Gas Warefare

The Battle of Loos, fought from September 25 to October 8, 1915, marked a significant and grim milestone in the history of warfare—it was the first time the British army used poison gas on the battlefield. This offensive, part of a larger Allied effort to break through German lines on the Western Front during World War I, took place near the mining town of Loos-en-Gohelle in northern France. The battle was intended as a major push by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in support of a larger French attack in Champagne. Despite the ambition behind the plan, the operation faced numerous challenges, both strategic and environmental.

Permission to use chemical weapons came from the highest levels of British military leadership. Sir John French, then Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, approved the use of gas after it had already been employed by the Germans earlier in the war at the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915. The British War Office, eager to match the German use of chlorine gas, established its own gas warfare unit, and preparations were swiftly made for its deployment at Loos.

The enemy at Loos was the German Imperial Army, entrenched in heavily fortified positions with machine gun nests, barbed wire, and deep bunkers. These defenses presented formidable obstacles to the attacking British forces, many of whom were inexperienced volunteers from Kitchener’s New Army.

For the gas attack, the British used chlorine gas, the same substance the Germans had unleashed months earlier. A total of approximately 5,100 cylinders, containing around 140 tons of chlorine, were installed along the British front line. These cylinders were placed in shallow trenches and connected by pipes and valves, ready to release the gas when the wind conditions were deemed favorable.

However, the method of deployment proved to be deeply flawed. Unlike artillery shells, which the Germans had used to disperse gas in a more controlled and effective manner, the British relied on releasing gas directly from canisters. This method depended heavily on the wind to carry the gas across No Man’s Land and into German positions. On the morning of the attack, the wind was light and variable. In some sectors, it shifted direction entirely, causing the gas to blow back into British trenches. This tragic miscalculation led to confusion, delays, and casualties among the British troops themselves, as they were caught in the very cloud of poison meant for the enemy.

To protect themselves from the gas, British soldiers were issued primitive protective gear. Initially, this consisted of cotton mouth pads soaked in a solution of bicarbonate of soda, which offered only minimal protection. Later, more effective measures such as the "Black Veil Respirator" and "PH helmets" were introduced—these were crude gas masks made of fabric soaked in chemicals and fitted with a glass eyepiece. While they provided better protection than the earlier pads, they were still cumbersome, uncomfortable, and often inadequate in preventing exposure during prolonged gas attacks.

The effectiveness of the gas during the Battle of Loos was mixed at best. In some areas, it succeeded in forcing German troops to abandon their positions or retreat from their front-line trenches. However, the overall impact of the gas was limited by poor weather conditions, the rudimentary method of delivery, and inadequate training among the troops in how to coordinate an assault under gas cover. Moreover, the gas sometimes obscured visibility, making it difficult for British infantry to maintain direction and cohesion as they advanced.

In the broader context of the battle, the initial British gains were not sustained. Though the British managed to capture the town of Loos and break through the first line of German defenses, they lacked the reserves and logistical support to exploit their success. The Germans counterattacked, and the British offensive ultimately ground to a halt with heavy casualties on both sides. British losses during the battle were staggering, with over 59,000 casualties, including nearly 8,000 killed on the first day alone.

The Battle of Loos thus became a sobering lesson in the limitations of new technology and the brutal realities of trench warfare. While it marked the beginning of British chemical warfare capabilities, it also highlighted the dangers of relying on such unpredictable weapons. The gas attack at Loos, while historically significant, served as a grim reminder that innovation in war often comes at a high human cost.