The Type shown is an 18 cm. German Gas Projector,
captured during the 2d Battle of the Marne.
Until about the close of the war projectors were installed by digging a triangular trench deep enough to bring the muzzles of the projectors nearly level with the surface of the ground. They were then protected by sand bags or canvas covers, or camouflaged with wire netting to which colored bits of cloth were tied to simulate leaves and shadows. The projectors were fired by connecting them in series with ordinary blasting machines operated by hand from a convenient point in the rear. The digging in of the projectors in No Man’s Land or very close to it was a dangerous and laborious undertaking. The Americans early conceived the idea that projectors could be fired just as accurately by digging a shallow trench just deep enough to form a support for the base plate, and then supporting the outer ends of the projector on crossed sticks or a light frame work of boards. This idea proved entirely practical except for one condition. It was found necessary to fire with a single battery all the projectors near enough together to be disturbed by the blast from any portion of them. Inasmuch as most of the blasting machines used for firing had a capacity of only 20 to 30 projectors, it was necessary to so greatly scatter a large projector attack that the method was very little used. However, investigations were well under way at the close of the War to develop portable firing batteries that would enable the discharge of at least 100 and preferably 500 projectors at one time. By this arrangement a projector attack could be prepared and launched in two to four hours, depending upon the number of men available. This enabled the attack to be decided upon in the evening (if the weather conditions were right), and to have the attack launched before morning, thereby making it impossible for aeroplane observers, armed with cameras, to discover the preparation for the projector attack. Since the bombs used in the projector may carry as high as 30 pounds of gas (usually phosgene), some idea of the amount of destruction may be gained when it is known that the British fired nearly 2500 at one time into Lens.
Stokes’ Mortar
Another British invention is the Stokes’ gun or trench mortar. The range of this gun is about 800 to 1000 yards. It is therefore effective only where the front lines are relatively close together. The shell consists of a case containing the high explosive, smoke material or gas, fitted to a base filled with a high charge of propelling powder. The shell is simply dropped into the gun. At the bottom of the gun there is a projection or stud that strikes the primer, setting off the small charge and expelling the projectile. In order to obtain any considerable concentration of gas in a particular locality, it is necessary to fire the Stokes’ continuously (15 shots per minute being possible under battle conditions) for two to five minutes since the bomb contains only seven pounds of gas.
Superpalite
It is believed that the first gas shell contained lachrymators or tear gases. Although the use of these shell continued up to and even after the introduction of mustard gas, they gradually fell off in number—the true poison gas shell taking their place. Towards the end of 1915 Auld states that the Germans were using chloromethyl chloroformate (palite) in shell. In 1916, during the battle of the Somme, palite was replaced by superpalite (trichloromethyl chloroformate, or diphosgene) which is more toxic than palite, and about as toxic as phosgene. It has the advantage over phosgene of being much more persistent. In spite of the fact that American chemists were not able to manufacture superpalite on a large scale, or at least so successfully that it would compete in price with other war gases, the Germans used large quantities of it, alone and mixed with chloropicrin, in shell of every caliber up to and including the 15 cm. Howitzer.
Fig. 3.—Stokes’ Mortar.
Chloropicrin
The next gas to be introduced was chloropicrin, trichloronitromethane or “vomiting gas.” It has been stated that a mixture of chloropicrin (25 per cent) and chlorine (75 per cent) has been used in cloud attacks, but the high boiling point of chloropicrin (112° C.) makes its considerable use for this purpose very unlikely. The gas is moderately toxic and somewhat lachrymatory, but it was mainly used because of its peculiar property of causing vomiting when inhaled. Its value was further increased at first because it was particularly difficult to prepare a charcoal which would absorb it. Its peculiar properties are apt to cause it to be used for a long time.