CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
PAGE
The first rumours of German gas attacks—Sceptically
received—First attack in 1915—Canadian
pluck under gas—Nernst and Haber the
inventors of German gas—The difficulties of
getting practicable gases—The technic of gas
attacks—A German prisoner’s account		[ 9]
CHAPTER II
The first respirators—First-aid devices—The
smoke helmet—Anti-gas sprayers—Their use
and delicacy—The English chemists set to
work—The task of training the whole army		[ 26]
CHAPTER III
Popular terror of gas—Necessity for drilling and
early personal experience—Sure defence from
gas possible—The first gas alarms—The prussic
acid scare a myth—The phosgene scare a
reality—The helmet made to combat it—Necessity
for renovating the helmet		[ 42]
CHAPTER IV
The attack of Dec. 1915—The Allies’ good training
tells—The casualties analysed—The new
element of surprise—Evidences of the use of
phosgene—The incident of the bulb—Improved
alarms—The Strombos sirens—Accidents
to the horns—The Tear Gas Shell—Its
chemical analysis—Combated by anti-gas
goggles—Tommies scoff at Tear Gas—The
Germans make it formidable		[ 62]
CHAPTER V
Summer of 1916 the highwater mark of the German
gas cloud—Their improved methods—The
need of speed and secrecy—Gas as a rat
exterminator—Causes of Allied casualties—Germans
killed with their own gas—Gas
masks for horses and mules—Reduced Allied
casualties—Humorous incidents		[ 88]
CHAPTER VI
The last German gas cloud sent over August 1916—Its
intensity—“Delayed” cases of phosgene
gassing—Cigarettes as a test of gassing—Dangers
of carelessness—The sprayer abandoned
for Mrs. Ayrton’s fan—Responsibilities
of the divisional gas office—Russian gas victims—The
day of the gas cloud over		[ 112]
CHAPTER VII
The rising importance of the gas shell—The
variety of gases practicable with the shell—The
deadly Green Cross Shell—Risks of
transporting “duds” for chemical analysis—Reduced
Allied casualties—German blunders
in shelling tactics—Importance of universal
discipline 		[ 127]
CHAPTER VIII
The gas-proof dugout—First-aid methods of
alarm—Von Buelow improves German gas
tactics—Popular errors about gas—Effectiveness
of new British respirators—Vomiting gas—Germans
speed up their manufacture—Gas
as a neutraliser of artillery fire—As a neutraliser
of work behind the trenches—Raw recruits
ashamed to wear the mask—Casualties
resulting		[ 145]
CHAPTER IX
Mustard or Yellow Cross gas—Not deadly but a
dangerous pest—Its troublesome persistence—Cleaning
it out by fires—Sneezing of Blue
Cross gas—Another pest—Its violent effect—The
limit of gas shell effectiveness—The need
for constant vigilance and disciplinary training		[ 169]
CHAPTER X
Liquid fire—First used by Germans in July 1915—A
great surprise and success—German hopes
from it—Construction of a flame projector—Flammenwerfer
companies—Their perilous
duties and incidents of desertion from them—Improved
types of projectors—Co-operation
of machine-gun fire—Failure of liquid fire—Its
short duration and short range—Ease of
escape from it		[ 185]

GAS AND FLAME

GAS AND FLAME