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
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