"When Did Soviet Troops Get Body Armor?" Topic
11 Posts
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Mako11 | 18 Mar 2014 1:28 p.m. PST |
I know that even back as far as WWII, some enterprising Russian soldiers started wearing metal plates, as protection against enemy fire. However, I'd like to know when the Soviet, and/or WARPAC Motor Rifle troops were issued with body armor, in a widespread manner, if ever? I suspect perhaps sometime in the 1980s, or shortly after the invasion of Afghanistan. I'm most interested in that for troops in the European Theater of ops. Did Warsaw Pact nations provide it to their troops as well, before the downfall of the USSR? |
Murphy | 18 Mar 2014 1:37 p.m. PST |
I remember one of the old "Soldier of Fortune" magazines did a special on the "body armor"/Flak Jackets that some Soviet troops were getting in Afghanistan. They got a couple of them out, and cut them open and examined them to find out that the "protection" was heavily packed cotton wadding in the russian equivalent of zip-loc bags that were then sewn into heavy canvas. This was around 81-82 I think
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Stern Rake Studio | 18 Mar 2014 2:27 p.m. PST |
As an aside, it seems like a lot of troops images/videos taken by the media appear to be naval infantry types. Which makes sense, I guess since one of Putin's motives is to obtain more liebensraum around the Sevestapol Naval Base. Ted |
Dennis0302 | 18 Mar 2014 3:03 p.m. PST |
According to the Osprey on the Soviet Afgan War it would be in the 80's. As to the Warsaw Pact troops I can't recall seeing anything showing them with body armor. My gut feeling is that the Russians in Europe in the 80's would have gone with what they had, i.e. little or no body armor for the troops. Just checked the Osprey on Warsaw pact forces and no mention of body armor. |
Milites | 18 Mar 2014 3:25 p.m. PST |
Strange, Mako, they seem to have had mainly ceramic or titanium plates, perhaps it was an ad-hoc arrangement to reduce weight. link As for Europe, I doubt it, too bulky, a BMP is a tight squeeze, as it is and tactically irrelevant for the war they practised to fight in Europe. Speed and disregard of casualties was the order of the day, not energy sapping protection that still removed the soldier from the fight if hit. |
Lion in the Stars | 18 Mar 2014 4:02 p.m. PST |
Well, the Engineer-Sapper battalions were issued with armor back in 1944. |
Milites | 18 Mar 2014 4:50 p.m. PST |
Apparently it was quite widely used by 1942. link |
Mako11 | 18 Mar 2014 5:45 p.m. PST |
Yea, that's pretty much what I figured. Perhaps they use them for direct frontal assaults, using specialist troops, in builtup areas, but figured the others to be fairly rare. Interesting about the cotton, Murphy. Perhaps those were intended less as body armor, and more as cold weather protection. My guess is the Russians would know more than a bit about that. |
John Armatys | 18 Mar 2014 6:52 p.m. PST |
According to Martin Brayley's "Modern Body Armour" (acquired yesterday in The Works for the "sale price" of £4.99 GBP – I knew I needed it) a variety of body armour was issued in WW2. In 1957 the Soviets adopted "6B1" body armour, but made less than 1,500, it was in limited use in Afghanistan. "6B2" body armour was tested in Afghanistan in 1979 and adopted in 1982. The book concentrates on US and UK body armour, with a "visual survey" of other nations. I didn't spot any non-Soviet Warsaw Pact body armour on a quick glance. |
Lion in the Stars | 18 Mar 2014 7:03 p.m. PST |
Apparently it was quite widely used by 1942.link Holy crap! Looks like I need some models with SN42 armor NOT armed with SMGs! The breastplate can be used by:-scouts, out on a mission. -sappers, while out scouting, making breaches in barbed wire, defusing explosives under enemy fire, etc. -infantry teams during scouting by combat. -submachinegunners, sneaking through the enemy lines, riding as tank infantry, and laying in ambush. -assault teams, attacking a pillbox. -soldiers fighting in city streets. -communications personnel, checking and fixing telephone lines under enemy fire. -any other situation where the commander deems that the breastplates can be usefully applied. Emphasis mine. Guess I really should leave that platoon of Engineer Sappers with Stalingrad gray bases instead of the khaki and grass finish I gave the team-based Engineer Sapper companies and the Spetsnaz platoon! |
Martin Rapier | 19 Mar 2014 8:00 a.m. PST |
'Afghantsy' covers the use of body armour in the early 80s quite well. It was extremely heavy as it was intended for use by motor rifle troops who were never going to fight more than a klick or so dismounted anyway. Not very practical when yomping over mountains. I guess that was the 6B2 variety mentioned by John. "Speed and disregard of casualties was the order of the day," Speed yes, but the intention of the operational doctrine of all-out attack was an overall reduction in casualties, based on operational experience in WW2. At the tactical point of contact they may be high of course (unless going in behind a 1970s style barrage of tac nukes). See e.g. 'Spearhead of the Offensive – The Soviet Conduct of Tactical Manouvre' by Glantz.' |
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