Soviet Body Armor WWII

[CG51]

As the name implies, body armor, Soviet troops, WWII. The video is in Russian. I am interested in any input from those in the know. This video implies that this was used in the battle of Kursk. Did the Soviets employ body armor in specific units, ie, engineers, shock troops? I have not found a lot of information on this subject even by google (my google foo is weak it appears). I have seen pics of Soviets troops in body armor in WWII but not sure that it was employed in any other battles, ie, Battle of Berlin or any battle in a major city.


Thanks in advance.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdJtVAmcCBs

[Spiritbreaker]

SN-42 is the name of the model.Mostly used by enginers and shock infatry.there was a picture of group of soldiers,IIRC they were in 8th Guards in Berlin.

[Pandemonium]

^^was it any good?

[KillerBD]

^From what I've read the SN-42 was capable of stopping 9mm (MP-40) rounds at a distance, but it weighed a little bit so a lot of soldiers wouldn't wear it... Not to mention the fact it wasn't very widely available.

[hopeinen]

They were also used atleast in small numbers in the winter/continuation war, ive seen couple of them found on the former battlefields.

[Spiritbreaker]

As KillerBD pointed earlier they could stop 9mm from 100m,so Soviets used them in urban battles where Germans would be using MP40,they werent used in great numbers mostly be elite assault infantry.Still i think it was the most used infantry body armor in WWII.It wasnt as heavy as i thought it would be for that time period,its slightly less than 8 pounds,.

[Kilgor]

Didn't the majority of wounds come from shrapnel and not bullets in ww2 (certainly it was the case in ww1)

then it would have done the job quite well.

[LineDoggie]

Hard Plate body armor without a fabric cover? I wonder about the Shell Fragments ricocheting into the head and limbs. Bullet splash might also be unacceptable as well. But if it's all you have you use it as best you can.

Artillery and Indirect Fire weapons were the big killers in WWI & II, Korea

[CaptMorgan68]

^^was it any good?

according to vid it allowed more soldiers to get pretty close to fortified German firing positions and quickly eliminate them by engaging in hand to hand combat or throwing grenades

[Mr.Woland]

Did the Soviets employ body armor in specific units, ie, engineers, shock troops?
Yes.
With body armor was equipped engineer assault units of Supreme Command Reserve.
This units was hilly qualified, skilled and effective in assault operations in cities, fortifications and ect.
Body armor reduse losses in 5-8 times.
some links (in russian)
http://www.fortification.ru/library/shisbr/
http://rkka.ru/uniform/files/arm3.htm
PS.
You shuld know, that 70-80% of wounds was caused by projectiles/fragments and body armor gives perfect protections against them.

[Jurinko]

"Stalnyi nagrudnik" (steel chest cover) was used by engineer troops, which demolished the obstacles before the attack or in CQB. Its original weight was some 12kg and it stopped 9mm sub machine gun round.

In WWII reenactment, we use replicas weighting some 4kg.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TP7wD-450FY/S8I7GJ1mfQI/AAAAAAAAC_s/YTsdlo3eWl4/s912/P1000522.JPG

[Breakfast in Vegas]

Interesting.... considering how effective it seems to be, surprised it wasnt used more often, by all armies. Or was it considered impractical?

[checkout]

giving all soldiers personal metal shell, especially lacking metal for producing necessary weapons, quite doubtful.

[Robert.V]

giving all soldiers personal metal shell, especially lacking metal for producing necessary weapons, quite doubtful.


I highly doubt either US or the SU lacked the resources.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

I highly doubt either US or the SU lacked the resources.x2.

And beyond that that the armor could have been issued to infantry and engineers on the basis of need, for assaults, house-to house etc.

I really wonder what the reasoning was, because other branches did use armor/flak vests, for example bomber crew and naval crew.

Perhaps they just didn't understand how valuable it could be at the time. Or maybe there were logistical reasons, although at least in the case of the US this shouldn't have been a problem by early '45 at the latest.

[Robert.V]

Well for one I know they were uncomfortable especially while running. But there had to have been other reason then just that.

