8.1 A Brief History of Weapons
745
The first and most significant reason for actual rejection by armies of all states
from using chemical weapons is the dependence of these weapons from weather
conditions, which is not a characteristic of any other types of weapons.
Let us consider this issue in detail.
First of all, AC depends on the character of movement of air masses. Here, two
components are distinguished: horizontal and vertical.
Horizontal air movement (or wind, simply put) is characterized by its velocity
and direction.
If the wind is too strong, it quickly disperses the CA, reduces its concentration to
safe levels and prematurely takes it away from the target region.
If the wind is too weak, it causes the CA cloud to stagnate in place without
the possibility to cover the required areas; if the agent is non-persistent, it loses its
destructive properties.
Therefore, the commander who decides to use a chemical weapon in a battle is
bound to wait for the required wind velocity. The enemy, though, is not going to
wait. It is nearly impossible to predict the wind direction at a required moment and
its behavior. In addition to the fact that the wind can sharply change its direction
within a very wide range even to strictly opposite, it can also have various directions
at once within the same area (several hundreds of square meters). Moreover, relief,
various buildings, and structures also have a significant effect on the direction of the
wind. We come across this phenomenon even in the city, when the wind on a windy
day strikes us in the face, then hits the side behind the corner, and pushes us in the
back at the end of the street. All this is very familiar to yachtsmen, whose art of
riding boats is based on the ability to notice changes in the direction and force of the
wind and respond to it properly. We should add here that the wind direction can vary
significantly within the same location; for example, the wind can have one direction
on top of a hill and a different one at its foot.
It all means that after releasing several hundreds of tons of gas from vessels or
attacking a part of an area with chemical projectiles, no one will be able to say
confidently where and at what rate the CA cloud will move and whom it will affect.
The commander has to know precisely what damages can be caused to the enemy, as
well as where and when they can be caused. There will be no use from poisoning an
entire regiment or even a division of enemy forces in an area where our troops cannot
advance due to some reasons or even use the results of the chemical attack at all. No
commander would agree to adjust his plans to the possible time and place of effect
of a gas cloud. Dozens of thousands of soldiers, hundreds of tanks, and thousands of
weapons cannot run along and across the front following the AC cloud or running
away from it.
So far, we have considered only the horizontal component of movement of air
masses (and, accordingly, CA). There is also the vertical component.
Three types of vertical air movements are identified: convection, inversion, and
isothermy.
Convection occurs when the ground is warmer than the air. The air is heated near
the ground and moves up. This is very bad for CA, since the CA cloud quickly flies
745
The first and most significant reason for actual rejection by armies of all states
from using chemical weapons is the dependence of these weapons from weather
conditions, which is not a characteristic of any other types of weapons.
Let us consider this issue in detail.
First of all, AC depends on the character of movement of air masses. Here, two
components are distinguished: horizontal and vertical.
Horizontal air movement (or wind, simply put) is characterized by its velocity
and direction.
If the wind is too strong, it quickly disperses the CA, reduces its concentration to
safe levels and prematurely takes it away from the target region.
If the wind is too weak, it causes the CA cloud to stagnate in place without
the possibility to cover the required areas; if the agent is non-persistent, it loses its
destructive properties.
Therefore, the commander who decides to use a chemical weapon in a battle is
bound to wait for the required wind velocity. The enemy, though, is not going to
wait. It is nearly impossible to predict the wind direction at a required moment and
its behavior. In addition to the fact that the wind can sharply change its direction
within a very wide range even to strictly opposite, it can also have various directions
at once within the same area (several hundreds of square meters). Moreover, relief,
various buildings, and structures also have a significant effect on the direction of the
wind. We come across this phenomenon even in the city, when the wind on a windy
day strikes us in the face, then hits the side behind the corner, and pushes us in the
back at the end of the street. All this is very familiar to yachtsmen, whose art of
riding boats is based on the ability to notice changes in the direction and force of the
wind and respond to it properly. We should add here that the wind direction can vary
significantly within the same location; for example, the wind can have one direction
on top of a hill and a different one at its foot.
It all means that after releasing several hundreds of tons of gas from vessels or
attacking a part of an area with chemical projectiles, no one will be able to say
confidently where and at what rate the CA cloud will move and whom it will affect.
The commander has to know precisely what damages can be caused to the enemy, as
well as where and when they can be caused. There will be no use from poisoning an
entire regiment or even a division of enemy forces in an area where our troops cannot
advance due to some reasons or even use the results of the chemical attack at all. No
commander would agree to adjust his plans to the possible time and place of effect
of a gas cloud. Dozens of thousands of soldiers, hundreds of tanks, and thousands of
weapons cannot run along and across the front following the AC cloud or running
away from it.
So far, we have considered only the horizontal component of movement of air
masses (and, accordingly, CA). There is also the vertical component.
Three types of vertical air movements are identified: convection, inversion, and
isothermy.
Convection occurs when the ground is warmer than the air. The air is heated near
the ground and moves up. This is very bad for CA, since the CA cloud quickly flies