M-1952
The M-1952 is a fragmentation vest that was used by the United States Army during the Vietnam War , among others .
history
The US Army had already carried out research into body protection for ground forces during World War II . The result of this research was the fragmentation vest T62E1 (later T64), which was standardized in August 1945 as "Armor, Vest, M12". The M12 consisted of two parts that were connected at the shoulders with snaps and around the waist with a buckle strap . Overlapping 3 mm thick aluminum plates over eight layers of nylon fabric served as ballistic protection . The vest weighed around 6 kg. In the period up to September 1945 53,352 pieces were produced.
After the end of the war, the research was continued because the US Army was not entirely satisfied with the M12. This research ran parallel to that of the US Marine Corps , which resulted in the M-1955 .
Chemical Corps Medical Laboratories' Biophysics Division conducted basic research into the usefulness of various ballistic materials, including nylon, aluminum, and doron, in various combinations.
In June 1950, after the outbreak of the Korean War , the Biophysics Division sent a team of wound ballisticians to Korea. The team returned to the United States in May 1951. One of the results of the field research was that 92 percent of all wounds suffered were due to splinters (mainly from mortar and hand grenades). A considerable part of these wounds could have been prevented by a splinter vest; The wound ballisticians considered the introduction of such a vest to be extremely useful.
Based on this recommendation, the US Army continued its experiments with various materials. Steel was eliminated for reasons of weight, and aluminum was difficult to shape into a suitable shape for comprehensive body protection. Doron was rejected for the same reason that aluminum was rejected, but also because glass fibers driven into the wound from broken plates could cause complications.
Nylon, on the other hand, had already proven itself; it is flexible, and 12 layers were found to provide adequate protection from splinters. An experimental vest was then designed, which consisted of 12 layers of nylon fabric in an outer shell of vinyl-coated brown-olive nylon fabric; a layer of foam rubber was placed in the shoulder and rib area to cushion the impact. The vest was given the provisional designation "Armor, Vest, Nylon, T-52-1".
On February 18, 1952, a "Body Armor Test Team" of the US Army was marched to Korea with the task of testing the experimental vest as part of the "Operation Boar" company. Initially only 48 vests were available, but soon there were 1,400 pieces. In the period from March 1, 1952 to July 15, 1952, these vests were worn by 15,000 men for a total of 400,000 man-hours. The test team concluded in their final report that the T-62-1 vest reduced the number of injuries to the chest or upper abdominal region by 60 to 70 percent (compared to unprotected soldiers). If the protected soldiers suffered injuries in these areas of the body despite the vests, the severity of the injuries was reduced by 25 to 30 percent. Wearing the vest also increased the soldiers' morale. Soldiers who took part in combat had no objection to the weight and restriction of mobility caused by the vest; Soldiers returning from uneventful patrols found the vest heavy and bulky. The result of the test was predominantly positive - it went so far that 10,000 M12 vests, which were previously barely used and stored in Korea, had to be additionally issued.
During the test in Korea, the test team continuously reported improvements in the construction of the vest to the USA. After the T-52-2, the T-52-3 emerged, which was standardized in October 1952 as "Armor, Vest, M-1952".
In order to be able to equip their front-line units with fragmentation vests as quickly as possible, the US Army procured 13,020 M-1951 vests on August 11, 1952, as used by the Marine Corps (after the stocks had been issued to M12). Further orders followed (a total of around 63,000 units) until the new M-1952 was ready; in December the first of the new vests could be shipped and by the end of the fighting there were 26,161 units in Korea.
In 1969 the US Army modified the vest, now known as "Armor, Body, Fragmentation Protective, M-1952A", based on combat experience in the Vietnam War; the new "Armor, Body, Fragmentation Protective, With ¾ Collar" became known as M69. It gradually took off the older vest.
The M69 remained in service with the US Army until the PASGT (Personal Armor System, Ground Troops) was introduced in 1978.
Both vests - partly with modified outer shells - were also used by other armed forces, e.g. B. used by the British Army.
description
The M-1952 weighs around 4 kg; The protective package consists of 12 layers of nylon fabric that are point-glued with synthetic resin and are packed in a protective cover made of vinyl. The protective package is sewn into the outer shell made of water-repellent nylon fabric.
The outer shell has a zipper at the front , which is covered with a flap that can be closed with press studs. Laterally below the armpits, the front and back of the vest overlap and can be adjusted by means of a lacing with elastic cords, which are reinforced with metal eyelets and sewn onto the outer shell. On the front of each side of the vest there are two pockets that are closed with press studs. Above this there are sewn-on fabric straps on which hand grenades with their spoon protection can be hung. Since the vest is to be worn over the field jacket, it has button tabs on the shoulders for shoulder pieces. Inside the vest (in the neck area) is the vest's nameplate and a label with instructions for use.
The M69 is largely the same as the M-1952. However, the epaulets were omitted. To prevent injuries in the neck and neck area, the vest has a collar that fits tightly around the neck. In the neck area, the collar is slightly lower so that it does not collide with the rear edge of the steel helmet when the wearer lifts their head. The layers of nylon fabric in the protective package are no longer glued, but sewn.
Some M69s (especially from later production) have Velcro fasteners instead of snaps (sometimes instead of zippers).
In action
The protective effect of the vest is mainly directed against splinters, not against projectiles from handguns. Both versions accumulate the body heat of the wearer, as they are close to the body due to the elastic lacing. The collar of the M69 adds to this. In addition, he rubs the neck and neck and levered the steel helmet forward over the eyes of the wearer if the wearer throws himself down.
The vest should be worn over the field blouse or jacket, but under the carrying equipment. They should only be worn under the parka in very cold weather. During the Vietnam War, however, the soldiers often wore the vests over their field blouses and carrying equipment; In many cases the vest was also worn open, but as a result the vital organs no longer have any protection from the vest.
During use, the protective package slipped inside the outer shell, as a result of which parts of the body were covered by the vest, but not protected. The protective packages of some M69s were therefore equipped with stiffeners made of strong plastic foil, which prevented them from slipping, but made the vest stiff.
swell
- Simon Dunstan: Flak Jackets - 20th Century Military Body Armor. Osprey Publishing Ltd., London UK 1984, ISBN 0-85045-569-3 ( Men-at-arms Series 157).
- Kevin Lyles: Vietnam. US Uniforms in Color Photographs. Windrow & Greene, London UK 1992, ISBN 1-872004-52-0 ( Europa Militaria Special 3).
- Shelby Stanton: US Army Uniforms of the Vietnam War. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg PA 1989, ISBN 0-8117-2584-7 .