Much later, in the 19th century, American mining engineer Lewis Haslett invented a device that filtered dust from the air. But, interestingly, they were not the first true gas masks.Īs far back as ancient times, the Greeks used sponges as masks to protect the wearer from smoke and other hazardous fumes, both on and off the battlefield. Early gas masks were nothing more than cotton wool pads or cloth soaked in water or in some cases urine. As a result, Allied forces struggled to find effective countermeasures. So devastating was the attack that it almost enabled a rare German breakthrough. This attack caused an immediate panic leading to a massive retreat. When inhaled, the gas destroyed the alveoli of the lungs, causing men to essentially “drown” on the liquid created by their own bodies.

The first chlorine gas attack, which hit French Colonial and Canadian troops, appeared as a yellowish-green cloud. Introduced during World War I, the French Army used the ARS 1917 until 1935. And while the gas actually killed very few combatants when compared to the vast numbers who gave their lives in the war (according to some sources, as many as 93 percent of gas casualties returned to duty within a few weeks), it was quite a success as a psychological weapon. But it was that calm April day that marked how truly devious gas could be as a weapon of war.

While the first widespread use of poison gas occurred on April 22, 1915, near Ypres, Belgium, there had been previous small experiments by the Germans in the weeks prior to the attack. For soldiers on both sides, the horrific effects of the new weapon added another vital piece of equipment to the soldiers’ needs-the gas mask. In a conflict that already was infamous for reaching new depths in the shameful chronicle of man’s inhumanity to man, the new weapon proved to be so heinous that it was never used again on such a massive scale. Elastic keeps the mask in place, so it is easy to wear and toss off when it is time to party down bunker style.With World War I in a seeming stalemate, German forces in late April 1915 introduced a horrific new weapon to the fighting. You know it's going to go great with your other wasteland wear thanks to the clear plastic visor and open front. Grab one of these Military Style Gas Masks and you'll look like you're ready to button down in Mick’s bunker during the end of the world. but he does create a pretty great character when it is time to gear up in some Post-Apocalyptic style gear. Maybe that’s what Mick means! He's just trying to recommend that everyone pick up any necessary accessories to help deal with the problems in the world until we've got a clear fix for them all.Īlright, maybe we're giving Ole Mick a little more credibility than he deserves. He says some weird things like “the end of the world is nigh!” Heck, the only nigh you know is Bill Nye, who is trying to save the world from global warming, and greenhouse gasses. Your cousin Mick who built the bunker in his back 40 might be a little odd.

Gas mask ww2 costume