How deadly was poison gas of WW1?

An excellent article (with photos) on the use and effects of poison gas in WW1.

30 January 2015
By Marek PruszewiczBBC World Service

 How deadly was poison gas of WW1? (weblink)

Poem ~ Battle of Dogger Bank - Sunday 31 January 1915

Source: File: German battlecruisers.jpg, 2015. (L - R) Derfflinger, Moltke and Seydlitz en route to Dogger Bank.. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dogger_Bank_%281915%29> [Accessed: 31 January 2015].

Source: File: Petty Officer Stoker ­Edward ­Attwood.jpg, 2015. Petty Officer Stoker ­Edward ­Attwood was one of the first men killed at the Battle of Dogger Bank in the North Sea on 24 January 1915. [online] Available at: <http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jul/07/readers-favourite-photographs-songs-recipes> [Accessed: 31 January 2015].

From glaciated debris, a moraine had formed,

In the Pleistocene ages  - with time, a period

Of glaciations and the melting of ice, carried

Transported rocks and silt sized glacial flour -

Within the undulations of time, to make a low

Landmass above the sea, to form an open land bank. 

That spreading space between a smaller and

Larger land mass, where early people roamed,

Until the ice age ended - with greatest of floods -

To spill across the moraine, makes an island,

To be named by mankind as England - as that

Sunken landmass of Doggerland, became Dogger Bank.

Moving rapidly through time, over one thousand

Nine hundred and fifteen years ahead - formed

By the Western Calendar  - opened up another

Human war of civilized lands - Then in advanced

Stages of machine led conflict - as their craft

Took to the sea, to trespass the waters of Dogger Bank.

With the submarine strategy of German navy,

Having been suppressed  - a further tactic

To hit the British Isles, came by an attack

Onto three coastal towns, on 16 December,

Under an attack of shells left civilians dead.

The Germans having taken their path by Dogger Bank.

With many navel battles having taken place,

And acts by German craft, setting on the Island

Of the British, brought attacks of coastal areas -

Forced the need of naval reconnaissance

Off the East coast of England - keeping watch,

For further enemy approach of North Sea's Dogger Bank.

Admiral Eckermann, promoted to Vice Admiral,

Being chief of staff to German High Seas Fleet,

Desired an operation to take on the British Fleet.

Yet the man in command, Admiral Ingenohi -

Disagreed, with the SMS Von der Tann out

Of action for dry-dock maintenance - their fastest

A well-armed turbined warship. On Eckermann's

Continued Insistence, Admiral Hipper was sent to Dogger Bank.

A capture of a codebook, gained by Russian forces,

Led to shared information with their British allies.

The book's contents opened up an ability to decode

Enemy radio traffic, to learn how Admiral Hipper

Had begun the process for a new coastal raid.

Five battle crafts, light cruisers with destroyers

Moved south ready for Hipper and his ships.

The British fleet waited above the submerged Dogger Bank.

A German fleet Led by Seydlitz, and followed

By Derfflinger, Moltke and Blücher - along with

Light cruisers Rostock, Kolberg - while Stralsund

And Graudenz led the forward screen, nineteen

Torpedo boats, formed half-flotilla, to each light

Cruiser - a fierce German formation moved to Dogger Bank.

Back in Room 40 enemy wireless messages

Were intercepted - the precise detailed plans

Of Hipper could not be made, but an operation

Was heading for the East Coast and North Sea.

English fleet acted quickly with a rendezvous

of Commodore Tyrwhitt's Harwich Force, came

Moore's 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron, second

Light Cruiser Squadron of Goodenough - and

Beatty's 1st Battlecruiser Squadron - to meet

8 a.m. 24 January - 30 miles north of the Dogger Bank.

By 8:15 a.m. the enemy Kolberg spotted Aurora

Of Harwich Force - who sent out their searchlight.

A reply of two hits began retaliation - while Hipper

Turned his cruisers into the fire - Northwest saw

A signal of smoke of British warships - Blücher

At the rear, fired on a light cruiser and destroyers,

Coming from the stern - to start the battle of Dogger Bank.

Hipper's battle cruisers were in poor position

To move south to retreat - limited by their speed.

The British steaming ability, soon made gains -

As Blücher found herself under fire from Lion, then

Tiger and Princess Royal made hits - by 10:09 a.m.

German fire turned on Lion, to be hit on waterline,

With another on its forward turret, to stop its gun.

Now sea war raged in waters, that lay above Dogger Bank.

The New Zealand, now in range of Blücher, made

Fire. 10:35 and the German force was all in range

Of British ships -11:00 and Blücher was battered

By heavy shelling - Moltke, Derfflinger and Seydlitz

Made hits on Lion. At 11:48 Indomitable had arrived,

With Beatty's orders to destroy Blücher - that was

Now on fire and listing to port, above the waters of Dogger Bank.

Within Blücher's badly hit bulk - started the end.

A survivor stated how the shells took stokehold,

With half empty bunkers of coal alight - inside

The engine room, a shell sprayed oil - to make

Flames of green and blue - an explosion from

Air pressure in the confined space, sent a great

Explosion; men amid machines would meet death.

