SZ/OEMU/44/18/20-41 - The value of body armour for air-crews, 14/11/45

Reference code

SZ/OEMU/44/18/20-41

Level of description

Item

Title

The value of body armour for air-crews, 14/11/45

Date/s

1945

Quantity & Format

6 leaves

Corporate name

Great Britain. Air Ministry. Director of Air Tactics.

Creator

Burns, B. Delisle

Creator

Krohn, Peter Leslie,

Administrative/Biographical history

recipient

Scope and content

Discusses the effectiveness of `perfect armour', armour which is assumed completely resistant to all missiles and which does not scab, and flak suits. Plastic armour is also discussed in relation to manganese steel armour. Field experiments support the discussion. The casualty rate for returning aircraft of RAF Bomber Command is mentioned, and how uneconomical it would have been to provide body armour for every man in every crew during operations, since this would have involved transporting over the continent 3,000 tons of steel in order to save less than 50 men, or the crews of 7 aircraft.

Memorandum by B. Delisle Burns and P.L. Krohn to the Director of Air Tactics at the Air Ministry.

Twenty two copies.

SZ - Zuckerman Archive
- SZ/OEMU - Ministry of Home Security, Oxford Extra-Mural Unit
  - SZ/OEMU/44 - [OEMU. Correspondence with various departments, 1941-1948]
    - SZ/OEMU/44/18 - [OEMU. Correspondence with the Air Ministry - general, 1944-1945]
      - SZ/OEMU/44/18/20-41 - The value of body armour for air-crews, 14/11/45

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