Allies use mustard gas?

[Steve1871]

I just read that today/September 26, the English and American launched a combined attack on the  Meuse Arggon offensive with combined 26 divisions, hundreds of tanks and was started with a six hour bombardment with MUSTARD GAS and Phosgene shells?

 

I thought only the Germans ( who started it) used mustard gas? Is this right?

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

Presumably you mean 26th Sept 1918 (?). Can I ask where you read this ?

nb - there was no "English" Army well before the the time of WW1 - you would mean the "British" Army.

Tom

[Terry_Reeves]

The British Army started to use mustard gas from about June 1918, but not on the US front.

 

TR

Edited 26 September , 2020 by Terry_Reeves

[Steve1871]

I get a daily “History/This day in History” where it described This new campaign started today, yes it said British and American 

[Terry_Reeves]

 Steve

 

. This was part of  the hundred days offensive,  from 8th August  to  11th November. The only British troops involved in the American sector were some companies of the Royal Engineers Special Brigade who assisted the US army's own chemical warfare troops firing 4inch Stokes Mortars, but they were not filled with mustard gas and in any event they not did arrive until about 5days before the armistice.

 

The British had some difficulty producing mustard gas (ββ Dichlorodiethyl Sulphide) and did not start shell filling until June 1918. I don't think they were actually used until around September.

 

TR

 

Edited 27 September , 2020 by Terry_Reeves

[Steve1871]

If the story is wrong, then I am sorry, this is what it said

[Gareth Davies]

It is worth noting that mustard gas isn’t a gas.

[Rob Connolly]

Occasionally, when the British captured intact, functional German artillery, and also found mustard gas shells in the vicinity, they would inform their Teuton opponents of this salient fact by returning the shells to their owners.   IIRC mustard gas in shell didn't reach the BEF until September 1918.  I do recall a memoir, though I cannot recall the title or author (hangs head in shame at letting the side down) where 30,000 mustard gas shells were fired at the Germans, again September 1918.  The gunners took it for granted that the bombardment had been effective, as nobody was keen to go observing in a zone sorely afflicted by mustard gas.

[Gareth Davies]

There is of course no such thing as "mustard gas shells".

[AOK4]

14 hours ago, Rob Connolly said:

Occasionally, when the British captured intact, functional German artillery, and also found mustard gas shells in the vicinity, they would inform their Teuton opponents of this salient fact by returning the shells to their owners.   IIRC mustard gas in shell didn't reach the BEF until September 1918.  I do recall a memoir, though I cannot recall the title or author (hangs head in shame at letting the side down) where 30,000 mustard gas shells were fired at the Germans, again September 1918.  The gunners took it for granted that the bombardment had been effective, as nobody was keen to go observing in a zone sorely afflicted by mustard gas.

 

What's your source for this statement? It's not that simple to just fire a gun for non-artillery men. Not to mention the dangers of ending up shooting the shells into one's own lines etc.

[Wigeon]

Probably at something of a tangent to the discussion. There are examples of captured German artillery pieces being used to fire chemical weapon rounds, but so far I have only found references to the practise being undertaken by artillery personnel.

As an example, an Appendix for the War Diary for GOC RA Canadian Corps August 1918 states that 4th Canadian Divisional Artillery, 10th Battery CFA pulled out two .77 guns[sic] and took them forward. "These have been steadily in use since captured , firing Blue Cross gas shell." Another appendix in the same diary,  Artillery Order No 130 , noted that Field Artillery personnel should be withdrawn to man captured guns and that " Full use will be made of the Boche Batteries so formed to expend the supplies of captured gas shell in the area." Captured Heavy Artillery was also to be used , " Gas Shell will also be employed with these pieces whenever possible."

WO 95-62-4 War Diary A Dir Gas Services, November 1918,  Appendix 176  " The Use of British Gas Shell during October 1918." states that " The 6 Corps RA fired 2143 rounds of 7.7cm Blue Cross and a few Yellow Cross shell on roads...."