Now it was inevitable that Blücher would sink in Dogger Bank.

Reports of U-boats ahead forced British evasive

Movements, allowing German ships to make distance.

Beatty, in the damaged Lion, gave cruisers orders

To hit enemy’s rear- but signals confused they still

Set on Blücher - the ship fought to repulse cruisers.

Then Aurora made two hits with torpedoes - all her

Guns silenced, except the rear mount - now at point

Blank, seven more torpedoes bit into the Blücher -

To capsize - like ants the crew scrambled into sea of Dogger Bank.

With Blücher sinking, British destroyers moved

To rescue survivors - yet a Zeppelin believing

The Blücher to be British, dropped bombs onto

The destroyers who had to withdraw - among

The 1,200 crew, only 234 lived along with their

Captain Erdmann - the Blücher concentration had

Allowed battle cruisers to escape - the Derfflinger

Seydlitz, and Moltke were to assist the Blücher,

But the flagship's severe damage left her to sink in Dogger Bank.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: Battle of Dogger Bank (1915) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dogger_Bank_%281915%29> Accessed: 31 January 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 31 January 2015). 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dogger_Bank_%281915%29

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered 

Poem ~ Torquay: Sentry Kills Officers - Saturday, 30 January 1915

29 January: County Coroner, Sidney Hacker

Resumed an inquest continued in Torquay,

With regard to the murders of two officers -

Lieutenant Arthur Ernest Simpson, of the

Army Service Corps – a London Solicitor

And Sub-Lieutenant Bertram Welby Hart,

Of the Royal Naval Air Service. Both men

On Sunday 24 January, arrived in Torquay:

Under strange conditions they were killed.

The two men were travelling in a car from

Plymouth to Torquay - the car being driven

By Mr Harold Murton, a Marconi wireless

Engineer of St John’s Wood – it was dark

As they drove onto Torquay’s sea front

Road, to be halted by sentries’ - Territorial

Cyclists, Private Harris and Private Pullman.

This action resulted in sudden altercation

With the sentries - a rifle held by one man

Was fired - Lieutenant Hart was shot dead;

As Lieutenant Simpson gained a fatal wound.

Private Harris was consequently charged

With causing their death - Private Pullman

Adding and abetting – the driver though

Disputed this - to give evidence that a shot

Came alone from the rifle of Private Pullman,

With whom Lieutenant Hart had argued.

Viewpoint one: the driver of the motor; Murton

Being recalled on 29 January the driver,

Mr Murton, confirmed his belief how Pullman

And Hart were standing around 6 feet apart,

As a shot was fired. With the car stopped,

No words of ill language was then used.

But as the encounter became heated, both

Witness and officers used specific words.

While a shot was fired Lieutenant Simpson

Did not attempt to add to the argument.

The wound that Simpson gained was a bullet

To the left armpit - he later died within a few

Minutes of reaching the nearest hospital.

Viewpoint two: a Policeman arrives; Muridge

A crowd had gathered as Police Constable

Mugridge arrived – with the naval officer

And Private Pullman arguing, the police

Officer pushed into the crowd - there was

A shot and Lieutenant Hart fell down dead.

Private Harris was arrested and taken away

To the police station, confessing to his rifle

Being fired - but he stated it was an accident.

The people who stood behind him had  then

Knocked his arm and gun went off  - about 

The car were up to 200 people, some of

Them stood right next to the two sentries.

Viewpoint three:soldier beside sentries;Botterill

A Private Botterill, who had stood between

The sentries, said a disagreement ensued

Between Private Harris and Lieutenant Hart -

Both of the sentries held their rifles at ready -

LH said to H 'Cant you see, I am a British

Naval officer. Here is my number - I have

Letters to prove I am Sub-Lieutenant Hart.’

P H replied discourteous, 'I don’t want

To see any letters. Stand there and wait

Till my Colour sergeant comes.’ P H later

Added ‘Shut up your yarn.’ L H replied

‘Don’t talk to me like that. Do you know

To whom you are talking? That you are

Talking to your superior officer.'

Two Seconds later the rifle was fired –

A spark came from P H rifle L H fell dead -

Private Botterill asked why he had done

That - PH replayed, 'I wont stand arguing

The point.’ The crowd moved in and P H

Was heard to claim, it was an accident.

Viewpoint four: a civilian in the crowd: Lowe

Charles William Lowe, an electrician, saw

That as the sentries stopped the car the

Two officers asked, 'on whose orders?'

The sentries said that their orders were

To stop all cars on the road between times

Of seven and eleven p.m. - L H asked for

The name of the captain giving orders -

Which sentries had then supplied him.

Walking to the back of the halted car,

L H Commented, 'fine thin to be stopped

On the highway when one is fighting for

The country.' – the naval officer was heard

To state, ‘I am Lieutenant Thompson and

This is my friend Lieutenant Simpson.’

Searching the car, the sentries examined

Their numbers, but remained unsatisfied,

As car number was written on cardboard.

