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AEF Gasmasks & Respirators 1917 to 1919


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U.S. Kops-Tissot Gasmask

During the war, a New Yorker by the name of Waldemar Kops who manufactured corsets in civil life was posted to the gas defense laboratories located on Long Island. While there, his work led to an improvement in the design of the French Tissot Gasmask. Known as the Kops-Tissot Gasmask (KT), this respirator combined the protective efficiency of the RFK mask with the superior comfort of the Tissot mask. Notable improvements of the KT Gasmask were as follows:

  • The cut and shape of its rubberized fabric facepiece ensured that a gas tight seal was achieved regardless of the shape or contours of the wearer’s face.
  • An improved crimped eyepiece.
  • The same inhale and exhale assembly which did away with the angle joint found on previous U.S. made gasmasks.

Due to difficulties in production and the mask’s limited durability because of the face piece’s multi-part construction only 336,919 units were produced by December of 1918. It is not known if any of the KT Gasmasks ever made it overseas.

 

Photo No. 99: The new eyepieces, redesigned facepiece and the absence of the angle joint identify this respirator as a KT Gasmask. The inset shows an almost complete, albeit petrified KT Gasmask. Note the visible seams of the facepiece and that its rubber flutter valve has dried out and broken off.

 

Background photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

Inset courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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Photo No. 100: Left, profile and type ‘J’ filter canister of the KT Gasmask. Right, the KT Gasmask was carried in the regulation late war pattern gasmask satchel with extended side flaps.

 

Photos courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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U.S. Connell Gasmask

According to War Department General Orders No. 56 issued in 1922, Major Karl Connell of the U.S. Army Medical Department, while serving with the Chemical Warfare Service was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for personally inventing, testing, and perfecting a new type of gasmask during the first half of 1918.

 

The experimental respirator devised by Major Connell, and subsequently known as the Connell Gasmask, was comprised of a mask made from stamped brass that was padded with a sponge rubber seal. The whole was encased in a combination rubber and rubberized fabric facepiece that was secured to the head by means of an elastic head harness. The Connell Gasmask incorporated the Tissot mask’s principal of drawing the air across the eyepieces to prevent them from fogging. Unlike other U.S. made respirators, the filter canister of the Connell mask was positioned directly behind the user’s neck, not on the chest. Approximately 1,000 Connell Gasmasks were fabricated in Great Britain under Major Connells supervision and shipped to the U.S. for evaluation. Production was discontinued in July of 1918, because the comfort of the Connell mask’s design was not comparable to that of the AT and KT gasmasks which were designed in the U.S.

 

Photo No. 101: In this post war photograph, Brigadier General Amos A. Fries, who as a colonel commanded the AEF Gas Service, poses next to a cabinet displaying a variety of U.S. made offensive and defensive gas equipment. Note that a Connell Gasmask along with its larger filter canister and khaki canvas satchel have been placed on the table beside the general. The inset shows a rare surviving example of the Connell Gasmask.

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Photo No. 102: Close up of the Connell Gasmask, and the Connell in profile worn by a soldier whose service coat bears a Chemical Warfare Service collar disc. Note the unusual position of the oversized filter canister behind the head.

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Photo No. 103: Unlike other American manufactured gasmasks, the Connell mask was the only gasmask devised during WW I whose khaki canvas satchel was round in shape.

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U.S. Kops-Tissot-Monro Gasmask

In October 1918, what was arguably the best American gasmask of the war was developed. Comfortable, effective and durable, the Kops-Tissot-Monroe Gasmask (KTM) incorporated the best features of all of the previous gasmasks:

  • Like the CEM and RFK masks, the KTM Gasmask was carried in a khaki canvas satchel worn on the chest.
  • Like the Tissot mask, the incoming air of the KTM Gasmask was directed across the eyepieces to prevent them from fogging.
  • Like the AT mask, the rubber facepiece and hose of the KTM Gasmask were covered with an elastic “stokinette” material.
  • Like the KT mask, the KTM Gasmask featured improved eyepieces and a molded facepiece. However, the molded facepiece was now fabricated in one piece, eliminating the vulnerable seams of the KT mask’s facepiece.

In addition to being an amalgamation of previous gas mask models, the KTM Gasmask used a new filter canister which incorporated an added layer of felt. This made it effective against even the smallest toxic smoke particles. Between October and the time the Armistice was signed in November 1918, only 2,500 KTM Gasmasks had been produced. It is not known if any of the KTM Gasmasks made it overseas.

