Some people think since Iwo Jima was a pure military target ( No Civilians) that we could have saved American lives by not making an amphibious landing but instead using unconventional methods like using poisons gas. IM not sure that would have worked with the Japanese soldiers being dug in caves so deep the poison wouldn’t penetrate. What do you think?
Gas is more effective in caves than open ground! what is your point?
I guess what my point is…Would it of been morally acceptable to hit an ALL MILITARY target with gas. I think with no civilians getting killed its acceptable. You would save lives with gas rather than to storm the beach.
I thought by then biological or chemicle warfare was banned?
In context and morally yes It doesnt appear Immoral to me, Either he dies or I do. You must appreciate that you know it is an all military target only retrospectively. The troops engaging on IWO Jima may not have known there were no civilians.
Bluff
Even if it was apurely military target, wouldnt it have opened up the excuse for the other side to retaliate in kind. Did the Japanese have the capability?
[quote="Firefly Did the Japanese have the capability?
[/quote]
Good point. I don’t think they did or I believe they would have used it
Umm… technical point here (perhaps our resident NBC guy (Fuchs?) can answer this one). The US wanted Iwo Jima as a base. This means they can’t use persistent agents - but an entire island out at sea will require huge amounts of gas delivered for a long time to kill all human life. Were US carrier aircraft capable of delivering this much gas (from memory it was out of range of land-based airpower) and did the US have sufficient stocks to do so?
And if they had and did (though B29’s could easily reach Iwo), did the Japanese have Gas masks?
Good point. I don’t think they did or I believe they would have used it[/quote]
Yes they had chemical weapons (though I don’t know if they had a lot of them around by then). In China in the 1930s they used chemical weapons against Chinese troops and civilians.
I have several accounts of soldiers who served with chemical units in China.
Jan
So if they had chemical wepoans they would probably have some form of chemical defence, for example Gas Masks?
Well gas masks do they realy protect man i have mask its very ugly bread with mask ,about 20 min ,you can hold after that i must leave it,and need me time to start normal bread.
This is where you are going wrong. If you take the bread out, you find it is much easier to BREATHE.
What kind of Brot are you using?
Sorry i think breath . :roll:
Thats ok, it made me laugh at least.
As a person who has worn a respirator for long long periods of time, especially back in the 80’s, yes they are uncomfortable, but you do get used to it.
Yes we must used to its only protection .
My post reagarding this matter was relating to the “Morality” of the action. I included the term context because I am unaware of the status quo regarding the location and supply chain at the time. However if i ran to a dug out and found alot of Japanese men with rifles sitting in it I would much rather fill their bunker iwth Gas than run in and try to clear the structure.
IIRC present thinking is Losses of 3-1 in FISH & CHIPS / MOUT / FIBUA. so why risk my men when I can use gas, to flush them out and engage them in open terrain? or hopefully have them run out and surrender as opposed to having a tunnel fighting delight!
This is where the good old flamethrower comes into play.
As an off thread aside, but connected to FF’s post above, my driving instr was a Crocodile driver.
He reckoned that after a couple of contacts they only had to use wet shots and the tgt veh’s hatches would fly open to the cries of “Kamerad !”
Now back to the topic…
Problem is though although it is may be an all-military target under the geneva convention you may not harm or kill wounded. It is a fair bet that the Japanese would have had a couple of hospitals on the island. Any gas attack would inevitably harm them as well. Though i would agree with gassing Iwo Jima to save Allied soldiers lives the moral issue comes unstuck with the issue of enemy wounded.