Research Overview of WW1 Weapons During World War I many new kinds of weapons and technology were invented and improved. Some of these weapons included tanks, chemical and biochemical weapons, grenades, and machine guns. Chemical Warfare was used for the first time on a large scale in World War I. There are two main types of chemical warfare, one affects the surface of the body they come in contact with and the other affects the nervous system. Almost all chemical warfare weapons needed to be inhaled to cause severe damage or death. Chemicals that caused neurological damage acted by blocking the transmission of nerve messages throughout the body, these types of chemicals included tabun, soman, sarin, and VX (“Chemical and Biological Warfare”). Chlorine, hydrogen cyanide, and mustard gas were the most common of the chemicals that affected the body on contact, usually inside the lungs after being inhaled. Phosgene is a choking agent that causes choking by filling the lungs with water. Mustard gas is not a gas but actually tiny droplets of liquid that get dispersed throughout the...
Looking back at how the chemical weaponry expanded starting in the beginning of World War 1, it all began with Tear gas which was used by the French in August of 1914. Those techniques have been used in ancient times. Moving forward eight months in to the war the Germans have been giving great study in to the development of chemical weapons due to the first usage from the French and witnessed its great effectiveness and were the first to use it in a large scale.
Seth Schonwald M.D. A.B.M.T. (1992, July). Mustard Gas. The PSR Quarterly Vol. 2 No. 2
World War II culminated in a global war. The countries that submitted to the onslaught of WWII included the United States, Germany, and the Soviet Union. By picking a pistol and long rifle from each country used during the war, one can quickly perceive which country had more fighting power and controlled the fronts of the battle line.
The two chemical weapons that were used were: nerve agent and mustard gas. Nerve agent has two main classes that are Class G and Class V. Class V is more new, however less fatal. The specific nerve agent used by the Iraqis is Cyclosarin. Cyclosarin is an extremely toxic substance used as a chemical weapon, which is a member of Class G. Cyclosarin is the most dangerous gas out of both classes. It is known to have a sweet smell and is also flammable unlike other nerve gases. Mustard gas on the other hand is yellow and smells like garlic. Both gases cause death in minutes and have long lasting effects. These can include diseases and other horrible problems. Many of these diseases cannot be cured, for the cells have been damaged and cannot be repaired.
In the book All Quiet on the Western Front the Author Erich Maria Remarque portrays the use of Poisonous Gas and also describes the gas and the effects it produces. He portrays it as a deadly weapon of war. During World war 1 both the Germans and the allies go through three stages of poisonous gas 1414, Mustard Gas, then they used tear gas.
23 April 1915 British troops were attacked with chlorine gas, and Sir John French, the British Commander-in-Chief wanted retaliation with the same effects that was dealt to his troops, and he also wanted the means to defend his troop against these attacks, which lead to the establishment of Porton Down. 10 July 1915 the British used chlorine gas against the Germans, after the attacks the British realized that the chlorine delivery method was inconsistent, the gas had a small radius of cover, the chlorine had a smell so it could be detected early without inhaling a large amount, and the gas also didn’t stay on the ground very long, so further research went into the development of chemical weapons. The first experiment was done with hydrogen sulphide; the British tested the gas by placing rats in cages in trenches, and had mine workers with self contained breathing apparatus collect clouds of the gas in jars as the gas passed over them. The testing of hydrogen sulphide were successful, it showed that the gas had lethal concentration at 300 yards from the point of release. Hydrogen sulphide was short lived, it was discovered that it’s was too dangerously flammable, and it corrodes the cylinders that it’s stored in, it was also to light to stay near the ground after release, and possessed a distinctive smell at very low concentration which is an early warning to the enemy. At 05:50 AM 2...
"Chemical Warfare Agents - Resources on the health effects from chemical weapons, emergency response & treatment, counterterrorism, and emergency preparedness.au.af." Specialized Information Services - Reliable information on toxicology, environmental health, chemistry, HIV/AIDS, and minority health. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010.
We, as CBRN soldiers, can trace our corps roots back to World War I, where chemical agents were widely used by both the allied and German forces. One chemical used was called mustard gas (H). Mustard gas is a type of blister agent that causes large blister (vesicles) on the skin, lungs and eyes of those exposed to it. According to Heller (1984), when mustard gas was introduced on the battlefield soldiers were unaware that they were even exposed. Unlike other chemicals used at that time (Chlorine or Phosgene) the effects of mustard gas were not readily apparent. According to Namazi, Niknahad, & Razmkhah (2009), those exposed did not feel the effects for 4-8 hours after exposure causing severe injuries. According to Heller (1984), the Germans were the first to use mustard gas in 1917 on British soldiers. When the British soldiers observed the gas shells going off they did not see or smell any gas; therefore, believed that the Germans were trying to trick them. It was not until several hours later did they start complaining that their eyes, throats and lungs hurt. By the time that the United States entered World War I we did not have any protection against the chemicals that were being used on the front lines. According to Heller (1984), “On 6 April 1917, when the U.S. declared war on Germany, the army not only lacked defensive equipment for chemical warfare, but also had no concrete plans to develop or manufacture gas masks or any other defensive equipment” ( pg.38). While the history of our corps is very interesting, I will show the effects mustard gas has on unprotected soldiers and how the first protective equipment has changed to what we are equipped with today.
Within World War I began a new age of warfare. As compared to previous engagements, the adoption of new weapons changed the way in World War I was fought. Not only did the concept of war change in terms of where battles were fought, how much revenue must be spent on the war and how much time a war could span; weapons changed. During the Indian Wars and War for independence, basic weapons were used. World War I began to become mobile. Use of planes, tanks and other technological advances had been implemented. The technological advances brought about were implemented within this war in an attempt to make the war last a shorter and to show prestige. Not only were mobile aerial and ground assets involved in war now, but other technology such as flamethrowers, machine guns and poisonous gas was also introduced.
Fries, A. A., & West, C. J. (1921). Chemical warfare,. New York [etc.: McGraw-Hill book company, inc..
Wars have been around for centuries. A typical battle was fought on land. The infantry would line up and fire at the advancing enemy. World War I was first called "the Great War" because of the number of lives lost (Coetzee 11). There were approximately nine million deaths over the course of the four years the war lasted (11). World War I began because of the assassination of "Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne" (17). Tensions were high and war seemed the only solution (17). The alliances in Europe were well formed by the time 1914 arrived (17). "The Central Powers" were "Germany and Austria-Hungary" (Westwell 8). "The Triple Entente" were "Britain, France, and Russia" (8). All of the countries and citizens believed in the cause of the war from the very beginning (9). That enthusiasm would quickly change once the introduction of new weapons and strategies were revealed (9). Every country involved was seeking ways to improve on the resources they needed to fight, and hopefully win the war. None of the countries involved wanted the other side to have a military advantage over the other (7). World War I had technological inventions such as machine guns, poison gas, tanks and submarines, which changed the strategy of war. The outcome of these inventions resulted in more death and destruction than previous wars.
Weapons and Artillery of World War II The result of World War II was affected by many different factors. One major factor which affected the war was the weapons and artillery used during the war. Since the beginnings of time, weapons have always been around. From swords and knives to nuclear weapons and missiles, weapons have evolved greatly over the years.
Poison gas was perhaps the most feared weapon out of all. Created to overcome the long stalemate style of trench warfare, its purpose was to draw out soldiers hiding in the trenches. One side would throw the poison gas into the enemy trenches and they would either wait for their enemy to come out into open fire or perish in the trenches. The first poison gas used in battle was chlorine at the start of the Second Battle of Ypres on April 22, 1915 by the Germans. Shortly after, followed the phosgene. The effects of these gases were ghastly. Chlorine was the most deadly as "within seconds of inhaling its vapor, it destroys the victim's respiratory organs, bringing on choking attacks" (Duffy). Phosgene had similar effects, except the fact that the effects started kicking in after 48 hours of inhalation. In September 1917, the Germans introduced the mustard gas or Yperite which was contained in artillery shells against the Russians at Riga. Those exposed t...
To begin, during World War one Germans first developed poisonous gas and brought them into war by 1915. Chlorine was the first gas brought into trench warfare as a grenade-like projectile. In the beginning of poisonous gas usage, soldiers didn’t know that the poisonous gas existed so the gas cloud unknowingly forming put soldiers into fear and would cause a few casualties. Soon after, France developed phosgene gases that is 18 times more powerful than chlorine gas. In the first appearance of phosgene gas, which was at Ypres, soldiers would get blinded. Germans further developed another gas, mustard gas. Mustard gas was the most brutal and more developed. It was produced in 75 or 105 shells rather than the regular grenade-like projectiles. Mustard gas caused painful blisters internally and externally, burns skin and more. The introduction to mustard gas brought the most disabled soldiers, deaths, terror and overall brought emotional and physical pain to those affected.
The use of chemicals in weapons dates back thousands of years, from poison arrows to poisonous fumes. However chemical warfare took a new approach during World War I. The first large scale attack was chlorine in april 1915. World War II brought on a entire new spectrum of chemical weapons and many countries obtained large stockpiles.1There are four different categories in which chemical weapons are organized based on what the effects are. The first category is blister agents which cause blistering of the skin. The second category is choking agents which cause the airway passages in the victim's throat to close resulting in death. The third category is nerve agents which causes damages to the victims nerves. The most recent uses of chemical weapons was on august 21, 2013 in Damascus ,Syria which resulted in numerous casualties.2