<Sir Humphrey Davy first developed phosgene.>
Davy synthesized phosgene by passing carbon monoxide and chloride gases through charcoal.
Further development with the compound enabled German units <to be the first to use
phosgene as a weapon>. In 1917 in the battle at Verdun, German forces used both phosgene
and chloride gas<as chemical weapons.> The gas was pressurized into <liquid form> for
containment and shipping,<and later placed> into explosive shells. When heat was applied
to the phosgene in the shell, the shell would disband and the liquid would become a
lethal poisonous gas released into the atmosphere. Two factors made the use of phosgene
in this battle extremely effective. <The first factor was the cold temperature of the
battle. With the atmosphere at a low temperature > the liquid to was able to remain in
liquid form and not evaporate due to its low boiling point. The second factor was the
deep trenches that the phosgene <shells were launched into. The gas would become
entrapped inside the trench and slowly kill all of its inhabitants.
Phosgene gas
was the first chemical weapon used in World War I. However phosgene’s military history
was very short lived. Barley half of a year after phosgene was introduced to the
battlefield, mustard gas was developed. Since mustard gas had a more developed defense
system (gas masks) against phosgene, <the use of> phosgene as a major chemical weapon
quickly diminished. Phosgene however, will continue to be used throughout several other
wars in history.
The Japanese military during the Second World War between
1937-1945, conducted extremely inhumane experiments with phosgene gas, using Chinese
Prisoners of War as subjects. Some of the prisoners were forced to ingest the phosgene
in liquid form; <meanwhile other Prisoners of War> were used as human targets
for Japaneseto fire phosgene shells upon.
The most recent use of phosgene gas was in 1987 during the war between Iran and Iraq.
Iraq was increasingly using mustard gas as a key weapon against Iran. As a
counterattack Iran used phosgene gas. 50,000 Iraqi military and civilian <causalities
resulted from this conflict.>
