Dogs with gas masks
Don't let the dogs of war slip them off.
Chris Wild
1915-1970
Dogs have been used in warfare since ancient times, serving as sentries, messengers, attackers and even mascots.About one million dogs were killed in action in World War I, a conflict which also saw the first large-scale use of chemical weapons, such as chlorine and mustard gas.The devastating effects of these gases accelerated the development of masks, worn to counteract those agents. After the first use of poison gas by German forces in April 1915, the British and American governments sent out a series of quickly designed masks to filter out the toxic gases and keep their soldiers alive.Because of the critical combat role played by dogs at the time, they also developed canine gas masks. Though both the Allied and Axis powers stockpiled great quantities of chemical weapons and countermeasures for use in the western front of World War II, each held off on deployment. Neither side wanted to be the first to use chemical weapons offensively, with its inevitable counter response.But both sides were prepared for chemical warfare in WWII. As were the dogs.