[LineDoggie]

Mobility, Heat Load, the fact that it was designed to stop only Pistol Caliber ammunition on the battlefield when Rifle Caliber Machineguns still reigned supreme. When the bulk of the Wehrmacht was equipped with a rifle which easily penetrated the Armor. A German 9 man Squad typically had one MP-40 that the Armor could stop, and 1 MG-34/42, and 7 Kar98k's which it wouldnt.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

Mobility, Heat Load, the fact that it was designed to stop only Pistol Caliber ammunition on the battlefield when Rifle Caliber Machineguns still reigned supreme. When the bulk of the Wehrmacht was equipped with a rifle which easily penetrated the Armor. A German 9 man Squad typically had one MP-40 that the Armor could stop, and 1 MG-34/42, and 7 Kar98k's which it wouldnt.Yeah, I got that. MG-42 would rip it to shreds.

I was thinking more of protection against shrapnel wounds etc.

Most probably they figured the benefits were outweighed by the drawbacks and lack of effectiveness against rifle rounds.

[baboon6]

x2.

And beyond that that the armor could have been issued to infantry and engineers on the basis of need, for assaults, house-to house etc.

I really wonder what the reasoning was, because other branches did use armor/flak vests, for example bomber crew and naval crew.

Perhaps they just didn't understand how valuable it could be at the time. Or maybe there were logistical reasons, although at least in the case of the US this shouldn't have been a problem by early '45 at the latest.

The US was working on other types of body armour as well as experimental metal types for ground troops. Several thousand steel T62 and T64 vests were sent out to the Pacific theatre right at the end of the war but they were too late to be used in action. The US Army was working on nylon vests and the Navy and Marines on ones made of Doron. These were also too late to see action in the war and were first used in Korea in 1950/51. The first unit to use the Doron vest in combat was apparently the 1st Recon Company, 1st Marine Div, in Sept 1950. Further field experiments with various types of vests were done by both the Army and Marines in 1951 and by November of that year the USMC had standardised on a type of nylon/doron vest, designated M1951, and mass production and issue began. The US Army, after further field trials and modifications, type-classified their all-nylon M1952 vest in October 1952. Some Army units in Korea were issued the Marine vest since production had begun earlier and by July 1952 all front-line troops in 1st MarDiv had them.

See Osprey Men-At-Arms 157: Flak Jackets by Simon Dunstan for more information.

[Kilgor]

giving all soldiers personal metal shell, especially lacking metal for producing necessary weapons, quite doubtful.

at that state of the war, the SU didn't lack metal, but it was getting towards the bottom of the manpower barrel.

[Robert.V]

SU certainly never had an unlimited manpower like some like to portray but it certainly wasn't getting towards the bottom of the manpower barrel.

[nemowork]

Seems to be the only picture i have of it.

I'm guessing from the new ventilation in the chest the old owner wont be wanting this back

http://content.imagesocket.com/images/germ_soldier_with_russ_armour_vest3d8.jpg (http://imagesocket.com/view/germ_soldier_with_russ_armour_vest3d8.jpg)

[Breakfast in Vegas]

The US was working on other types of body armour as well as experimental metal types for ground troops. Several thousand steel T62 and T64 vests were sent out to the Pacific theatre right at the end of the war but they were too late to be used in action. The US Army was working on nylon vests and the Navy and Marines on ones made of Doron. These were also too late to see action in the war and were first used in Korea in 1950/51. The first unit to use the Doron vest in combat was apparently the 1st Recon Company, 1st Marine Div, in Sept 1950. Further field experiments with various types of vests were done by both the Army and Marines in 1951 and by November of that year the USMC had standardised on a type of nylon/doron vest, designated M1951, and mass production and issue began. The US Army, after further field trials and modifications, type-classified their all-nylon M1952 vest in October 1952. Some Army units in Korea were issued the Marine vest since production had begun earlier and by July 1952 all front-line troops in 1st MarDiv had them.

See Osprey Men-At-Arms 157: Flak Jackets by Simon Dunstan for more information.Thanks for info!

By the 60s and Vietnam flak jackets were pretty standard AFAIK.

[sergey31]

As KillerBD pointed earlier they could stop 9mm from 100m,so Soviets used them in urban battles where Germans would be using MP40,they werent used in great numbers mostly be elite assault infantry.Still i think it was the most used infantry body armor in WWII.It wasnt as heavy as i thought it would be for that time period,its slightly less than 8 pounds,.

That is not what was said in the interview on that video.

German fired a burst from his gun at point black range as the Soviet soldier's gun jammed, After German bullet failed to defeat the vest, Soviet soldier took out the German with the butt of his rifle.