A Higher Form of Killing.

[GtoRA2]

I just picked this book up a few days ago. it is by Robert Harris and Jeremy Paxman.

An interesting history of Chemical and biological warfare.

I am about 1/5 through it, but I already ran into some things I did not know.


I had no idea how much gas was used in WW1. I thought it was uncommon, from what the book said, it was very common, like by mid to late war one if arty shells was gas?


I had no idea the Japanese used gas on the Chinese in WW2.

They make the claim that the Brits used Gas on afgan rebels, in the 20s, but all records were destroyed.... so there is not proof.

I did not know that Italy used it in africa in Abyssinia in the 30s as well.

Interesting stuff, has anyone else read it?

[cpxxx]

They got very sophisticated towards the end of WW1. All the basics of modern warfare were in place by the end.  Close air support, strategic bombing, tanks etc. They still dig up unexploded gas shells in the fields of Flanders every ploughing season.

[Chortle]

I read somewhere that Churchill was keen to use gas in Iraq between the wars, he is quoted as saying he couldn't understand why people were so squeamish about it.

[GtoRA2]

GScholz
 Yeah by the end they had arty shells. The first attacks were with big tanks they opened and had to have favorable wind.

Then the Brits came up with primitive one shot mortor like things called livens projectors, it hurled a big watermelon sized case that had TNT and gas in it, it hit the ground the TNT detonated and it released the gas.

Intgeresting book so far.

[lasersailor184]

Yeah, the japanese did some pretty nasty **** to the chinese.

Makes what hitler did to the jews look like child's play.

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by lasersailor184
Yeah, the japanese did some pretty nasty **** to the chinese.

Makes what hitler did to the jews look like child's play.

Yep.  

Karaya

[Furball]

I'm just glad that they weren't used in wwii.  Even when Germany was desperate..

[storch]

Even without the use of bio/chem weapons the Japanese committed many atrocities and not just on the Chinese.  The most shocking example was the rape of Nanking in 1937. http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/ChinaHistory/rape.html

Caution: there are some disturbing images.

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by GScholz
Not quite.

You obvisously are not as well-read as one would think.   The Japanese WERE in fact, worse when it came to POW's, Prisoners, Vivisections (live dissections), Beheading prisoners on Chi-Chi Jima so the Comanding Major on the island could eat the "fresh livers".   I could go on, but what is the point with you GSholz?  Read more

Karaya

[straffo]

Originally posted by Masherbrum
You obvisously are not as well-read as one would think.   The Japanese WERE in fact, worse when it came to POW's, Prisoners, Vivisections (live dissections), Beheading prisoners on Chi-Chi Jima so the Comanding Major on the island could eat the "fresh livers".   I could go on, but what is the point with you GSholz?  Read more

Karaya

He did react to this sentence :

Originally posted by lasersailor184
Yeah, the japanese did some pretty nasty **** to the chinese.

Makes what hitler did to the jews look like child's play.

Do you really think what Hitler has done is : child's play. ?
I do not.

[GtoRA2]

I got a agree it was far from childs play.

It would be interesting to know what country killed the most civilians? Germany? Japan? Russia?

Does the US and england it in with our Day and night bombing.