1st Gas Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 1st Gas Regiment was the first established offensive chemical warfare
unit in the United States Army
. Beginning as the 30th Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame) in 1917, the regiment has been re-designated several times, most recently to the 2nd Chemical Battalion. The regiment traces its origins to General Order 108 from the United States War Department, dated 15 August 1917.
(AEF) decided to establish a Gas Service, part of which would be an offensive gas regiment. Born out of this decision was War Department General Order 108, dated 15 August 1917, which authorized and established the offensive gas regiments, the first of which was designated the 30th Engineer Regiment. Shortly thereafter, General Order 31 from the General Headquarters of the AEF officially activated the Gas Service Section with Colonel Amos Fries
in command.
The 30th Engineer Regiment was activated on 15 August 1917 at Camp American University
, Washington, D.C.
On 30 August 1917 Captain Earl J. Atkisson
was assigned the task of raising and training the fledgling gas regiment. Atkisson then set out acquiring officers, enlisted men, equipment and information. Beginning on 19 October 1917, the influx of enlisted personnel into the regiment was "near continuous". The regiment's first enlisted man was an F.C. Devlin. Devlin applied for enlistment in Pittsburgh, enlisted at Washington Barracks and reported for duty at Camp American University on 19 October.
Before deploying to France in 1917 many of the soldiers in the 30th Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame) spent their time stateside in training that did not emphasize any chemical warfare
skills. Much of the training stateside for the members of the army's only chemical unit focused on drill, marching, guard duty, and inspections. Despite the conventional training, the public perceived the 30th as dealing mainly with "poisonous gas and hell fire". By the time those in the 30th Engineers arrived in France most of them knew nothing of chemical warfare and had no specialized equipment. Once in Europe troops with the 30th spent weeks digging trenches before finally receiving instruction in chemical warfare skills, including firing smoke and gas and gas mask skills.
A few companies from the 1st Gas Regiment participated in combat during the 1918 Battle of Saint-Mihiel
, but even then only fired smoke. Thus, even at the outset of the late-1918 Meuse-Argonne Offensive none of the army's chemical soldiers had actually fired chemical weapons in combat.
Following World War I, the 1st Gas Regiment was deactivated, reactivated and re-designated several times. The 1st Gas Regiment was demobilized on 28 February 1919 at Camp Kendrick in New Jersey. Less than one year later, on 24 February 1920 the regiment was reconstituted at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. Nine years later, on February 5, 1929 the unit was once again re-designated, this time as the 1st Chemical Regiment. The 1st Chemical was deactivated in 1935, once again at Edgewood, and finally disbanded on 12 March 1942.
During the same time period the 1st Chemical was deactivated at Edgewood, the 2nd Separate Chemical Battalion was constituted at that location; it included B and C companies as well as a medical detachment. Those companies were officially activated at Fort Bragg
, North Carolina on 1 April 1942. On 7 September 1943 the unit was re-designated as the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, Motorized and then, in late 1944, as the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion. The unit was inactivated in July 1946 while in Germany.
As the 1950s dawned with battle on the Korean Peninsula, the unit once known as the 1st Gas Regiment was reactivated and consolidated with the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, a designation which the regiment took on with the consolidation. In 1953 the unit became the 2nd Chemical Weapons Battalion.
The 2nd Chemical Weapons Battalion was disbanded in 1955 at Dugway Proving Ground
in Utah. In 1958 the unit was once again reactivated, this time as the 2nd Chemical Battalion, three companies (A, B, and C) were disbanded about three years later and the headquarters detachment was inactivated on 19 December 1973 at Fort McClellan
near Anniston
, Alabama. On 1 September 1981 the 2nd Chemical Battalion was activated at Fort Hood.
, Lys and Lorraine
in 1918. Once reconstituted as the 1st Gas Regiment the unit was awarded additional battle streamers for combat participation at Aisne
-Marne
, St. Mihiel
, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
.
, the regiment was awarded the Army Presidential Unit Citation, and a Navy Presidential Unit Citation for Wonju-Hwachon. The unit received the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation for participation in Southwest Asia. Two other unit awards were bestowed for action in Korea, a Navy Unit Commendation
for action at Panmunjom and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for the defense of Korea
.
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
unit in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Beginning as the 30th Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame) in 1917, the regiment has been re-designated several times, most recently to the 2nd Chemical Battalion. The regiment traces its origins to General Order 108 from the United States War Department, dated 15 August 1917.
30th Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame)
The general staff of the American Expeditionary ForceAmerican Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
(AEF) decided to establish a Gas Service, part of which would be an offensive gas regiment. Born out of this decision was War Department General Order 108, dated 15 August 1917, which authorized and established the offensive gas regiments, the first of which was designated the 30th Engineer Regiment. Shortly thereafter, General Order 31 from the General Headquarters of the AEF officially activated the Gas Service Section with Colonel Amos Fries
Amos Fries
Amos Alfred Fries was a general in the United States Army and 1898 graduate of the United States Military Academy. Fries was the second chief of the army's Chemical Warfare Service, established during World War I. Fries served under John J. Pershing in the Philippines and oversaw the...
in command.
The 30th Engineer Regiment was activated on 15 August 1917 at Camp American University
Camp American University
Camp American University was the name the U.S. military used for the segment of the Washington, DC main campus of American University during World War I and World War II....
