12/30/2023 0 Comments Ww1 gas mask lineup![]() There was also a great deal of contempt from soldiers that their officers were given better gas masks than the enlisted. The Soldiers of that front quickly realized many of their masks were useless, and threw them away. On June 23/34, 1915 (old calendar), another gas attack was launched in the same sector as the first 2. Because of this, many Russian soldiers lost all trust in gas masks. Many were too big or too small to protect effectively. Many were poorly constructed and simply fell apart. There was little basis for the number of layers of gauze, meaning many were too thin to provide any real protection. It is worth noting that none of these masks were tested before being sent to the front. Unfortunately many of these masks aren’t described in source texts. Over 20 submissions came from Mining Institutes, Cities, and even a Law School. These masks varied wildly in construction and effectiveness as the organizations had little idea what they were doing, and there was no quality controlĤ- an “Inventive Fever” began, where various organizations and offices across the Russian Empire began manufacturing their own models of masks. The Prince of Oldenberg, almost immediately upon assuming responsibility for gas protection, appealed to women’s organizations across the country to begin manufacturing masks to protect against Chlorine gas. However they did not arrive until the evening of May 31st, too late to help.ģ- Women’s organization masks. The 55th Rifle Division, which was the first unit to be gassed, took their own initiative to order gas masks in Moscow in early May. Many units, hearing about the May 18th/31st attacks, began procuring their own gas masks. There was a pocket opposite the mouth and nose, into which the lint impregnated with hyposulfite (mask-bandage of the first sample) was inserted.” These were produced in no insignificant numbers, a factory in Minsk reported to be producing 25,000 units daily.Ģ- Unit Procured masks. The length of the compress was about 15 cm, the width was 5–8 cm. They are described as “ a compress of five to six layers of gauze, stitched along the edges and equipped with two pairs of straps to strengthen the mask on the face. Even before the May 18th gas attack, the Red Cross began manufacturing and providing gas masks to Russian soldiers. The solution was normally carried in a small bottle, and the mask was soaked before an attack.ġ- Red Cross masks. The majority of which were made from layers of gauze soaked in a hyposulfate solution, which was believed to be the best anti-chlorine solution at that time. The first gas protection equipment available to Russian troops came in 4 forms. They not only attracted artillery fire, but also dried the anti-gas impregnation in gas masks, reducing their effectiveness. This worked to an extent, but was a double edged sword. Bonfires were used to carry poisonous gas up into the atmosphere and away from the trenches. One early way Russian soldiers used throughout the war to combat poisonous gas was bonfires. This legend was carefully implanted in the heads of the soldiers.” ![]() Throughout the war, many official guides carried the legend of the miraculous properties of urine, recommended for impregnating wet masks, as well as scarves and greatcoats, which were suggested to wrap the face during gas attacks. “Completely unable to take quick and effective gas protection measures, the Office of the Supreme Commander of the Sanitary and Evacuation Unit enthusiastically embraced the idea of the inventors on the ground, which surfaced during the first gas attack, to use urine as a means of protection from gases. The task was to be given to the Prince of Oldenberg, who was already chief of military sanitation and evacuation. Almost immediately, the Imperial Russian Army began the monumental task of equipping the entire army with gas protection. ![]() In their first gas attack they took an estimated 6,000 wounded and 2,000 dead. The Russian army, despite some advanced warning, was almost entirely unprepared. The Germans first began using poison gas in the form of chlorine in the Spring of 1915, first against Algerian troops in France in April, and then against Russian troops on May 18th and 31st (Gregorian calendar). ![]() This article serves as a translation and condensation of contemporary histories and the author’s personal research and is intended to increase the availability of information on the topic in English.Ī group of Imperial Russian soldiers in late 1916. As such, finding English-Language information about them, or any information at all, can be quite a challenge. Despite making up over half of all worldwide poison gas deaths, the WW1 Russian Army’s chemical protective equipment is relatively ignored by western historians.
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