Gas Warfare at Belleau Wood, June 1918: Cbrnpro. Net Edition (Gas Warfare in World war i) (en Inglés)
Reseña del libro "Gas Warfare at Belleau Wood, June 1918: Cbrnpro. Net Edition (Gas Warfare in World war i) (en Inglés)"
JUST IN TIME FOR THE CENTENNIAL! Belleau Wood echoes through the history of the U.S. Marine Corps and the United States military. It was one of the first major battles fought by American forces in World War I, and a critical part of the Aisne Marne defensive. Many legends emerged from the battle, including two time Medal of Honor recipient Dan Daly’s famous charge and the (supposed) origin of the phrase "Devil Dogs" among a host of other myths and stories about the battle. These stories are recited from Parris Island to Okinawa and remain an important part of Marine Corps identity. Yet, many of these stories are more legend than history. The true history has a darker side, from mistakes on the battlefield that cost the lives of many, to the origins of Marine Corps and Army inter-service rivalry that created many problems in the Pacific during World War II. Few historians have written on Belleau Wood, even fewer on the role of chemical warfare in the battle. This book looks at Belleau Wood and aspects of the larger campaign in and around Chateau-Thierry as part of the Aisne-Marne campaign in 1918, focusing on the 2nd Division of the AEF, of which the Marines were one brigade. In particular, this account looks at the role of chemical warfare, a feature that defined the battle. This book was originally written in draft form during the 1950s and is updated and offered in book form with additional material for the first time. The historian Rexmond C. Cochrane, co-author of the official history of the Chemical Warfare Service in World War II, wrote 20 draft historical studies for the US Army Chemical Corps Historical Office at the Army Chemical Center, Edgewood, Maryland in the 1950s. These were never completed or published other than in their draft form. In the 2000s, the US Army Combined Arms Research Library (CARL) Digital Library at Fort Leavenworth began digitizing its collection of historical documents. Among those were Cochrane's draft studies, which are available (for free) via the CARL website and at several other places on the internet. These documents remain in delightfully low tech draft form – typewritten pages, with the occasional typo or punctuation error, idiosyncratic footnotes, all featuring penciled notes and/or corrections, hand-drawn diagrams and maps, encapsulated in unsearchable PDF files of varied quality. This new collection of Cochrane’s work attempts to bring it to a wider audience, in a more accessible format. Cochrane’s work is published for the first time in true book format by CBRNPro.net, a website devoted to the exploration of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons history, professional practice, and knowledge. This is a significant “update” of Cochrane’s work, offering better maps, pictures, references, bibliographies, and an assortment of other additions to aid the reader who may be unfamiliar with some of the military minutiae Cochrane explores. This collection is newly annotated, offering additional insight and guidance reflecting the current state of scholarship, updating that of Cochrane’s day. The annotations are extensive and provide significant insight and references for those unfamiliar with the topics Cochrane addresses. As such, this is a "new" old work, containing both public domain and original, new material. It belongs on the bookshelf of every historian and student of World War I and for those engaged in professions related to chemical warfare, CBRN weapons, national security, and defense. The book is supported by material available on CBRNPro.net, including links and a copy of this book's extensive "Further Reading" annotated bibliography supplemented with additional, up to date material.