, Washington, D.C.
On 30 August 1917 Captain Earl J. Atkisson
Earl J. Atkisson
Earl James Atkisson was Colonel of the United States Army's 1st Gas Regiment in World War I.-Early career:...
was assigned the task of raising and training the fledgling gas regiment. Atkisson then set out acquiring officers, enlisted men, equipment and information. Beginning on 19 October 1917, the influx of enlisted personnel into the regiment was "near continuous". The regiment's first enlisted man was an F.C. Devlin. Devlin applied for enlistment in Pittsburgh, enlisted at Washington Barracks and reported for duty at Camp American University on 19 October.
Before deploying to France in 1917 many of the soldiers in the 30th Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame) spent their time stateside in training that did not emphasize any chemical warfare
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
skills. Much of the training stateside for the members of the army's only chemical unit focused on drill, marching, guard duty, and inspections. Despite the conventional training, the public perceived the 30th as dealing mainly with "poisonous gas and hell fire". By the time those in the 30th Engineers arrived in France most of them knew nothing of chemical warfare and had no specialized equipment. Once in Europe troops with the 30th spent weeks digging trenches before finally receiving instruction in chemical warfare skills, including firing smoke and gas and gas mask skills.
A few companies from the 1st Gas Regiment participated in combat during the 1918 Battle of Saint-Mihiel
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
, but even then only fired smoke. Thus, even at the outset of the late-1918 Meuse-Argonne Offensive none of the army's chemical soldiers had actually fired chemical weapons in combat.
1st Gas Regiment
About two weeks after the United States Army Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) was created, on 13 July 1918, the 30th Engineers was re-designated as the 1st Gas Regiment. The regiment was the first complete fighting unit of the new CWS and was entirely self-contained, including manufacturing and research facilities.Following World War I, the 1st Gas Regiment was deactivated, reactivated and re-designated several times. The 1st Gas Regiment was demobilized on 28 February 1919 at Camp Kendrick in New Jersey. Less than one year later, on 24 February 1920 the regiment was reconstituted at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. Nine years later, on February 5, 1929 the unit was once again re-designated, this time as the 1st Chemical Regiment. The 1st Chemical was deactivated in 1935, once again at Edgewood, and finally disbanded on 12 March 1942.
During the same time period the 1st Chemical was deactivated at Edgewood, the 2nd Separate Chemical Battalion was constituted at that location; it included B and C companies as well as a medical detachment. Those companies were officially activated at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina on 1 April 1942. On 7 September 1943 the unit was re-designated as the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, Motorized and then, in late 1944, as the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion. The unit was inactivated in July 1946 while in Germany.
As the 1950s dawned with battle on the Korean Peninsula, the unit once known as the 1st Gas Regiment was reactivated and consolidated with the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, a designation which the regiment took on with the consolidation. In 1953 the unit became the 2nd Chemical Weapons Battalion.
The 2nd Chemical Weapons Battalion was disbanded in 1955 at Dugway Proving Ground
Dugway Proving Ground
Dugway Proving Ground is a US Army facility located approximately 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah in southern Tooele County and just north of Juab County...
in Utah. In 1958 the unit was once again reactivated, this time as the 2nd Chemical Battalion, three companies (A, B, and C) were disbanded about three years later and the headquarters detachment was inactivated on 19 December 1973 at Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan, originally Camp McClellan, was a United States Army post located adjacent to the city of Anniston, Alabama. During World War II, it was one of the largest U.S. Army installations, training an estimated half-million troops...
near Anniston
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
, Alabama. On 1 September 1981 the 2nd Chemical Battalion was activated at Fort Hood.
Campaign participation
During World War I, as the 30th Engineer Regiment, the unit participated in campaigns at FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, Lys and Lorraine
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
in 1918. Once reconstituted as the 1st Gas Regiment the unit was awarded additional battle streamers for combat participation at Aisne
Third Battle of the Aisne
The Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...
-Marne
Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by France overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties...
, St. Mihiel
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
.
Unit commendations
Through its cycle of activations, deactivations and reactivations and re-designations several manifestations of the original 1st Gas Regiment have been awarded five different unit commendations or citations. For action in Korea, at KumhwaBattle of White Horse
The Battle of White Horse , was another in a series of bloody battles for dominant hilltop positions during the Korean War. Baengma-goji was a hill in the Iron Triangle, formed by Pyonggang at its peak and Kumhwa and Chorwon at its base, was a strategic transportation route in the central region...
, the regiment was awarded the Army Presidential Unit Citation, and a Navy Presidential Unit Citation for Wonju-Hwachon. The unit received the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation for participation in Southwest Asia. Two other unit awards were bestowed for action in Korea, a Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
for action at Panmunjom and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for the defense of Korea
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Traditions
Early on the 30th Engineer Regiment became known as the "Hell Fire Battalion", and its soldiers as the "Hell Fire Boys". A 15 November 1917 story in the Baltimore Evening Star stated:
If His Satanic Majesty happened to drop around at the American University training camp to-day, he would see the "Hell Fire Battalion" at work and might blush with envy. On the War Department records the battalion is known as the "Gas and Flame Battalion of the Thirtieth Regiment Engineers." Throughout the Army they are known as the "Hell Fire Boys".