Brewster body shield
| Brewster body shield | |
|---|---|
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| Information | |
| Weapon type: | Protective weapon |
| Designations: | Brewster body shield , Brewster body armor , Brewster body shield |
| Use: | armor |
| Creation time: | 1917 to 1918 |
| Region of origin / author: |
United States of America |
| Distribution: | United States of America |
| Weight: | 18 kg |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Brewster Body Shield ( Engl . Brewster body shield , even Brewster body armor ) is a protective weapon of the United States of America .
description
During World War I , the US military sought better protection for soldiers during combat operations. A designer named Guy Otis Brewster from Dover, New Jersey developed a type of armor that could be attached to the body along with a helmet and back protection. The armor was made of chrome-nickel steel . The helmet and chest protector weighed 18 kg, the back protector 5 kg. The helmet was barrel-shaped and equipped with a tapered, roof-like top. A window cut out of the steel served as a view, which could be partially closed with two movable flaps. The helmet was designed so that it sat on the wearer's shoulders and could be attached to the breastplate with leather straps . The breastplate consisted of a single plate that covered the upper body excluding the arms. The edges of the plate were partly rounded and blunt to prevent injuries to the wearer. There was a ridge in the middle with both sides bent towards the body. The armor also included back protection, which consisted of overlapping panels attached to a leather base . The back protection was attached to the wearer's body with leather straps. The armor was able to withstand sequences of fire from a Lewis machine gun with the .30-06 Springfield caliber at a muzzle velocity of 820 to 900 m / s. Despite these advantages, the Brewster body shield was rarely used because the wearer was very cramped and immobile.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bashford Dean, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Helmets and body armor in modern warfare , Lightning Source Inc, 2008, ISBN 9781443775243