This remarkable book explains the practical details of a type of warfare waged for only three years, but which became one of the dominant aspects of World War I: the mass use of poison gases. It tells the story of German and Allied gas warfare from the first German attack at Ypres in April 1915 through to the 1918 Armistice: the gases, the means and tactics of delivery, the effects and influence on the battles, and the race to produce better protection for the troops on both sides. It is illustrated with very rare wartime photographs and diagrams of equipment, and with a series of colour plates showing gas equipment in use.
Contents
Introduction · Precursors · German first use of chlorine, Ypres, April 1915 · British retaliation, Loos, September 1915 · Development of gasmasks, 1915–16 · Attacks, 1916–18 · Gas shells, 1916 · The Livens projector, 1916–18 · Gas grenades, 1915–18. Gas shells, 1917–18 · Gas mask developments, 1917–18 · Conclusion
Simon Jones is a former curator at the Royal Engineers and King’s Liverpool Regiment Museums. He has studied World War I for over 20 years and has written a number of excellent articles on gas and mine warfare. This is his first book for Osprey. Simon lives in Liverpool, UK. |