Gas weapons?

[Flyboy]

Not exactly SPWAW-related, but I figure this is as good a collection of WWII tacticians as I'm likely to find anywhere, so here goes:

Has anyone ever come across any books, articles, columns, musings etc about why the Germans didn't use gas on the beaches of Normandy?

It occured to me a couple of weeks ago, watching Saving Private Ryan for the millioneth time, that I couldn't see any visible gas-mask containers on the Rangers . . . now that could be a Hollywood omission, but for the sake of argument: given how high the stakes were on D-Day, isn't it odd that the Germans didn't deploy gas munitions to effectively choke off the beaches (no pun intended)? At best, they could have closed the beaches to infantry, at worst, slowed the advance down to a trickle.

Did Germany not produce gas munitions in WWII? I'm not referring to their obvious use in concentration camps, and I know they weren't used on a tactical level by any of the major powers (apart from Japan in Nanking), which I suppose bodes well for humanity (i.e. that even in the midst of the most important conflict the world has seen, leaders refrained from using horrific gas weapons), but in hindsight, does it not seem strange that Germany wouldn't have used every weapon it its arsenal to halt the Allies on the beaches?

Curious to hear any views . . .

[rrockw]

If I remember my history wasn't Hitler a victim of a mustard gas attack in WWI? Maybe his personal experience with it caused him not to use it?

Rich

[plloyd]

Hilter was gasses in WW1 and was terrified of the notion that the Allies might drop gas bombs. His generals were not too keen on the idea either.

The closest thing to a gas attack, was when Bari harbor was bombed. The Germans hit a supply ship carrying chemical ammunition. The Allies wanted a stockpile in case the Germans resorted to chemical warfare. No one had told the shore parties about the cargo, which is why it was still on the ship.

[ZinZan]

Hi all,

ISTR that the Allies (Brits especially) had VERY large stocks of chemical weapons and made it quite clear (Through neutral countries) that they would only use them as a retaliation weapon. The Germans had smaller stocks so decided not to use (though comments re: Hitler bein gassed may be also a factor)

Don't forget that in these days mose chemical weapons would have caused as much problems for thedefence as the attack - Specifically in Normandy the winds were onshore so anything used would have blown over the German defences pretty quickly.

[Akmatov]

Another reason often cited was the reliance of the germans on horses for a huge part of their transport. And they didn't have a good gas mask for horses.

Also they ASSUMED the allies had the same nerve agents they did and didn't realize they had something much more potent.

[RealChuckB]

Hi,

If I remember correctly, the Italiens used gas weapons in Abyssinia (Ethopia) between 1935 and 1936 and I think I remember also reading the Japanese army used it in Mandschuri after 1931 - any comments or corrections

Chuck

[Voriax]

Check this:

http://www.vectorsite.net/twgas.html

Voriax

[Procrustes]

ORIGINAL: Chuck B.

Hi,

If I remember correctly, the Italiens used gas weapons in Abyssinia (Ethopia) between 1935 and 1936 and I think I remember also reading the Japanese army used it in Mandschuri after 1931 - any comments or corrections

Chuck

Both true. I was working in China this spring and got to visit the Nanjing Memorial and the Beijing National Military Museum - both had quite extensive exhibits detailing the use of chemical weapons by the Japanese.

Even lesser known is that the British used chemical weapons in Iraq during the 1920's - Ed "Bomber" Harris and Winston Churchil were involved, no less!

http://www.iraqwar.org/chemical.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story ... 08,00.html

(Muckraking cites, sorry.)

[Kevin E. Duguay]

My dogs have the best gas weapons, they can clear a room in seconds!![:D]