Smoke Fog Hazardous

Discussion in 'General' started by ecalpald, Nov 2, 2019.

  1. ecalpald

    ecalpald Chick LaPlace

    Has anyone came across similar reports of ill effects caused by smoke fog, as reported in the attached war diary entry for 22 March 1945?
    3 Medium RCA - Wrong Way Smoke.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Back in 1918 British troops were advised to don gas masks if passing through a smoke screen
     
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  3. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    During WW2 Chlorosulfuric Acid was used to produce smoke screens. It reacts with the moisture in the air to produce white smoke - however it can also react with the moisture in the throat, eyes, nose and lungs to produce blistering etc. It was used to shield the Tirpitz in its Norwegian fiord and even today there is a ring of stunted trees to mark where the ship was moored. The crew were issued with gas masks.
     
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  4. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Chlorosulfuric acid was used by all combatants in WW2 as a smoke agent related to the role of infantry,artillery and the use of aerial smoke devices.It was also used for the raid during the Great War on Zeebrugge on 22/23 April 1918.It has the property being heavier than air of lying low unlike other smoke generators who being lighter than air would disperse more faster. Chlorosulfuric acid had the advantage over pyrotechnic devices used to generate smoke,that no flame was set up in developing the smokescreen,

    During the Great War,extensive research was undertaken at the RN Experimental Station at Stratford under the direction of Lieut Commander T S Price and at the experimental station at Dover during the planning of the Zeebrugge raid by Wing Commander F A Brock of the fireworks family who designed the devices to create the smokescreen.

    As said the chemical is toxic and further presents a danger to health for those who are subject to inhaling it or being exposed to it when it reacts with moisture in the air......a mixture of hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid is generated from the effect of chlorosulfuric acid being sprayed into the atmosphere where moisture is absorbed to create the reaction....reacts violently with water and may create explosions through the generation of hydrogen when in contact with metal.

    The procedure of releasing the acid to atmosphere must have been such that even with gas masks, additional protective clothing would not be required as to hamper the role of the combatant.
     
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  5. tmac

    tmac Senior Member

    From a short history of 92nd LAA Regiment RA, by Captain Bill Almond, writing about preparations between March 15-22, 1945 for the Rhine crossing bombardment: ‘Preliminary operations, dumping ammunition between Wissel and Honnepel, were carried out in great secrecy – under cover of early morning mists, at dusk, or beneath the swirling 20-mile smokescreen that blanketed the west bank of the river. We grew to respect it for its complete cover, but hate it for its pungency.’
     
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  6. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    It had the advantage of being deliverable by shell or Livens projector ( not needing ignition) and was used well before Zeebrugge. In WW1 it was sometimes mixed with gas (usually Chlorine) so that just seeing a cloud had a powerful morale sapping effect on the enemy. The morale impact of smoke screens with Allied tanks emerging from them was cited in the German High Command's statement to the Reichstag justifying the need to seek an armistice.
     
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