Poison gas attacks Flashcards
Chlorine gas was first used by the Germans in ___ at the ___.
1915; second battle of Ypres.
What did chlorine gas do?
Led to death by suffocation, creating a drowning sensation.
What was the issue with chlorine gas?
Medical services had no previous experience in dealing with gas attacks, so had to experiment with treatments.
Following the German chlorine attack, the British retaliated with their own attack later in 1915. How did it go wrong?
The wind reversed, blowing the gas back on the British lines.
When were gas masks given to all British troops?
July 1915.
Before gas masks were given to British troops, what had the soldiers developed?
Their own system of gas masks to stop it entering their lungs. They soaked cotton pads with urine and pressed them to their faces.
Phosgene gas was first used at the end of ___, near ___.
1915; Ypres.
What were the effects of phosgene gas?
Similar to those of chlorine, but faster acting, killing an exposed person within 2 days.
Mustard gas was first used in ___ by the Germans.
1917.
What were the effects of mustard gas?
- It was an odourless gas that worked within 12 hours.
- Could pass through clothing to burn the skin.
- It caused blindness and external and internal blisters.
