First World War.com. Firstworldwar.com, 22 Aug. 2009. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. <http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/gas.htm>.
"Indiscriminate." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indiscriminate>.
"Fetid." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetid>.
"Chemical Weapons Production and Storage ." Federation of American Scientists. Fas.org, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. <http://www.fas.org/programs/bio/chemweapons/production.html>.
Duffy, Michael. "Firstworldwar.com." First World War.com. Firstworldwar.com, 22 Aug. 2009. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. <http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/gas.htm>.
"Indiscriminate." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indiscriminate>.
"Fetid." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetid>.
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