Soldiers were trained to properly strap the masks to their faces to prevent any toxins from leaking in. The task of creating an effective mask that could fit the faces of tens of thousands of soldiers wasn’t easy, but the Allies eventually settled on the design seen here.Ī small box respirator type designed by the British, this mask filtered air through a charcoal-filled container. If the mask couldn’t reliably seal to the face of a soldier, they were worthless. The gas masks they developed had to completely protect soldiers from deadly gases and protect their eyes. To combat the potential danger of debilitating and deadly gas attacks, each country’s military quickly began researching apparatuses for protecting their soldiers. Easily able to blister skin, and blind soldiers, the toxic gas would ravage a person’s lungs. Contact with mustard gas could quickly cause second and third-degree burns. Mustard gas, however, was much harder to stop, and much more damaging. Since the chlorine was water soluble, decontamination and cleanup were relatively easy. Luckily, they could be easily countered by covering a soldiers mouth with water or urine-soaked rags. Without the protection of their ad-hoc subterranean bunkers, soldiers became easy-pickings for enemy machine-gun fire.Ī gas attack could take an unprepared regiment by surprise, but as training caught up, soldiers became prepare for dealing with chlorine gas. The regions between trenches, however, were known as “no man’s land” for a reason. Sometimes, the gas wasn’t meant to injure enemies directly, but just cause enough panic to send them over the trench wall in terror. As the poison spread into trenches filled with tired, wars-hocked and soggy soldiers the coughing would spread, igniting days or weeks of pent-up claustrophobia. As trench warfare became the dominant means of combat during the first World War, toxic gases that could seep into enemy encampments and inflict deadly, morale-crippling damage emerged.Ĭhlorine gas was the dominant weapon, inflicting damage on the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.

Ww2 gas mask cartoon