United States Army in World War II: The Technical Services
The Chemical Warfare Service: Organizing for War
by Leo P. Brophy and George J. B. Fisher
Center Of Military History
United States Army
Washington, D.C.
1959
. . . to Those Who Served
Table of Contents
Part One: Administrative Development
Chapter 1: Origins of the Chemical Warfare Service
Gas Warfare Organization, American Expeditionary Forces—Centralizing Chemical Warfare Activities—The Chemical Warfare Service, National Army
Chapter 2: The Years Between the Wars
The Issue of Gas Warfare—The War Department and Gas Warfare—Carrying Out the Peacetime Mission: 1920–39—Relations With Other Elements of Armed Forces—Industrial Mobilization Gets Under Way—Research and Development: A Change in Outlook—Limited Emphasis on Chemical Warfare Service Training—Organizational Developments: 1940–41—Development of the Chemical Warfare Service Mission in the—Emergency Period
Chapter 3: Crystallizing the Wartime Mission
The Study of January 1942—The Concern of Mr. McCloy—The Porter Proposals—The Gas Mission Defined
Chapter 4: The United States Chemical Warfare Committee
Mission and Functions of the Committee—Activities and Accomplishments—The Question of Initiating Gas Warfare—Summary
Chapter 5: The Chief’s Office During World War II
Early Wartime Organization—Developments, May 1943–October 1945
Chapter 6: Field Organization of the Chemical Warfare Service
The Procurement Districts—The Chemical Warfare Center—The Arsenals—The Depots—Training Installations and Facilities—Research and Development Facilities—Testing Facilities—Biological Warfare Installations
Chapter 7: Personnel Management
Procurement and Assignment of Officers—Procurement and Utilization of Enlisted Personnel—Negro Military Personnel—Women’s Army Corps Personnel in the Chemical Warfare Service—The Expanding Civilian Rolls—Administration From Washington—Installation Management of Civilian Personnel—Training Civilian Workers—Utilization of Employees—Guarding the Worker’s Life and Health
Part Two: Military Training
Chapter 8: Military Training Responsibilities of the Chemical Warfare Service
Prewar Training of Chemical Warfare Service Personnel—Training of Other Branches—Chemical Warfare School—Training Situation in 1939
Chapter 9: Partial Mobilization: 1939–41
Chemical Troops in the Emergency Period—The Question of Combat Functions—Chemical Service Units—Activation of Ground Service Units—Plans for Air Service Units—Replacement Training at Edgewood Arsenal—Replacement Training Programs—Conduct of Replacement Training—Gas Defense Training: 1939–1941—Chemical Warfare Training of Ground Forces—Army Air Forces Training—School Training—Instruction of Reserve Officers
Chapter 10: The Civilian Defense Mission
CWS Prewar Interest in Civilian Defense—Preparation of Instructional Material—School Training at Edgewood Arsenal—War Department Civilian Protection Schools—Miscellaneous Activities—Supervision of War Department Civilian Protection Schools
Chapter 11: Official Publications
Volume of Wartime Publications—Setting Up the Publications Program—The Pattern of Military Publications—The Preparation of Manuals—Speeding Up the Program
Chapter 12: Replacement Training
The Upswing in RTC Requirements—RTC Curriculum—Training Procedures—Officer Pools—Supervisory Control—Movement of Trainees—Curtailment of the Program
Chapter 13: Training of Chemical Units
The Building of Military Organizations—CWS Participation in Unit Training—Unit Training at Camp Sibert—Chemical Service Unit Training in Retrospect
Chapter 14: The Chemical Warfare School
Administration—Training of CWS Personnel—Training of Other Arms and Services—Academic Procedures—Western Chemical Warfare School—Other Schools—Accomplishment of School Training
Chapter 15: Officer Candidates
