Gas defense equipment

Gasschutz, m. protection against gas, gas defense. -dienst, m. gas defense service, -gerat, n. gas-defense equipment, -lager, n. gas defense depot, -salbe, /. (MU.) protective ointment. 

The foundation of the CWC s inspection activities was based around the declaration by member states of their chemical weapons capabilities and activities. Nations with chemical warfare programmes were required to declare their production, storage and destruction facilities, which would then receive top monitoring priority. Nevertheless, the CWC did allow states to maintain research programmes to ensure the integrity of defensive equipment such as gas masks and gas detectors, but these activities were also to be closely monitored since they involved work with the chemical agents listed on Schedule l.9 Otherwise, all other warfare agents, mustard gas, Lewisite, soman, sarin, tabun, VX and the capability to produce them were to be eliminated under the watchful eyes of international inspectors (Table 8.1).10 The convention thus defined chemical weapons as any toxic chemical, or its precursors, intended for purposes other than those not prohibited under this convention for... 

Some trials were meant to develop defensive equipment in areas of technological vulnerability, or enhance the protection of specialized military units.Tanks and their crews, for example, were vulnerable to gas attacks. During the North Africa campaign, the Army posted a tank officer to... 

The CWS in the Central Pacific devoted a major part of its attention during World War II to special projects and technical developments. The first special project, as recounted above, was the equipping and training of civilians in gas defense. In connection with this first project, CWS officers. Medical Corps officers, and civil defense officials developed, tested, and supervised the manufacture of gas protective hoods for small children. The hoods were made more attractive for children by the addition of "bunny ears. Officials also supplied the "bunny hood to patients in the leper colony on Molokai Island. 

An underlying doctrine in training for gas defense was that slack defense invited attack while superior defense deterred attack. Good gas discipline could be expected to deny military advantage to an enemy employing poison gas—and thus to discourage him from such use. And gas discipline depended on sound training supplemented by dependable protective equipment. 

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