WWI Perspective: Poison Gas Warfare

Poison Gas-a lethal yet more human way to dissuade an entire army from attacking. Or at least that's what people told themselves. The first versions of poison gas were Chlorine gas and then phosgene gas to replace that, though these were nothing in comparison to the monstrous gas that would become known as mustard gas. The Germans were at the head of chemical warfare throughout the first portion of the Great war. None could keep up with the chemical engineers like Dr. Viktor Meyer. The man who would eventually create mustard gas. Mustard gas unlike its predecessors was more fluid-like and would remain in trenches and puddles for days after it was released. By the time mustard gas had began to be produced the US had stepped into the Great War and would feel the deadly affects in the first major battle US men participated in. The Third Battle of Ypres.

Poison Gas

Masks that had developed could not with stand the murkiness and deadliness of the mustard gas, most soldier didn't even know what the substance was when it first rolled into their trenches. Many wouldn't even reach the doctors stations because they would go blind so quickly from the gas. Soldiers skin would blister and fester, burning from the chemicals that touched their skin. To combat this American and British scientists began to formulate their own mustard gas. Zinsser was the first successful mass production of mustard gas, so much so that they could not meet the demands by themselves. Within the formulation of a way to make mustard gas the US began to quickly out produce the Germans, who could only muster about 6 tons of gas per day. American factories could make as much as 100 tons.

Gas Masks

The US played a major role in the final push for victory because had they not joined in during the stalemate of the Great War, the Germans might have been more likely to overpower the Allies with their poison gas. The US, as well as helping push favor to the Allies also brought about a major overhaul of military weaponry and tactics for their own forces.

Poison Gas Comes to America
How Poison Gas Works