OCS Role in Officer Procurement—Capacity Targets—Facilities—Selection of Candidates—Staff and Faculty—Training Program—The Problem of Failures
Chapter 16: Chemical Warfare Training of the Army
Antigas Training of Air and Ground Units—Changes in War Department Policy—Revival of Antigas Training—Service-Wide Inspection—Shortcomings in Antigas Training—Flame, Smoke, and Incendiaries
Appendices
Appendix B: Chemical Warfare Service Personnel Strength, Overseas, 30 April 1942–31 December 1945
Appendix D: Office of the Chief, CWS Officer Personnel Strength, August 1939–December 1945
Appendix E: Key Personnel Office of Chief, Chemical Warfare Service
Appendix F: Chemical Warfare School, Detailed Program, Replacement Center Officer’s Course
Appendix G: Hq. Sixth Corps Area, Training Memorandum No. 13, 4 December 1940
Appendix H: Chemical Warfare Service, Unit Data, World War II
Appendix I: War Department Chemical Warfare Training Directive, 15 June 1942
Tables
1. Congressional Appropriations for CWS, 1922–46
2. Military Strength of the CWS, 1918–46
3. Chemical Warfare Service Civilian Personnel Strength, November 1918–December 1945
4. 1942 Proposed Modification in CWS Troop Basis
5. CWS Troop Basis, as of 13 August 1942
6. Actual Strength of Civilian Employees (Filled Positions), 31 December 1944
7. Peak Civilian Personnel Figures at Principal CWS Installations During World War II
8. Chemical Warfare School Courses, School Year 1937–38
9. Chemical Warfare Service Units Active During World War II (As of dates indicated)
DD. Shipment of RTC Trainees, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland
ix. Wartime Training of CWS Service Units
12. Provisional Organization, CWS UTC, February 1943
13. Enlisted Specialists in Each Chemical Service Type Company, World War II
14. Enlisted Specialist Schooling Utilized in CWS Unit Training
15. Graduates of the Chemical Warfare School, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland
16. Hours of Scheduled Instructions, CWS OCS
Charts
1. Organization, Office, Chief of Chemical Warfare Service, Washington, D.C., as of 6 July 1940
2. Organization of the Chemical Warfare Service, as of August 1940
3. Organization, Office, Chief of Chemical Warfare Service, as of 2 September 1941
4. Organization of the Army Service Forces, as of 30 June 1943
5. Office, Chief of Chemical Warfare Service, as of 26 August 1943
6. Chicago Procurement District, Chemical Warfare Service, as of 15 August 1944
7. Chemical Warfare Center, as of 10 May 1942
8. Schematic Diagram, Chemical Warfare Supply, as of 6 December 1944
9. Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland: Eastern Chemical Warfare Depot, as of 20 April 1945
10. Distribution of CWS Military Personnel, as of 30 June 1944
11. Chemical Warfare Service Officer Strength and OCS Graduations: May 1940–July 1945
Map
1. Chemical Warfare Service Field Installations, World War II
Illustrations
Maj. Gen. William N. Porter—Stokes Trench Mortar—Maj. Gen. William L. Sibert—Chemical Plants, Edgewood Arsenal—Chemical Warfare Service Chiefs—4.2-Inch Chemical Mortar—CWS Equipment—1-Ton Chemical Containers—HC M1 Smoke Pots in Use—Laying Smoke Screen—Brig. Gen. Rollo C. Ditto—Brig. Gen. Alden H. Waitt—Brig. Gen. Ray L. Avery—Brig. Gen. Haig Shekerjian—Brig. Gen. E. F. Bullene—Maj. Gen. Dwight F. Davis—Women at Pine Bluff Arsenal—Basic Training—Gas Training for Officers—Troops of 3rd Chemical Mortar Battalion—White Phosphorus From 4.2-Inch Mortars—RTC Classroom Training—Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia—Gas Defense Training for Civilians—Demonstration in Decontamination Procedures—Chemical Warfare Troops Undergoing Training—Army Maneuvers, Louisiana, 1942—Flame Thrower Demonstration—Unit Training at Camp Sibert—Women Leaving CWS Gas Chamber—M9 Chemical Detector Kit—Medium Tank Equipped With Flame Thrower
Illustrations are from Department of Defense files.