Bolimow Russian Poland and Gas Attack by Germans

[John Gilinsky]

Recently I bought the "The First World War Based on the book by Professor Hew Strachan - Series Narrated and Produced by Jonathan Lewis" a Channel 4 documentary on 4 dvds. A camara crew travelled to current day Poland and it is claimed in the film that from a church spire that the camera films from that the Germans actually witnessed the first chemical attack in history namely at Bolimow, Poland where the German Ninth Army attacked the Russian 2nd. Army in January 1915 (throughout actually). Several references including websites state that the mass chemical attack occurred on January 31, 1915 when 18,000 German shells were fired on Russian defensive positions containing an irritant "tear gas." The documentary implies that it shows remains of trenches in and and around Bolimow, Poland today and that these chemical shells did cause fatal casualties. Reports of dead Russian soldiers who had not come under direct fire filtered back to the Russiajn generals and the deaths of these soldiers could not be explained. I surmise that such soldiers may either 1) already been wounded and in a comatose state or even sleeping possibly making any chemical shell fallout potentially deadly 2) were simply sleeping and in an unfortunate trench position where the tear gas could concentrate.

Does anyone know any PRIMARY GERMAN, Polish, or RUSSIAN sources for the Battle of Bolimow which really lasted throughout January 1915 to confirm Russian gas casualties in January 1915?

[Simon Jones]

John

I'll check Hanslian's Der Chemische Krieg (1937 ed) when I am back home after Christmas - although this is a secondary source. I have to say I don't know of any true primary sources.

S

[John Gilinsky]

Thanks Simon for your consideration. I find it very illuminating the Channel 4 disc 2 of this 4 disc set from 2004(2005) which unequivocally states that the real ww1 was on the EASTERN front.

John

[Adam D]

Witam, nazywam się Adam Dymecki jestem mieszkańcem Bolimowa ,interesuję się historią I Wojny Światowej.

Niestety nie znam angielskiego, mogę pisać tylko po polsku. W chwili obecnej pracujemy z kilkoma kolegami nad zebraniem materiałów do książki o Pierwszym użyciu gazów bojowych w Bolimowie. Proszę o kontakt ,zainteresowal mnie materiał o którym Panowie piszecie na forum dotyczacy filmu z wieży kościoła lub zdjęć o ile dobrze zrozumiałem.

[Terry_Reeves]

Translation of Adam's post:

"Hi, my name is Adam I am a resident of Bolimów Dymecki, interested in the history of the First World War.

Unfortunately, I do not know English, I can only write in Polish. We are currently working with several colleagues over the collection of material for a book about the first use of poison gas in Bolimow. Please contact me interested in the material of which the gentlemen on the forum write for a movie from the church tower, or an image as far as I understand."

TR

[Adam D]

Recently I bought the "The First World War Based on the book by Professor Hew Strachan - Series Narrated and Produced by Jonathan Lewis" a Channel 4 documentary on 4 dvds.  A camara crew travelled to current day Poland and it is claimed in the film that from a church spire that the camera films from that the Germans actually witnessed the first chemical attack in history namely at Bolimow, Poland where the German Ninth Army attacked the Russian 2nd. Army in January 1915 (throughout actually).  Several references including websites state that the mass chemical attack occurred on January 31, 1915 when 18,000 German shells were fired on Russian defensive positions containing an irritant "tear gas."  The documentary implies that it shows remains of trenches in and and around Bolimow, Poland today and that these chemical shells did cause fatal casualties.  Reports of dead Russian soldiers who had not come under direct fire filtered back to the Russiajn generals and the deaths of these soldiers could not be explained.  I surmise that such soldiers may either 1) already been wounded and in a comatose state or even sleeping possibly making any chemical shell fallout potentially deadly 2) were simply sleeping and in an unfortunate trench position where the tear gas could concentrate.  

Does anyone know any PRIMARY GERMAN, Polish, or RUSSIAN sources for the Battle of Bolimow which really lasted throughout January 1915 to confirm Russian gas casualties in January 1915?

Witam odnosnie Bolimowa armia niemiecka oprocz (18000szt. cal.150mm) pociskow z bromkiem ksylilu wystrzelonych w styczniu 1915 ,uzyla pod Bolimowem chloru. Atak ze stycznia nie przyniosl oczekiwanych efektow bo bylo zbyt zimno - 20 i bromek ksylilu slabo sie rozkladal. Atak chlorem natomiast byl bardzo udany.

[Tom W.]

John:

The Polish writer Stanislaw Kalinski just published a book about the German army in Poland in 1914-1915. I'm sure he has some info about Bulimow, since his publisher is going to attend an event there in June. I'll give you his e-mail address by PM.

Edit: Can't send you an e-mail. Oh, well.

Adam:

Czy wiesz, że polski pisarz Stanisław Kaliński? Po prostu opublikował książkę na temat armii niemieckiej w Polska w 1914/15. On ma jakieś informacje na temat Bolimów. Dam ci jego adres e-mail przez prywatną wiadomość.

