Evening star., 1941-02-02
BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.

b4NASA AbSAuVAOiAO lC-
wives rumors which had previously
been heard concerning possible use
by the Germans of gas in their COM
ing offensive against Great Britain.
In considering this possibility, We
must begin by recalling that gas has
never been used on large scale as q
weapon of air warfare. The prln-
cipal instance of its employment by
air forces is the reported use of a
mustard spray" by low-flying Italian
airplanes in Ethiopia; this is said to
have been highly effective under the
atmospheric conditions prevailing
and against an enemy totally unpre-
pared with any gas defense, espe-
cially any defense against mustard,
which is q vesicant gas attacking
any part of the body with which it
comes in contact.
In the World War, mustard and
similar heavy (persistenO gases were
very largely used by means of ar
tillery or mortar concentrations
gas shell. BY this method, it vas
possible to produce a heavy concen-
tration Of the gas in defined area,
selected with due consideration for
the terrain and the prevailing wind
and weather conditions. The density
Of the concentration in the selected
area could be gagged with mathe-
matical accuracy-so many shells, so
much gas. The gas was placed with
in the selected area with a weapon
OF precision--the gun or mortar-
firing at known ranges from q sta
tionary base.
Aim Is Greater Effect.
Some students OF warfare uues-
ton whether the airplane and its
bomb-releasing devices can ever be
a weapon Of precision in this sense;
In other words, whether even sue
cessive waves Of gas-carrying planes
can produce concentrations Of gas
Of known density within defined
and selected areas. The more hor-
rifying calculations, based on so
many tons Of gas producing such
an effect within given square mile,
are based on conditions which
almost never prevail-no wind at
all plus absolutely level ground. The
moment wind and terrain variants
are introduced these calculations
tend to break down. On the other
hand, the trend of all research in
the use Of poison gas as a weapon
has been, since the World War, not
so much toward the discovery of
new gases as toward the production
Of greater effects with lower con-
centrations. While there is little
public knowledge of what has been
accomplished, it is quite possible
that greater effect may now be ex-
pected from a given weight Of gas
than in the World War.
The use of spraying devices (for
mustard and similar heavy vesi-
cants) instead of gas-loaded bombs,
Is possible only at night by planes
flying at 300 feet or so. This tends,
therefore, to be a weapon OF oppor-
tunity, and since special devices
of considerable weight are required.
1t does not seem likely that prepa-
rations for such attacks can be eco
nomically made on any large scale.
Such attacks might be a part Of
general operations which included
initial attacks with high explosive
followed by incendiaries and ac-
companied as surprise, in selected
places, with mustard-spray attack.
A determining factor in the use
OF gas will doubtless be the known
degree Of preparation by the oppo-
nent for defense against it. At the
beginning of the war, there can be
no doubt that the British civilian
population was far better protected
against gas attack than was the
German. If there was any one point
which the British A. r. P. organiza-
ton had given thought and at
tention to, 1t was gas defense. There
was probably mask available for
every man, woman and child in the
island of Great Britain; all shelters
had made provision against gas at
tack; special types of masks were
available for troops, airmen and
the various types of A. r. P. per-
sonnel; special gas warnings were
provided, as we'll as decontamina-
ton squads for cleaning" gassed
areas after the raid was over.
Nazi Gas Defense Smaller.
Preparation for gas defense In
Germany was on a far less elaborate
scale; it was estimated that not
more than Is per cent of the Ger
man civilian population possessed
masks. But the Germans could
confidently count on Britain not
Initiating gas attacks of civilians;
and it is possible that the Germans
have held back their own use of
gas hoping perhaps to avoid the
need Of using it at all, anxious to
obtain the full effect of surprise
II they did decide to use it.
Such a decision would be based
on several factors. First, the degree
10 which, since the opening of the
war, they have improved their own
defense against gas. Second, the
degree to which they Judge the
British are capable OF executing
reprisals. The production of military
gases In the quantities demanded
by the somewhat wasteful methods
Of air warfare is no small task:
British industry has been busy with
other matters. If the Germans are
prepared for air-chemical warfare
on large scale, while the British
are not able to retaliate strongly
In kind for some time, the Germans
may Judge that favorable oppor-
tunity has arrived for the introduc-
ton by them of such methods. They
have a rather short time limit for
the achievement Of victory in any
case. Indeed, from one point of
view, the use of gas by the Germans
might be considered an indication
that they have decided to strike
for an "all-out" victory regardless
Of immediate consequences.
The effectiveness Of the means of
defense available on either side
would always be a factor for grave
consideration. Just as the new de-
velopments in airplane design pre-
sent a repitition of the former naval
contest between gun and armor, so
in the field OF chemical warfare