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ARTICLE 4
The Development of the US Army Dog Gas Mask

_____During WWII many countries developed gas masks for animals. And dogs in particular had various integral roles during the war. For the US military, the German Shepherd was typically the dog of choice, and was used for patrol duty, scouting, anti-sabotage duty, message delivery and even sometimes mine detection. Because of their many uses during wartime, gas masks were needed to protect dogs as well as their human counterparts. This however, was not a new concept. During WWI, very rudimentary dog gas masks were made by several countries. And in the US, an early attempt to provide dogs with a protective mask was made in 1926. The E1R1 Dog Gas Mask (see below) was a strictly experimental mask, assembled to illustrate the concept of a protective respirator for canines. It consisted of a muzzle piece constructed of six layers of impregnated cheesecloth and a head piece made from leather that covered the dog's head, ears and part of the dog's neck. Leather straps were used like belts to tighten the mask around the dog's neck, creating a gas tight seal. Two circular eye pieces were positioned on either side of the leather head piece to allow for sufficient vision. The E1R1 was a small mask, made to fit medium to small sized dogs of approximately 50-60 pounds.

ABOVE: The E1R1 as worn, photographed at Edgewood Arsenal, March 7, 1926.

ABOVE: An E1R1 as it exists today. Note the missing neck straps.

_____In October of 1926, the E1R1 project was dropped and no further attempts to improve upon this design were pursued. However, in April of 1940, the Chemical Warfare Service asked about the possible use of dogs in the theater of war, but the provision of gas masks for dogs was declined. Despite this, in mid 1942, experimentation to design a new dog gas mask begun. In December of 1942, this was made official by way of an order from the chief of the Chemical Warfare Service. Several masks went into experimental production, including two masks made from large pieces of clear plastic material with hoses attached to child sized filters (the E3R4 and the E6R2). In addition to these interesting designs, several other peculiar experimental dog masks were tested (see below).


ABOVE: The E3R4 dog gas mask.	ABOVE: The E6R2 dog gas mask.

ABOVE: The E4R3 dog gas mask.	ABOVE: The E5R1 dog gas mask.
_____Experimentation continued into 1943, until it was found that two masks (the E12R8 and the E43R3) had the most potential. Both masks were made from coated canvas duck, which was quite rigid and could be stitched into a shape appropriate for the dog's muzzle. The E12R8 used a single E32R11 filter cartridge that was fixed to the front of the muzzle piece. Several horizontal slits (see below) allowed for inhaled air to pass over the dog's snout. A M8 exhale valve was positioned on the bottom-front of the mask for expired air and a hard cellulose acetate eye shield was glued into place to offer a wide field of view. On the inside, two thick rubber collars were used to create a seal around the dog's head and snout. To hold the mask on the dog's head, two adjustable canvas straps were secured behind the animal's ears. When not use, the mask was carried by the handler in a khaki canvas bag. The success of the E12R8 was limited to field tests, were the mask's filter placement caused the mask to get jarred and dislodged while on the dog's head (due to the animal's natural tendency to carry its head low to the ground). Also, having the filter on the front of the mask caused dirt and refuse to clog the inlet slits. The problems encountered during these trials ultimately found the E43R3 to be more successful. Thus, it was standardized the US Army M6-12-8 Dog Gas Mask. Because the E12R8 was never standardized, it was manufactured in very limited numbers, making surviving examples extremely scarce.	ABOVE: The E12R8 as worn.


ABOVE: A nice comparative view of the M6-12-8 and the E12R8.
_____While the shape and size of the M6-12-8 (originally designated the E43R3) is very similar to the E12R8, the configuration used for the M6 is quite different. The M6 used two M12 filter disks (identical to those used on the Navy NC-1) that were attached to each side of the mask instead of a single unit attached to the front. This setup most likely proved more serviceable in the field because the dog's natural tendency to carry its head low to the ground did not interfere with the position of the filter. In addition, breathing resistance was probably reduced. However, it was found that clogging of the filter inlet holes was still a problem. Consequently, a metal disk (designated the E4R2 Mud Guard) was fitted over each filter's inlet hole to deflect mud and other refuse. Clogging was also a problem with the exhale valve. While the E12R8 used the standard M8 outlet valve, the M6-12-8 used a non-guarded circular rubber outlet valve (see below). This system helped prevent clogging and most likely also served as a slobber drain. For suspension, the M6 used a thicker fabric harness and a wide head pad that was adjusted behind the dog's ears. The inner mask was similar to the E12R8 with a wide rubber collar that created the necessary seal around the dog's muzzle. The M6 was carried in a waterproof carrier (designated the E10R1 and later standardized the M8 carrier) very similar to the M7 carrier used with the M5-11-7 Assault Service Gas Mask. Today, the M6-12-8 Dog Gas Mask is among the rarest of the US Army WWII era masks, as only 1,409 were manufactured during the war. In 1969 the M6-12-8 was officially declared obsolete, and no attempt to provide NBC protection for canines has been attempted by the Army since.
ABOVE: An early US Army photo of the E12R8 as worn.	ABOVE: The M6-12-8 Dog Gas Mask as worn.
ABOVE: A post war photo of the M6-12-8 in use, circa mid 1950s.

PROFILE VIEW OF THE E12R8	PROFILE VIEW OF THE M6-12-8
TOP VIEW OF THE E12R8	TOP VIEW OF THE M6-12-8
UNDERSIDE OF THE E12R8	UNDERSIDE OF THE M6-12-8
INNER VIEW THE OF THE E12R8	INNER VIEW THE OF THE M6-12-8
VIEW OF THE FIXED E32R11 FILTER CANISTER ON THE FRONT OF THE E12R8 DOG GAS MASK	VIEW OF THE M12 FILTER CANISTER AND E4R2 MUD GUARD ON THE M6-12-8 DOG GAS MASK
THE E12R8 PROPERLY STOWED IN ITS CARRIER	THE M6-12-8 PROPERLY STOWED IN ITS CARRIER
CLOSE-UP VIEW OF THE MARKINGS ON THE CARRIER FOR THE E12R8 DOG GAS MASK	CLOSE-UP VIEW OF THE MARKINGS ON THE CARRIER FOR THE M6-12-8 DOG GAS MASK

ABOVE: An exploded diagram of the M6-12-8 Dog Gas Mask.

ABOVE: Two soldiers and their K-9 companions undergo gas chamber training together, circa mid 1950s.

REFERENCES USED FOR THIS ARTICLE:

TM 3-205 - THE GAS MASK, MARCH 1951

THE CHEMICAL WARFARE SERVICE IN WWII:
A REPORT ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS, 1948

ARMY CHEMICAL REVIEW: ANIMALS IN CHEMICAL WARFARE
By Major Robert D. Walk

U.S. CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DEFENSE RESPIRATORS
By Christopher T. Carey

CHEMICAL WARFARE SERVICE REPORT: D 6.6-1,
DOG GAS MASK, DECEMBER, 21 1942

*Special thanks to: Major Robert D. Walk for providing some of these important historical photographs.

*Special thanks to: Ross Sandberg for additional photographs and documentation from the National Archives.

ABOVE: An early photo of the M6-12-8 as worn.

ABOVE: A rare photo of the M6-12-8 Dog Gas Mask in action!