The Great War Poison Gas. “The chemists' war“ Modern Warfare and the development of new Technology 1.Chlorine Gas 2.Mustard Gas

Chemical formula Cl2 + H2O HCl + HClO during-the-great-war/12739.html

Chlorine Gas Cloud attacks were made by burying gas-filled cylinder tanks just beyond the parapet of the attacker's trenches and then opening valves on the tanks when the wind was right.

Ypres By 22 April 1915, the German Army had 168 tons of chlorine deployed in 5,730 cylinders, north of Ypres. At 17:00, in a slight easterly breeze, the gas was released, forming a grey-green cloud that drifted across positions held by French Colonial troops from Martinique who broke ranks, abandoning their trenches and creating an 8,000-yard (7 km) gap in the Allied line.

How it was used Gas was invented (and very successfully used) as a terror weapon meant to instil confusion and panic among the enemy prior to an offensive It was used as a psychological weapon 1.What do you think that means? What is a psychological weapon?

Protection from Gas 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. 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 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.

British soldiers in 1917

German soldier 1917

A Vickers machine gun and gas masks used in 1916

1918, Blinded by tear gas.

Discuss…. 1.Why would the weather play a big part in the use of gas on the western front?

What difficulties do the soldiers face when attacking through gas?

1,1-thiobis(2-chloroethane), Cl-CH2-CH2-S-CH2-CH2-Cl

Mustard Gas

Mustard Gas (Yperite) was first used by the German Army in September It was one of the most lethal of all the poisonous chemicals used during the war. It was almost odourless and took twelve hours to take effect. Yperite was so powerful that only small amounts had to be added to high explosive shells to be effective. Once in the soil, mustard gas remained active for several weeks.

The Effects The skin of victims blistered Eyes become very sore and they begin to vomit. Causes internal/ external bleeding attacking the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane. This was extremely painful and most soldiers had to be strapped to their beds. It usually took a person four or five weeks to die of mustard gas poisoning

Development in Gas technology The Livens Projector was a simple mortar-like weapon -it threw large drums filled with flammable or toxic chemicals and burst open when landed. It became the standard means of delivering gas attacks. They weren’t as reliant on the weather Tested in secret on 25 th July 1916 at Ovillers-la-Boisselle and at Thiepval in September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. Successfully used at Messines Ridge in June 1917 when modified to fire canisters of poison gas rather than oil. In your own words – summarise the improvements in “Gas Technology”

Livens Projector

Estimated gas casualties CountryNon-FatalDeathsTotal British Empire inc Australia 180,5978,109188,706 France182,0008,000190,000 United States71,3451,46272,807 Italy55,3734,62760,000 Russia419,34056,000475,340 Germany191,0009,000200,000 Austria-Hungary97,0003,000100,000 Others9,0001, Total1,205,65591,1981,296,853 What country suffered the most from gas attacks? Include non-fatal (casualties) and deaths in your answer!