Hellfire boys : the birth of the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service and the race for the world's deadliest weapons

An explosive look into the dawn of chemical warfare during World War I "A terrifying piece of history that almost no one knows." - Hampton Sides In 1915, when German forces executed the first successful gas attack of World War I, the world watched in horror as the boundaries of warfare were forever changed. Cries of barbarianism rang throughout Europe, yet Allied nations immediately jumped into the fray, kickstarting an arms race that would redefine a war already steeped in unimaginable horror. Largely forgotten in the confines of history, the development of the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service in 1917 left an indelible imprint on World War I. This small yet powerful division, along with the burgeoning Bureau of Mines, assembled research and military unites devoted solely to chemical weaponry, outfitting regiments with hastily made gas-resistant uniforms and recruiting scientists and engineers from around the world... An explosive look into the dawn of chemical warfare during World War I Powerful and gripping, Hellfire Boys tells the story of the young men who started a Manhattan Project-type program at American University in 1917. These soldiers and chemists worked on offensive and defensive gas measures: testing hastily-made gas masks; observing the effects of mustard gas on goats, dogs, and even humans; and perfecting the ultimate weapon of mass destruction--lewisite, which, as World War I raged, the U.S. planned to unleash on Germans using another new technology, planes. The book traces the actions of the "Hellfire Battalion," a group of American engineers who were trained in gas warfare and sent to the front lines in France to launch multiple assaults against the Germans. The impact of this scientific work resonates to this day. Journalist Theo Emery reveals how this massive science and engineering effort spawned numerous Nobel laureates as well as a world in which thousands of people can be terrorized or killed at once. Traces The Actions Of The Hellfire Battalion, A Group Of American Engineers Who Were Trained In Gas Warfare And Were Sent To The Front Lines In France To Launch Multiple Assaults Against The Germans. Introduction: January 5, 1993 -- Prologue -- Part I. Catalyst. Holy Week ; An American University ; Diabolical Instruments ; Technical Men ; Amos And Goliath ; Fiendish Work -- Part Ii. Flash Point. A Hotter Fire ; Over There ; A Constant Menace ; Science And Horror ; He Who Gasses Last, Gasses Best -- Part Iii. Retort. First Gas And Flame ; The Meuse And The Mousetrap ; All To The Mustard ; War To The Knife ; Fight The Devil ; The Devil's Perfume Theo Emery. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [443]-519) And Index. In 1915, when German forces executed the first successful gas attack of World War I, the boundaries of warfare were forever changed. In 1917 the development of the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service, along with the burgeoning Bureau of Mines, assembled research and military units devoted solely to chemical weaponry, outfitting regiments with hastily made gas-resistant uniforms and recruiting scientists and engineers from around the world into the fight. Emery shows how World War I quickly spiraled into a chemists' war, one led by the companies of young American engineers-turned-soldiers who would soon become known as the "Hellfire Boys." "Theo Emery brilliantly shows how World War I quickly spiraled into a chemists' war, one led by the companies of young American engineers-turned-soldiers who would soon become known as the 'Hellfire Boys.' As gas attacks began to mark the heaviest and most devastating battles, these brave and brilliant men were on the front lines, racing against the clock-and the Germans-to protect, develop, and unleash the latest weapons of mass destruction"-- Publisher