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Mustard gas or sulfur mustard are names commonly used for the organosulfur chemical compound bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide, which has the chemical structure S(CH 2 CH 2 Cl) 2, as well as other species. In the wider sense, compounds with the substituents −SCH 2 CH 2 X or −N(CH 2 CH 2 X) 2 are known as sulfur mustards or nitrogen mustards ...
A Canadian soldier with mustard gas burns, 1917/1918. Mustard gas is not an effective killing agent (though in high enough doses it is fatal) but can be used to harass and disable the enemy and pollute the battlefield. Delivered in artillery shells, mustard gas was heavier than air, and it settled to the ground as an oily liquid.
This was about 4% of the total chemical weapons produced for that war and only just over 1% of the era's most effective weapon, mustard gas. (U.S. troops suffered less than 6% of gas casualties.) [3] The U.S. also established the First Gas Regiment, which left Washington, D.C., on Christmas Day, 1917, and arrived at the front in May 1918. [2]
In the 1930s, the Soviet Union used mustard gas deployed from planes against Basmachi rebels in Central Asia. [45] During the Soviet invasion of Xinjiang in 1934, Ma Zhongying's New 36th Division put up a fierce resistance at the Battle of Dawan Cheng, but was forced to retreat after Soviets delivered mustard gas from planes. [46]
[12] [13] If an invasion had occurred, the Royal Air Force may have also deployed it against German cities. [14] General Brooke, in command of British anti-invasion preparations of World War II said that in the event of a German landing, he "had every intention of using sprayed mustard gas on the beaches" in an annotation in his diary. [15]
In November 1980, two months into the Iran–Iraq War, the first reported use of chemical weapons took place when Tehran radio reported a poison gas attack on Susangerd by Iraqi forces. [33] The United Nations reported many similar attacks occurred the following year, leading Iran to develop and deploy a mustard gas capability.
Islamic State militants most likely used mustard gas, a banned chemical weapon, against Kurdish forces in Iraq. Exclusive: Watchdog to probe alleged mustard gas use by Islamic state Skip to main ...
According to a 2002 article in the American newspaper The Star-Ledger, 20,000 Iranian soldiers and combat medics were killed on the spot by nerve gas. As of 2002, 5,000 of the 80,000 survivors continue to seek regular medical treatment, while 1,000 are hospital inpatients.