Today 108 years ago, on April 22, 1915, the Second Battle of Ypres began, marking the first use of poisonous chlorine gas in warfare.
Since 1914 the Germans had been experimenting with chlorine gas and its potential of breaking the trench stalemate on the Western Front. They planned to use it for the first time at Ypres, where it was hoped a breakthrough would be achieved. The attack was also meant to divert Allied attention from the Eastern Front.
On April 22, 1915, following a brief artillery bombardment, the Germans released 168 tons of chlorine gas on the Allied lines at Ypres, held by French Algerian and Moroccan troops.
They thought the gas was a smokescreen and were therefore taken completely by surprise when the gas reached their trenches. Some 10,000 French troops were gassed, half dying within 10 minutes, and survivors blinded. In panic the soldiers fled their positions, opening a 7 km gap in the Allied line.
Though the Germans didn’t exploit this gap, not anticipating the gas to prove that successful and hadn’t brought up any reserves. Many of their own troops were scared and hesitant of advancing into their own gas too.
British and Canadian troops moved into the gap and resisted the German attack, suffering huge casualties. They wore urinated cloth on their faces to neutralize the chlorine.
Over the next month the Germans kept assaulting with more gas-attacks and managed to advance, but costly Allied counter-attacks prevented the Germans from advancing further.
After the Allies launched the Second Battle of Artois on May 9 the Germans ceased focus on Ypres. On May 25, the German offensive at Ypres was called off, with the Germans having taken some ground albeit no breakthrough.
In the Second Battle of Ypres the British had suffered some 53,000 casualties and 6,000 for the Canadians, of whom 1,000 of the latter died. The French had suffered 22,000 casualties, and the Germans at least 35,000 casualties.
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