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Blue Cross (chemical warfare)

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A diagram of combined HE-chemical shell for 10.5 cm howitzers with Blue Cross agent

Blue Cross (Blaukreuz) is a World War I chemical warfare agent consisting of diphenylchloroarsine (DA, Clark I), diphenylcyanoarsine (CDA, Clark II), ethyldichloroarsine (Dick), and/or methyldichloroarsine (Methyldick). Clark I and Clark II were the main agents used.

Clark I was used with Green Cross munition earlier; however for the first time it was used as a standalone agent in the night from July 10 to July 11 1917 at Nieuwpoort, Belgium, during Operation Strandfest. The artillery munition contained a large amount of glass spheres closed with a cork and sealed with trinitrotoluene (TNT). Later N-ethylcarbazole was added. Depending on the caliber, the munition contained 7–120 kg (15–265 lb) of the agent.

Blue Cross is also a generic World War I German marking for artillery shells with chemical payload affecting the upper respiratory tract.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Chemical Weapons in World War I". www.cbwinfo.com. Archived from the original on 2010-09-19. Retrieved 2010-08-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)