 

Photo No. 104: Right and left hand views of the KTM Gasmask. The mask and filter box were likely housed in the same late war gasmask satchel as the RFK, AT, and KTM gasmasks.

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“Victory” Gasmask

While the design of the KTM mask was underway, another gasmask also with a molded facepiece was being devised. However, the facepiece of this particular mask, also of a one-piece design, was of an entirely different shape. This gasmask was dubbed the “Victory Mask” as it was slated to go into full scale production, and be distributed Army wide in 1919. However, work on the Victory mask, along with all of its contracts were canceled due to the signing of the Armistice in November 1918.

 

Photo No. 105: Period and contemporary photographs of the 1919 Victory Mask.

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Photo No. 106: Left, the Victory Mask was carried in the same late war gasmask satchel with extended side flaps. A close up of the improved eyepiece, which was also used on the KT and KTM gasmasks is shown at upper right. Lower right, this particular Victory Gasmask features a filter canister that is blue in color, and also of a different shape. It is not known if this was an experimental filter canister or the regulation filter canister that was to be used on all Victory Gasmasks.

 

Photos courtesy of Advance Guard Militaria.com

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MK I Gasmask

The MK I Gasmask, adopted by the Army in the 1920s was a modified Victory Gasmask with a longer hose and a larger satchel that was designed to be worn on the side. This MK I was later modified into the MK1A1 and MK1A2 masks and served as the Army’s regulation gasmask until WW II.

 

Photo No. 107: The MK I Gasmask and its new carrier which was now worn on the left side.

 

Photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

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U.S. Navy MK I Canister Gasmask

In the advent that chemical warfare took to the high seas during the Great War, the U.S. Navy, like the Army had to scramble to come up with a gasmask that provided a reliable defense against poisonous gasses on board a seagoing vessel. The U.S. Navy’s first respirator, the MK I “Mouth Canister” Gasmask was developed by the Bureau of Mines in late 1917 or early in 1918. This gasmask was also sometimes referred to as the “Navy Snout Type Mask. It was a hybrid gasmask which incorporated the best elements from the best European manufactured respirators that were made available to the American design team. With effectiveness, comfort and mobility in mind, the technicians borrowed the following features from foreign made respirators to create the MK I Gasmask:

  • A rubberized fabric facepiece similar to that of the German 1915 Gummischutzmaske.
  • A nose clip and mouthpiece similar to those on the British 1917 Small Box Respirator and the American CEM.
  • A replaceable filter canister and check valve similar to the one on the French 1917 Appareil Respiratoire Spécial.
  • A wide rubber flapper type exhale valve, which protruded from the filter’s inlet stem similar to those on all British and American pattern SBRs.
  • An unusual wire frame not found on any other respirator, which allowed the user to adjust the position of the eyepieces to maximize visibility.
  • A metal can with cover similar to the containers that housed the German Gummischutzmaske.

Photo No. 108: A sailor circa 1918 wearing a foul weather parka and the U.S. Navy MK I “Mouth Canister” Gasmask. The inset shows a front view of the Navy MK I Gasmask.

 

Background photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

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Photo No. 109: In these views of a hardened MK I Gasmask, the nose clip and its rubber pad is visible through the eyepiece on the left, as is the rubber snorkel like mouthpiece on the right. Also of interest is the fact that the eyepieces were partially secured to the facepiece by twine, and the location of the now missing flapper valve.

 

Photos courtesy of the Dan-Retro from the forums collection

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Photo No. 110: Profile of the Navy Snout Mask showing the location of the stump of the broken flapper valve, followed by two shots of the replaceable filter canister.

 

Photos courtesy of the Dan-Retro from the forums collection

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Photo No. 111: The olive green painted metal canister in which the MK I Gasmask was housed. Note the anchor and the initials ‘US’ and ‘WP’ stenciled onto the center of the carrier’s lid.

 

Photos courtesy of the Dan-Retro from the forums collection

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U.S. Navy Head Gasmask

(Experimental)

Photo No. 112: An experimental Navy gasmask that was never adopted in which the filter canister was located behind the head.

