Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare (2008) - The Black Vault

Medical Aspects of Chemical WarfareFig. 2-26. US infantry advancing under gas bombardmentagainst German entrenched positions. US Signal Corpsphotograph.Photograph: Courtesy of US Army Military History Institute,Carlisle, Pa.can and 4 French divisions, on the front extendingfrom southeast of Verdun to the Argonne Forest, hadengaged and decisively beaten 47 different Germandivisions, representing 25 percent of the enemy’s entiredivisional strength on the western front.The First Army suffered a loss of about 117,000 inkilled and wounded. It captured 26,000 prisoners, 847cannon, 3,000 machineguns, and large quantities ofmaterial. 48Fig. 2-28. Blinded by sulfur mustard. Gassed AmericanExpeditionary Forces soldiers with eyes bandaged, at FieldHospital No. 13. Near Caply, France. July 2, 1918. US SignalCorps photograph.Photograph: Courtesy of US Army Military History Institute,Carlisle, Pa.Approximately 20,000 chemical warfare casualtieswere reported among the divisions of the First Armyduring the Meuse-Argonne campaign (Figure 2-27). 49Gas casualties accounted for 22% of all casualties inthe campaign. The 3rd Division suffered 1,237 chemicalcasualties, the 26th Division 1,942, 46 and the 33rdDivision 2,400. 50Fig. 2-27. American doctors treating a soldier wounded inhead, 1918. US Signal Corps photograph.Photograph: Courtesy of US Army Military History Institute,Carlisle, Pa.Aftermath of BattleThe armistice of November 1918 ended the world’sfirst chemical war. Of the approximately 26 millioncasualties suffered by the British, French, Russians,36