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

Foreword

Preface

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 A: Total Chemical Warfare Service Military Personnel Strength, 31 December 1941–31 December 1945

Appendix B: Chemical Warfare Service Personnel Strength, Overseas, 30 April 1942–31 December 1945

Appendix C: Chemical Warfare Service Negro Personnel Strength, Worldwide, 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

Bibliographical Note

Glossary

Index

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.