Was gas ever used in WW2?

Discussion in 'General' started by adamcotton, Sep 29, 2006.

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  1. adamcotton

    adamcotton Senior Member

    Just been reading "Forgotten Voices of WW2" by Max Arthur, and I was particularly interested in the section that dealt with the issue of gas masks at the outbreak of war.

    As everyone knows, gas was used to horrifying effect, and quite extensively, by both sides in WW1, but fears of gas attacks in WW2 never materialised. Or did they? As far as I'm aware, gas was never used in WW2 against military or civilian personnel, but if I'm right, I am wondering why? Can anyone either quote me an example of when gas WAS used, or - if I am right in that it never was - explain why? Was it some sort of international ruling? And if so, why the fear that resulted in the issuing of gas masks to all in 1939?

    Comments most welcome...
     
  2. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    There was never an attempt to use gas, but stockpiles of the stuff was moved around. Think of the major incident in the the itaian port of baria.

    As for the issuing of gas, after its widespread use in WW1 people expected it to be used in the next war. I have a a book called Personal Protection Against Gas, an official document and was issued in 1938
     
  3. adamcotton

    adamcotton Senior Member

    There was never an attempt to use gas, but stockpiles of the stuff was moved around. Think of the major incident in the the itaian port of baria.

    As for the issuing of gas, after its widespread use in WW1 people expected it to be used in the next war. I have a a book called Personal Protection Against Gas, an official document and was issued in 1938

    What happened at Baria, Morse?
     
  4. Gnomey

    Gnomey World Travelling Doctor

    The Japanese (army unit forget the name at the moment think it is something like 731) performed 'experiments' on the Chinese using gas, amoung other toxins to see their effect.
     
  5. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    What happened at Baria, Morse?

    There was a massive release of mustard gas from allied stockpiles due to a accidnet.
     
  6. raf

    raf Senior Member

    wasnt there some gentlemans agreement between Hitler and Churchill !!!!!

    if you use it we will.

    Britain would have defended itself if they came with Gas.

    so
     
  7. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    The Japanese (army unit forget the name at the moment think it is something like 731) performed 'experiments' on the Chinese using gas, amoung other toxins to see their effect.

    It was Unit 731 which carried out the experiments. they included attacks against allied POWs.

    Italy also used mustard gas during its African conquests
     
  8. Kiwiwriter

    Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member

    There was a massive release of mustard gas from allied stockpiles due to a accidnet.

    In December 1943, the American freighter John Harvey tied up at the pier in Bari, loaded with mustard gas shells for artillery, a top secret. The shells had been sent over to be the theater reserve in case the Germans made good on occasional threats to use poison gas on the battlefields.

    A night or so later, the Luftwaffe hit the port at dusk, bombing the city and harbor heavily, sinking or damaging about 13 ships. Among the ships hit and set on fire was the John Harvey, which cooked off her mustard gas bombs, adding to the destruction caused by fire, oil, and high explosive. The British, Indian, and New Zealand Army hospitals were inundated with casualties, and doctors were baffled by the symptoms, writing "Not Yet Diagnosed (Dermatitis)" on the forms. Scores of Allied troops and Italian civilians died from the gas. It took a full-scale investigation to find out that the cause was the secret cargo of mustard gas bombs.

    People who dive in the harbor (usually salvage or repair work) still occasionally get sores from the contamination.

    The best book on the subject, "The Bari Disaster," by Glenn Infield.
     
  9. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

  10. superpumper

    superpumper Junior Member

    I think I read somewhere that Churchill was going to use gas if the Germans invaded the UK? Am I remembering correctly? Also Hilter did not really want to use it because he was gased in WW1?
     
  11. Millsy

    Millsy Member

    The Italians used gas in Abyssinia in the mid 30s (already mentioned), but surely they were an active participant of the Geneva Convention? Did they suffer any international censure at the time?
     
  12. mallory

    mallory Junior Member

    The Italians used gas in Abyssinia in the mid 30s (already mentioned), but surely they were an active participant of the Geneva Convention? Did they suffer any international censure at the time?

    There was a lot of international condemnation, especially in the media, but I believe no formal action was taken.

    Also in relation to the British use of gas, I believe stockpiles were actually deployed for use, if the Germans did invade. They were never used, thankfully.
     
  13. nutleyeng

    nutleyeng Junior Member

    why not? retaliation.
    Churchill was very much in favour of the use of gas in the later stages of the war against german cities. The british high command refused to sanction the idea...thank goodness.
    Hitler of course was himself a casualty of gas just as wwI was ending...seems strange with what we now know of the holocaust, but it does appear that he refused to even consider the use of gas on the battlefield as a result of his personal experiances.
     
  14. panzerschmuck

    panzerschmuck Junior Member

    I'm no expert on the subject, but I don't believe there is much of an upside to using chemical weapons on the battlefield. It is tricky to use, and has the potential to do as much harm to the user as his adversary if used without a great deal of care. Plus, you would then have to deal with area contamination, even if your side wins ground. The risks generally outweigh the benefits.
     
  15. ErikH

    ErikH Senior Member

    This is what I've heard, so correct me if I am wrong... the British were very much willing to use gas on the Germans when they hit the beaches in the event of an invasion [of Britain]. Sorry If this was already mentioned, just jumping in.
     
  16. raf

    raf Senior Member

    Gas would have been used by the uk and other countries if the Germans had landed.

    but first they would have had to get past the.

    1. mined channel
    2.bombardment from the RAF,Navy and shore guns
    3 the sea on fire
    4.barbed wire and obsticuls
    5.land mines
    6.front line soldiers with machine guns,rifles,tanks,motars.

    unless they got it wrong and landed on a beach in souther ireland i dont think they would have got very far....oh and they did get it wrong.

    the canadians played a big part in setting up the defence network on the beaches.

    cheers
     
  17. panzerschmuck

    panzerschmuck Junior Member

    Several people have mentioned that gas would have been used by Britain if Germany had invaded. Does anyone know exactly what type of gas? That might give a better indication of how they planned to use it.
     
  18. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Several people have mentioned that gas would have been used by Britain if Germany had invaded. Does anyone know exactly what type of gas? That might give a better indication of how they planned to use it.

    It seems very likely that the British planned to use poison gas against troops on beaches. General Brooke, in an annotation to his published war diaries, stated that he "...had every intention of using sprayed mustard gas on the beaches".[66] Mustard gas was manufactured as well as chlorine, phosgene and Paris Green. Poison gases were stored at key points for use by Bomber Command and in smaller quantities at many more airfields for use against the beaches. Bombers and crop sprayers would spray landing craft and beaches with mustard gas and Paris Green.[67]
     
  19. Millsy

    Millsy Member

    Everyone seems very sure that 'Gas would have been used', on the English beaches. Who would have had the final say in its use and thereby the ultimate responsibilty for its use? Churchill? Are these facts in his memoirs.

    Also, wouldn't a beach of all places have been the most capricious place to use gas, what with unpredictable offshore breezes and the like. It could have caused more havoc to the defenders surely.

    Millsy
     

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