Officers asked if they were to be there

All night – Private Pullman said they had

To wait for their colour sergeant to arrive.

Getting back in the car and then out again

Lieutenant Hart was agitated and moved

Towards Pullman, standing before the car.

Then the rifle was fired - Lieutenant Hart

Fell  -was heard to say, 'my God, I’m shot.'

The inquiry was to continue on weds next.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Torquay Tragedy – two Officers Shot - Resumed Inquest. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 30 Jan. P.3. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11372896/Daily-Telegraph-January-30-1915.html [Accessed: 30 January 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 30 January 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11372896/Daily-Telegraph-January-30-1915.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered

Poem ~ The Muddy Affairs of Cuinchy - Friday, 29 January 1915

Source: File: Map Neuve Chapelle to La Bassee, 1915.jpg, 2015. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_La_Bassée#mediaviewer/File:Neuve_Chapelle_to_La_Bassee,_1915.jpg> [Accessed: 29 January 2015].

Source: File: Map of British Line, 1915.jpg, 2015. George's War Letters. The First World War seen through the letters of George Power- 25th January 1915. [online] Available at: <http://firstwarlettersofgeorge.com/2015/01/25/gwl-25th-january-1915/George's War Letters> [Accessed: 29 January 2015].

Between La Bassée and Givenchy,

The land where a battle was underway,

Was on a sea of mud - the first largest

Engagement believed to be of 1915.

Two months of down pouring rain,

Had turned the ground into slough

Of complete despondency – a trough

Of practically impossible movement.

With only La Bassée – Bethune Road

Allowing any kind of solid ground,

The Germans dashed across the

Divide - moving quickly and with force

Towards unsupported British trenches,

Forcing those who manned the line,

To fall back faced with enemy rush.

Assisted by 7^th pioneer detachments,

The lead of the attack had been given

To the 56 Prussian Infantry regiment -

Rhine-Landers, who of good humour

Had in peace been stationed at fortress

Of Wesel - by some prisoner’s words,

The fighting had made its toll on the 56^th.

With trenches to the right evacuated,

The British on the left now observed

Men falling back - as the Germans

Took the adjacent trenches - to avoid

Being driven out, they too fell back -

The Germans had made all their gains.

The German spirit carried their soldiers,

Along the road to Givenchy, to occupy

A trench - to capture six British soldiers.

They moved on into the town - a strong

Company of 56^th with twenty men from

7^th Pioneers, with a lead of three officers.

Their support was made to hurry along

After them - being 5000 reservists, their

Task to secure ground rapidly covered.

Yet they had not bargained on every

Factor -13:00 hours a British regiment,

Had the order to retake lost trenches.

Ahead of them, was a morass of 300

Yards to objective – a trench – under

Great fire, they moved to be knee deep

In mud and water – an impossibility

To keep a line -Then they laid down,

Dodging bullets, to wait for followers

To free selves of the bog, to join them.

In this method of attack, the Germans

Were puzzled. Climbing from cover with

Bayonets to see men lying on the mud.

The enemy leapt back to cover - their

Anticipation of a new British method.

The result of the British counter attack

Was to retake the trench - to hold it

With a cost of many men falling – but

The advance of the Germans across

The Bethune Road, had failed for them.

With 400 men left on the road, the 56th

Prussian regiment was driven back. 

Reserves unable to get to their rescue.

British and French Infantry, attended

To those invaders that had made it to

Givenchy - gaining many prisoners

With wounds to head and upper body.

The Germans advanced into the town,

Only to encounter front facing British fire.

With an ineffective stand, they fell back

To the trench they had occupied, outside

The town - the British now in the houses, 

Fired from all the ground floor windows.

Under exposure, the German wounded

Fell - hopelessly trying to hold the trench -

Waiting for support, but the British fired

Down on them, to make the trench defence

Untenable - with only one officer of three

Left, he gave up with the remainder of men.

Later at the base hospital, on a small ward,

Three men wounded in the fight, lay side

By side. In the centre a corporal of the 56^th 

Prussian, either side of him an Irish soldier  -

One of them in recognition of the Corporal. 

During the day's fighting, the Irishman

Had marked the corporal out with others -

Sniping at the British from a tree clump

On the La Bassée Road - in giving warning

The Corporal was wounded and captured.

On arrival at the hospital, he spoke in good

English - to completely forget the language,

During the night - unable to answer questions.

The fact being that the Prussian and Irishman

Recognised each other from the battlefield.

The Irishman knew that the German knew,

He knew him, to be an efficient clever sniper -

So he told his story to visitors, quite aware

The German pretended to be asleep - yet he

Listens. The corporal replied to questions

From hospital staff, asking how he is -'Nein'

He replies, wary of what happens to snipers.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. The Fighting at La Bassée - British Heroism - Ingenious Manoeuvring. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 29 Jan. P.9. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11372880/Daily-Telegraph-January-29-1915.html [Accessed: 29 January 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 29 January 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11372880/Daily-Telegraph-January-29-1915.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered