The Most Destructive Weapon used in 1st WW.

(The white cloud in the photos above are not smoke , but these are fumes from chemical weapons used in 1st WW.)

The most Mass Destructive weapon in 1^st WW.

During the 1st World War, it was the first time human used chemical weapon in fighting against the enemy. Back to the year 1915, Germany changed their fighting technique instead of using gun, , rifle knife etc they introduced new, cheap but success technique to kill enemy; by using CHEMICAL WEAPON.

On the afternoon, April 22, 1915 around 5 pm, German troops opened the cap of cylinder full of greenish-yellow colored gas that known as Chlorine in a warzone. The wind that blew to the unprepared French and Belgian troops forcing the panic, confuse choking troops to leave the place for life and thousands of them were Succumbed by the chemical weapon. This is the beginnig of new warfare.

But this weapon was not so flexible since could only be used when the wind blew to the enemy .It ever happened that, the chlorine gas blew by the wind was reversing the direction in the middle of operation that caused the Germany to use safety gas valve as well as killed some of German troops.

This chemical weapon initially introduced by German’ Chemist – Fritz Haber. After his first successed, he once again breaking the news by introducing new chemical weapons known as phosgene and Mustard gas – more dangerous than chlorine gas.

(Above:Death and non fatal statistics from chemical weapons used in 1st WW)

FACTS

Phosgene

• Produced by mixing together Carbon, Oxygen and Chlorine at a correct portion.
• Will build up very dangerous excess of water in the lungs within few hours after inhaled, finally brings to death.

Mustard gas

• produced from the mixture of : Hydrogen, Chlorine, Carbon and either Sulphur or Nitrogen gas.
• When contact with skin, produced very swelling painful on the skin,
• And even your cloth will worn out when contact with this mustard gas!.
• Very reactive to any damp area such as armpit, eyes, skin, mouth, lungs, all internal organ.(remember in a war, everybody produced more sweat.)

Special about mustard gas

• It can be in solid, liquid or gas(when sprayed with aerosol)- Easy to use
• Although allied troops could covered their mouth and nose from inhaled this gas, but this mustard gas will still react with any damp area of the armies' bodies. So chance to survive from mustard gas are very low!
• More stable than chlorine and phosgene and could contaminated the area for days after being released.

This success war technique finally made this chemical weapon to receive a title “Weapon of Mass destruction”

So how allied troops handle this?

Before going to war zone, they were supplied with cotton mask soaked in urine!

Why urine?

• Because urine is alakline and will neutralize the acidic mustard gas.
• Everyone can produce it at anytime. (During war time, it is not easy to get emergency things on time, so need to think other method!)

Later after that, Ointment anti gas were supplied to treat skin that contacted with the mustard gas in the warzone.

(I believe urine was used to treat patients's skin that contacted with the mustard skin at the warzone)

Siren(photo at the right side) to announce about the present of mustard gas also introduced to alert allied troops about the present of mustard gas.

The effect brought from using this chemical weapon as warfare brought very destructive effect to human being such as blindness, permanent irritation, infections etc and finally in the year 1925, Geneva protocol bans poison gas as a mean of warfare.

(Reference : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_gas_in_World_War_I, Microsot Encarta, http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWmustard.htm, http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-weapons/gas.htm)

( Pics source : http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-weapons/gas.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_gas_in_World_War_I )

(Recommended reading : http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-weapons/gas.htm)