"The first British gas attack at Loos, 1915" Topic

"The Battle of Loos, fought in northern France in September 1915, was the first British gas attack of WWI – despite the Hague Convention of 1899 having banned shells ‘diffusing asphyxiating or deleterious gases'.
Accounts suggest the greenish-yellow hue rose to form a cloud 40 feet high, drifting towards the enemy, but it also festered in no-man's-land, whirling around uselessly. Rain the previous day and night considerably reduced its effectiveness. Even where the gas drifted over enemy trenches, it was slow and thin. At the southern end of the attack front, no gas had reached the enemy after 30 minutes. The Germans kept machine-guns firing throughout by lighting fires around them while gas was going over; the attackers emerging from the gas, silhouetted against a white cloud, made clear targets…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Tango – just checking, but you are aware that Germany was the first to use gas on the western front aren't you?

I believe that Tango is posting about Britain's first use of gas in the First World War.

The British used gas at Loos because they lacked artillery ammunition.

Our friend Genarlstoner49 is right!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

The 2nd Division where gas did not leave their trenches attacked through it and were silhouetted by the gas and smoke. The Germans slaughtered the British, according to one book I read to the tune of 7000 casualties.
The Germans were sickened by the carnage and stopped firing when the British retired.