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[[Category:Military Gas Masks]] |
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[[Category:World War I Era Mask]] |
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Revision as of 12:19, 17 July 2018
Mask overview
Internal part of the polivalente Z
This was the first domestically produced mask adopted by the italian army. The mask was made of multiple layers of lint soaked in blocking substances, which were sewn and riveted between themselves, making them able to fit a soldier's face with an air-tight seal. Those layers, which acted as the filter, were covered by a coating of grey-green waxed canvas. The eye pieces where made of mica and tended to break easily, reason why in later production they had some metal strengthening. The mask was wore using a three point harness made of an elastic material.
Development
Italian soldier wearing the polivalente Z
When gas was first used on the italian front, the soldiers were not prepared, and they coped by filling a handkerchief with earth and dry grass, which somewhat helped filtering air. After that, the army was issued with a half-face mask made of canvas soaked in sodium carbonate and sodium hyposulphite, which filtered air pretty well but had several problems: it didn't last very long, it irritated the skin and did not protect the eyes. After the introduction of phosgene, the soldiers where issued with the first versions of the polivalente z, which was just like one of those canvas half-masks but provided with eye pieces. Since 1915, many designs where tried, but the italian General Staff's negligence held back the research.
In 1917 a man named Edward Harrison invented the box respirator, which was adopted by all allied forces. The cost was very high, 1 £ for each mask, and when the filter ran out the mask was shipped back to England, where the filter would be replaced, and then sold again for the same price. Because of that high price, many soldiers where still equipped with the Polivalente Z, which was inferiorior in quality but many times cheaper.
The kit
Polivalente Z with its full kit
polivalente Z with the classic text visible
The mask came in a box made of metal or canvas covered wood that featured the very well known text: "Chi si leva la maschera muore, tenetela sempre con voi", that means "whoever takes off the mask dies, always keep it with you". Usually in the box there was a pamphlet explaining how to use the mask.
Instruction pamphlet of the polivalente Z