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U.S. Navy MK II Head Gasmask

With the advent of new gasmask technology late in 1918, the powers that be at the U.S, Navy had determined that it was time to improve the design of MK I Mouth Gasmask. Apparently a mask was needed that would not get caught on the miles of plumbing, piping, fittings and other protuberances that easily snagged or ripped errant clothing and slings while negotiating the narrow passageways and cramped hatches aboard a modern Navy vessel. After much experimenting as to where to locate the filter canister, it was decided to place the canister on top of the head. Mounting the filter in that location effectively eliminated the need for a satchel, sling, body cord, and the hose which connected the facepiece to the filter canister. The new respirator which was christened the MK II “Head” Gasmask featured:

  • A tight fitting rubberized facepiece with two eyepieces attached to an aluminum head frame on which the filter canister rested.
  • The twin deflector valves of the Tissot mask, which allowed air to be project over the glass lenses before being inhaled.

Upon inhaling, air was drawn into the filter through the inlet valve located on the base of the filter canister, across the filtration agents, down the twin rubber tubes connected to the Y-shaped deflector valve, and then into the mask. From there it passed over the eyepieces before entering the lungs. Exhaled air was directed out through an external flapper valve mounted above the nose. Despite its clumsy appearance, the MK II Gasmask was said to be relatively well balanced. However, sailors ducking through hatches and under overhead fittings had to learn to duck lower than normal in order to clear overhead obstacles and to avoid a sore head and stiff neck.

No carrier was needed for the MK II Gasmask as the rubberized facepiece was simply tucked into the aluminum head frame before being placed into storage. Unlike the Army, Navy gasmasks were not issued to individual sailors. They were instead part of the ship’s stores to be used by the crew as needed. As such they were stored in marked lockers at appropriate locations throughout the ship.

 

Photo No. 113: Gasmask drill on deck using the new MK II Gasmask, one of which is shown in the inset.

 

Inset courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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Photo No. 114: A colorized period photo of the “Head Gasmask” compared to a surviving example missing its Y-shaped deflector valve and rubber flapper valve.

 

Gasmask photo courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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Photo No. 115: Right and left profile views of the Navy MK II Gasmask.

 

Photos courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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Photo No. 116: Front and back view, and another period colorized photo of the MK II Gasmask.

 

Gasmask photos courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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Photo No. 117: To filter out microscopic smoke particles, a pair of particulate filters could be mounted on each side of the MK II’s filter box. There was also another special filter, similar in design which was capable of filtering carbon monoxide. The upper photos from a period publication show the particulate filters in use. The lower photo is of the interior of a MK II Gasmask.

 

Gasmask photo courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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Photo No. 118: In 1921 the U.S. Navy also adopted the Army MK I gasmask to replace both the MK I “Mouth Canister” and the MK II “Head Canister” Gasmasks. The Army’s MK I Gasmask is worn here by a Navy gun crew.

 

Photo courtesy of the Rusty Canteen collection

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Photo No. 119: Although the following specialized gasmasks fall outside the scope of this topic, I’ve included them because they were only produced in limited quantities during the 1920s and 1930s, and may be of interest to forum members.

On the right is the MK I Submarine Mask. Given its title, it was likely designed for use onboard a submarine. The photo was published in a 1927 Ship and Gunnery book. At left is a close up of the MK II Submarine Mask, which was also published in the Ship and Gunnery book. It is not known whether or not if either the MK I or MK II Submarine Masks were ever issued.

 

Photos courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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Photo No. 120: Front and profile views, also from the 1927 publication, of the MK II Submarine Mask.

 

Photos courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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Photo No. 121: This photo from a book titled The Gasmask, published by the U.S. Army in 1940 shows a wide variety of experimental and regulation gasmasks including what looks to be a MK II Submarine Mask at the lower right.

 

Photo courtesy of the Dan-Retro on the forums collection

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Postscript

 

Because the War Department was convinced that the war would not end until 1919, when the Armistice was signed in November of 1918, the U.S. Army literally had millions of gasmasks on hand. Therefore when the AEF was demobilized the following year, each Doughboy that had served overseas was entitled to take a new gasmask as a souvenir when he mustered out of the Army. This is why so many WW I Doughboy groups include a gasmask

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Congratulations, you’ve made it to the end of another monumentally long post. Thanks for looking … World War I nerd

Don’t forget to add your photos and comments.

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