It seems on July 6th 1944 Churchill was really considering the possibility of gas warfare against Germany. In the book on WW2 bombings by Burgdorff and Habbe this memo is mentioned and also I find in the net something:

"...it may be several weeks or even months before I shall ask you to drench Germany with poison gas, and if we do it, let us do it one hundred per cent. In the meanwhile, I want the matter studied in cold blood by sensible people and not by that particular set of psalm-singing uniformed defeatists which one runs across now here now there." - Winston Churchill secret memo 6th July 1944

http://www.ratatak.com/modules/news/...php?storyid=30

More info on this matter and why Churchill withdrew this idea ( I´m happy he did!)?

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Kai,
Earlier in the war there were plans to bombard any invasion beaches on the British mainland with Mustard Gas. Several airfields in Scotland were designated either to store it as back-up, or for a main attack in the event of 'Cromwell'. I think I'm right in saying this was Churchill's idea too, so it wasn't the first time gas warfare had crossed his mind.

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Regards,

Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/thehistoryvault/
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian/

Churchill also offered to use poison gas against Turks during the Gallipoli Campaign.

Plus the Mustard Gas stored on ships in Bari Harbour when they were hit by the Luftwaffe.

I am sure Churchill would have used "Poison gas" immediately if it was used by Germany.

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Whe're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful wizard of OZ - 6 Australian Infantry Div, Bardia January 1941

If I remember correctly most of the pictures I have seen of German troops during the war included gas mask bags. This leads me to believe that they were prepared for gas warfare if it came to that. Pictures of people in the home guard and other cival defense duties in England also featured the gas mask bag. The English seemed to be prepared. I don't recall that many pictures of the civilian people of Germany during the war featuring any gas mask bags.

Both sides seemed ready to recall the gas warfare of WWI so would the use of a gas campaign really have gained the British much?

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PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEABLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT ONLY BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF. GEORGE ORWELL

In several memoirs the German soldiers tell that they removed the gas mask ( and threw it away?!) and filled the bag with their personal things or food.

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Probably a shooting offense!!

B.I.M, I suppose the use of Gas would be a "last ditch" tactic against the Invasion of the U.K.

Also Gas masks were heavily used when "tidying" up after the battle.

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Whe're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful wizard of OZ - 6 Australian Infantry Div, Bardia January 1941

Unlike in WWI there was not any use of gas as a weapon. After a while it appears from Kai's comment the German soldier may have become complacent about ever using his mask and put the bag to more immediate uses. They may have also been useful to cut the stench of death after battles based on Ali's comment.

Were the German population initially prepared for gas warfare? If Churchill could have saturation bombed the German state with gas would it have been devestating to the populace or would they have masks ready?

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PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEABLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT ONLY BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF. GEORGE ORWELL

It is a documented fact that gas was used by the Italians in their war in Ethiopia. Only time it was used in WWII.

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

I wasn't aware of that use in North Africa PzJgr. Was it used against just the Ethiopians or was it used against the British or both?

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PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEABLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT ONLY BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF. GEORGE ORWELL

Used in 1935/36, a few years prior to WW2.

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Whe're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful wizard of OZ - 6 Australian Infantry Div, Bardia January 1941

technicality, Oh I suppose. [img]redface.gif[/img]

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

Okay, used in Ethiopia in 1935/1936. Who was it used against? Was it used against Ethiopian troops or was it used on colonial troops that may have been from the colonizing country?

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PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEABLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT ONLY BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF. GEORGE ORWELL

Used against Ethiopian troops only. Used in the initial invasion.

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

Some info on this war:

Brief summary:

http://www.onwar.com/aced/nation/eat...hiopia1935.htm

In addition to conventional weaponry, Badoglio's troops also made substantial use of mustard gas, in both artillery and aerial bombardments. In total, the Italians deployed between 300 and 500 tonnes of mustard gas during the war, despite having signed the 1925 Geneva Protocol. The deployment of gas was not restricted to the battlefield, however, as civilans were also targetted by the Italians, as part of their attempt to terrorise the local population. Furthermore, the Italians carried out gas attacks on ICRC camps and ambulances.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_...Abyssinian_War

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Those were some great links Kai, thanks. I had forgotten how removed Ethiopia was from the rest of the countries where the majority of the fighting took place in WWII. I was even more suprised by the fact that the population of Ethiopia was almost as large as Italy's. The annexation of Ethiopia must have represented almost a doubling of Italian holdings.

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PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEABLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT ONLY BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF. GEORGE ORWELL