Wound Ballistics and Variables of Body Armor Development

Sam Spurlin

HIST 480

4 December 2007

Thesis Wound ballistics is the scientific basis of body armor However, it fell into a secondary role Once the scientific basis was established (wound

ballistics) and technology improved, other variables became more important to BA development

Those variables are, weight/comfort, cost/ease of production, and bureaucracy

Theodor Kocher (1872-1917) “Father of wound

ballistics” Swiss-surgeon Study gunshot wounds

for better surgery Full-metal jacketed

bullet

Cavitation As tissue moves away from bullet path, a vacuum is

formed Explains the ‘explosive’ effect of modern wounds Permanent vs. temporary cavity

WWII Casualty Surveys

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent74 20.1 32 43.2 42 56.863 17.1 32 50.8 31 49.225 6.8 11 44 14 56

63 17.1 1 1.6 62 98.483 22.4 2 2.4 81 97.661 16.5 23 3737 38 62.3369 100 101 27.4 268 72.6

HeadThoraxAbdomenExtremities

UpperLower

MultipleTotal

Anatomic locationTotal casualties Dead Living

Distribution of wounds in 369 battle casualties, by anatomic location

“Perhaps most important of all the conclusions reached by this team concerned the feasibility of body armor…” (Wound Ballistics, Medical Department of the United States Army, 1962: 723-24)

Wound Ballistics and Weapons Data from wound ballistics studies used to make more

effective weapons Fragment size Optimal energy

Cluster bombs, “daisy cutters”, landmines

Civil War Private acquisition Atwater Armor Co.

and G&D Cook and Co.

Weight Ridicule

WWI M-1917

Modeled after British (MkI)

Ballistic deficiencies, easy to mass produce

Brewster Body Shield 40 lbs. Limited use by snipers,

machine gun crews etc.

“Effort should be continued toward development of a satisfactory form of personal body armor.”

-General Pershing (1917)

WWII Wisbrod Armored Vest

and Armorette Developed by British Tested in 1941 Passed ballistic testing Too heavy

WWII (cont.) Ground body armor program basically abandoned 1943

Endorsement written to the Army Air Force by the Army Ordnance Dept.

“Flak” jackets M1, M2, M3, M4, M6

M6 “flak” jacketBrigandine circa 1400

Korean and Vietnam Wars M-12

12 lbs. Greatly reduced

wounding capacity of shrapnel

M-1952 75% all fragments 25% of small-arms fire Uncomfortable

Personnel Armor System For Ground Troops (PASGT) & Interceptor Body Armor System

PASGT Early 80’s-2003 Kevlar instead of ballistic-

nylon Could not stop most rifle

rounds

InterceptorCeramic inserts

One useFragile

Political wrongdoing?Dragon Skin

Conclusion

•Wound ballistics = basis of body armor + improved munitions makes body armor needed

•Wound ballistics fell into the background because armor weight/comfort, cost/ease of production, and bureaucracy gained importance