"Plastic ship armor?" Topic

Came acroos this in my Internet journeys.Does anyone know what ship was used and he circumstances of it's engagement? Robert

The Story of Plastic Armour

During WWII, the need arose for a form of armoured protection made from non-strategic materials which could be put into wide service. Captain Terrell, a peacetime barrister working in an Admiralty research department, made extensive experiments and eventually developed a formula consisting of graded chips of Penlee granite bound together by a mixture of small amounts of chalk and bitumen.

The armour could be poured in situ or made into plates backed by steel sheet, and was fitted to many ships and utility vehicles, such as mobile airfield defence guns. Any desired thickness could be provided.

At the end of the war, the civilan company that Terrell had commissioned to produce the armour tried to claim credit for its invention. Terrell won the case and was awarded a prize by the Admiralty for having developed it.
Armour installed on a ship

Plastic armour installed on the superstructure of a ship. This would be backed by sheet steel. Note the fixing bolts and flanges.

Plastic Armour does its job

A ship returning from a scrap with its plastic armour damaged by enemy fire. The armour absorbed the impact of the shells, the underlying superstructure receiving less damage as a result. No casualties were taken.
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First I've heard of it!

The Liberty Ship in San Francisco has something like that armoring her gun tubs.

It was mentioned in a few books published in the 1960's about the Admiralty Department of Miscellaneous Weapon Developement. It was fitted to the bridge areas (compass platform) of most British 'coastal' merchant ships as it was not magnetic & the special non-magnetic armour plate was in short supply (basically stainless steel). They also developed the Mulberry harbour components, rocket propelled grapnels used by US Rangers to scale cliffs during D-day landings(the inventor was killed during the landing as he went along)among other items.

It was said that their greatest product was the author Neville Shute – Lt. Norway was attached to the Department, but contracted Scarlet Fever & took up writing while convalessing.

One of their less sucessful, but very spectacular inventions was the 'Great Panjandrum' – a rocket propelled, guided barrel of explosives that was intended to roll up the Normandy beaches & explode in the German defences. Did – not – work.

I Dunno, I've been aware of this for years, but I grew up in the 60's. Does D K Brown discuss it in any of his books?

I think the US may have used it too, armoring the bridges of Amphibious Ships/craft.

Clever stuff, used (IIRC) on LCGs as well

Does anyone know which ship the 2nd photo may be of? Robert

Wow, talk about a great example of Murphy's '3rd Rule': "If it's stupid and it works, it's not stupid."

PPP (Plastic Protective Plating) gets a mention in Terrel's own book, "Admiralty Brief", an account of his wartime service, and in Gerald Pawle's "Secret War", which covers all the activities of the "wheezers and dodgers".

All the best,

John.