Glass bottle from a 77 mm German "Blue Cross" gas shell. One of only 400 known to have survived - and in immaculate condition.

Diphenyl Chloroarsine, or Blue Cross

The concept of these shells was to penetrate the respirator filters using a fine particulate dust, causing uncontrollable sneezing and coughing which would force the wearers to remove their respirator and succumb to lethal diphosgene shells (fired in tandem). The ‘mask-breaker’ shells were coded with a blue cross. The Germans chose as their method of dissemination to embed a glass bottle containing the powder in a high explosive shell. (see picture)

Highly collectible and very rare WW1 antique. A fantastic addition to any military collection.