Edit:

Właśnie odkryłem, że nie mogę wysłać prywatną wiadomość. Przykro mi.

[Adam D]

Dziękuje ,mam tę książkę , jest ona pracą moich kolegow, Stanisława Kalińskiego, zdjec do tej ksiazki uzyczał Piotrek Moskwa lecz my szukamy więcej danych, dlatego zainteresowalem sie tym zdjeciami i filmem o ktorym pisze John Giliński(ma chyba polskie korzenie sadzac po nazwisku:)) cieszymy sie ze znacie ta ksiazke w Kanadzie w sumie wydana zostala w styczniu 2011.Jeśli byście potrzebowali to służę pomocą mam ich 100 szt.

z grupą przyjaciół załozyliśmy Stowarzyszenie Inicjatywa Ziemi Bolimowskiej, dzięki naszym działaniom udaje sie zebrać coraz wiecej materiałów i danych nasza strona www.bolimow1915.pl

szukam wszelkich zdjęć z Bolimowa i okolic. W ubiegłym roku zorganizowaliśmy w Bolimowie miedzynarodową rekonstrukcję bitwy pod Bolimowem, sa filmy na youtube i zdjęca na naszej stronie www.bolimow.com.pl, w tym roku organizujemy kolejną rekonstrukcję 3-5.06.2011.Zapraszamy

jesli chcecie max histori Bolimowa polecam www.Polska.pl (miasta w dokumencie-Bolimów) jest tez http://photos.poland...mow,cid,120.htm ,zamiescilem tam kilkanascie zdjęć z cmentarzy I wojennych wokół Bolimowa, oraz zdjecia z 61 regimentu Marwitz.

Pozdrawiam Adam Dymecki

[better ole]

The power,scope and knowledge of this forum and it's members never fails to amaze me.

[John Gilinsky]

Danke Adam D from Bolimow Poland and the 48 photos of the c. 1915 German photo album from in and around Bolimow. They are great.

Will try to get you the exact details of that British camera crew who must have visited Bolimow around 2000 or so for the production of that circa 2004 British dvd on the history of the war overall.

John

Toronto

P.S. I have emailed Tom W to find out the full details of that Polish historian's book on the German Army in Poland during 1914 to 1915. If you have the full details though can you please post them here for everyone?

Also that Muzeum Bitwy nad Bzura in Kutno hyperlink does NOT work at my end!

[Adam D]

Witam serdecznie,

niestety nie mogę odczytać prywatnych wiadomości które do mnie wysłaliście, wyświetla mi się taki napis:

An Error Occurred

Sorry, an error occurred. If you are unsure on how to use a feature, or don't know why you got this error message, try looking through the help files for more information.

[#10226] You are not allowed to use the private messaging system.

co do muzeum w Kutnie te zdjęcia które mieli z Bolimowa wszystkie mi udostępnili. wiem że link nie działa ale kiedy uruchamialiśmy stronę był rok 2003 więc musieli zmienić adres. prywatnie posiadam więcej zdjęć.

prosiłbym o wgląd do materiałów Brytyjczyków.

Serdecznie Pozdrawiam z Bolimowa , z Centralnej Polski.

na stronie www.bolimow1915.pl jest kontakt do mnie tel. i e-mail.

jak wspominałem nie znam Angielskiego tłumaczę sobie wasze Posty translatorem google,nie jest to dokładne tłumaczenie ale 70% rozumiem.

[sturmangriff]

Gentleman here's the link to the polish bookstore, concerning the book :

"Ataki gazowe w bitwie pozycyjnej 9.Armii Niemieckiej nad Bzurą i Rawką 1914-1915"

http://historyton.pl...oducts_id=12760

Best Regards

Sturmangriff

[Ken S.]

According to its regimental history, the 5. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß the regiment was deployed near Bolimow for about ten days up to January 26, 1915. Basically it describes the poor conditions and attempts to improve and expand the trench system but makes no mention of the impending use of gas. The regiment relieved elements of the 1. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade (1. Res.-Div.) and was itself relieved by elements of the same brigade, and then moved to another part of the line.

[Daumants]

On 23.12.2007. at 00:12, John Gilinsky said:

Does anyone know any PRIMARY GERMAN, Polish, or RUSSIAN sources for the Battle of Bolimow which really lasted throughout January 1915 to confirm Russian gas casualties in January 1915?

Primary German translate and edited in Russian:

https://books.google.lv/books?id=PQk2CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=газовая+атака+при+болимове&source=bl&ots=krGruxmAI5&sig=zgvooGQpgec2iqkt2SnUF5GVhIc&hl=lv&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiY_6yBjPbQAhXDdCwKHdCZAMgQ6AEIQjAF#v=onepage&q&f=false

Secondary: http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/bolimov.htm

Edited 15 December , 2016 by Daumants

[John Gilinsky]

Danke