Video: Gas tanks - the purpose of the Wehrmacht metal cylinders
2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55
Anyone who has watched old films about the war or seen documentary photographs must have paid attention to the fact that the German soldiers have a mysterious corrugated metal cylinder hanging on their belt or on a belt over their shoulder. It's time to figure out what it was needed for and how it was used by the Wehrmacht soldiers.
The mysterious cylinder in the outfit of German soldiers is just a so-called "gas tank" - a container for storing a gas mask. It was usually worn on a separate belt, which was thrown over the shoulder of a soldier or hung on a belt. With the help of a small strap, a small leather bag was also attached to each gas tank, in which an anti-pressure cape was kept - a raincoat-tent, which, sitting in a trench, a German soldier had to put on his head and shoulders immediately after putting on a gas mask. At that time, the cape was supposed to perform the same functions that a chemical protection kit does today.
At the time of 1941, the Wehrmacht was armed with three models of gas masks. Later specimens were well rubberized and had a much higher level of quality. As today, gas masks were produced for several head sizes. In addition to a protective mask with a filter, several other interesting things were stored in the gas tank.
So, on the lid that was hinged to the side, there was a small metal pocket that snapped onto a spring. It contained the fighter's personal card and accompanying documents for the gas mask. They, in particular, were branded with a device test for operability. In theory, gas masks should have been checked in the German army at least once a year.
Under the gas mask in the tank was a bottle and a box with two products for neutralizing chemicals that got on exposed skin. Both containers contained the same product with the only difference that there was powder in the box, and liquid in the bottle. Also under the gas mask was a metal gasket, under which a special disposable towel (in fact, an ordinary piece of cloth) was placed to wipe the gas mask after the gas attack. There were several spare glass lenses for the mask underneath the paper-wrapped towel.
Gazbaki were developed after the sad experience of the First World War. Nevertheless, despite all the horrors of World War II, the countries (with the exception of a few cases) never reached the point of using chemical weapons, and therefore the gas mask bags were mostly useless.
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