MS Owen-Smith. Armoured Fighting Vehicle Casualties

12 Pages·2016·1.58 MB·English

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ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLE CASUALTIES * M
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Lieutenant-Colonel M. S. OWEN-SMITH, M.S., F.R.C.S. C
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Professor of Surgery, Royal Army Medical College s
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THE war between the Arabs and Israelis in October 1973 resulted in the most extensive t p
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tank battles since World War n. Indeed in one area involved they were claimed to be b
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the most extensive in Military history, exceeding the 1600 tanks deployed at El Alamein. h
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In.association with these battles some 830 Israeli tanks and about 1400 Arab tanks were d
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destroyed. The Israelis have recorded data on the wounded from this war in a number s
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of articles and presentations. The most striking figure is that just under 10 per cent of 0
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all injured suffered burns. Virtually all these burns occurred in Armoured Fighting 1
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Vehicle (A.F.V.) crews. 6/jra
The problems I want to discuss are: m
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a. Does the total incidence of burns from major tank battles create a definite -1
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departure from previous experiences and must we, therefore, include this figure in pre- 3-0
planning for conflict in N.W. Europe? . 2
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crewb ct..h aIDsn o tthehseo rtsehe es uo pcfrh 3e 0sae nyn eet anrratsin tyagg eao so? "f aTnhtei- tAannkti -wTeaanpko Mnsi spsoilsee Bau grnre Satyenr dtrhoremaet "t?o tanks and, uest. Pro on 1 Jan
d. What medical lessons can we learn from this war that would benefit the treatment tecua
of war wounded in general, and A.F.V. crew in particular. tedry 1
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To give some idea of the overall medical problem we are likely to have to cope with y7
in British Army of the Rhine (B.A.O.R.), we must take some approximate figures of the cop7. D
numbers of A.F.V. involved. In round figures we might say that we have about 650 main yrigown
battle tanks, and well over 1000 armoured vehicles of all sorts such as light tanks, ht.loa
Armoured Personnel Carriers, self-propelled guns and armoured reconnaissance d
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vehicles. This makes nearly 2000 A.F.V. overall. The one thing all these vehicles have in d
common is that they are protected by armour and, therefore, the crew compartments fro
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are restricted in size and are very rigid. The tanks, of course, carry these to extreme h
lengths in that the interior is smaller, they have much thicker armour and are very solid ttp
in construction. ://m
The Arab-Israeli war involved some 1700 tanks on the Israeli side and both the ilita
tanks used and the anti-tank weaponry involved were basically similar to those that ry
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exist in N.W. Europe. Given this similarity to B.A.O.R. in terms of A.F.V. deployed a
and likely anti-tank weapons in use we might logically be able to draw some useful lth
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conclusions that will be of help in planning the distribution of resources to receive and m
treat the probable casualties. j.c
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To start with we need two figures. The total number of A.F.V. casualties predicted o/
in B.A.O.R. and the~predicted number per Armoured Division. It is this latter number n F
which, of necessity, will be evacuated to a Field Hospital and that is a Unit whose work e
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load we all understand. ru
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Overall figures may be estimated at 7-800 A.F.V. and 1500 personnel. Armoured ry
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Division estimates~say about 250 A.F.V. and 500 personnel. All within the first seven 0, 2
* A paper given at D.G.A.M.S. exercise" Intermed" in October 1976. 02
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to ten days. For comparison we should remember that the Israelis lost over half their e
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tanks and a lesser proportion of their other A.F.V. in under three weeks, mostly in the C
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first week. rp
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Casualty estimates : firs
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We have two main sources of information. First from World War II:- u
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The situation up to 1945 was reviewed by Captain H. B. Wright, R.A.M.C. and lis
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Captain R. D. Harkness, R.A.M.C. in a paper entitled" A Survey of Casualties Amongst ed
Armoured Units in North West Europe" 1946 (Body Protection Committee Report as
46/455). The authors were well aware of all the previous work done and their conclusions 10
may be taken as representative of a formed opinion at 1945. The report is comprehensive .11
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and is a model of its kind. It deals mainly with an analysis of data obtained on 333 A.F.V. 6
and 769 personnel casualties sustained by 19 British Armoured Regiments equipped with /jra
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cruiser tanks between the Rhine crossing in March 1945 and the end of hostilities in c
North West Europe. This sample comprised all the casualties in tanks and crews sus -12
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tained by those regiments during this period (Table I). -0
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Threat to A.F.V.-3T3a3b lTe aIn k casualties (1945) guest. P3 on 1 J
Anti-tank missiles Anti-tank mines others roteanu
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Armour piercing 41 per cent tery
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Shaped charge 33 per cent 21 per cent 2 per cent by97
High explosive 3 per cent cop7. D
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For both Armour Piercing (A.P.) and Shaped Charged (S.c.) weapons the propor ht.loa
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tion of all hits that actually penetrated the tank was 50-60 per cent. Over half the tanks ed
were knocked out by a single penetration. It was very rare to find any tank that had fro
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been hit more than once by a S.c. weapon, this was probably because they were, at that
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time, fired by the infantry who were in exposed positions. ttp
Table 11 shows the distribution of armoured regiment casualties. ://m
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Table TI ry
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Armoured regiment casualties. Total 769 e
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Killed Wounded Inside vehicle Outside vehicle Partial exposure .b
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(12.5 per cent were officers)
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37 per cent 63 per cent 50 per cent 40 per cent 10 per cent m
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The partial exposure figure is important because this was usually the tank com e
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mander and, therefore, contained a relatively high proportion of young officers. The ru
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casualties inside tanks were analysed (Table Ill). ry
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Penetration by A.P. was associated with a higher incidence of burns than by S.C. 0
weapons (Table IV). , 20
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Table III e
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Casualties inside tanks C
Total of 371 in 333 tanks (1945) orp
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Cause Casualty rates (A.P. and S.C.) : firs
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Armour piercing 51 per cent Killed 0.58 u
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Shaped charge 37.5 per cent Wounded 0.66 lis
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Mines 8 per cent Burned 0.28 d a
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Others 3.5 per cent Total 1.52 Per tank penetrated 1
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Table IV /jra
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Incidence of burns inside tanks
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Cause Burns Deaths I Cause All burns -0
Armour piercing 88 mm 18 per cent 41 per cent I Armour piercing 66 per cent 2-0
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Shaped charge 75 mm 169 ppeerr cceenntt 2262 ppeerr cceenntt SMhianpees d charge 259 ppeerr cceenntt uest. P on 1 J
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Secondly we have information from the Arab-Israeli war:- d b 19
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We have no comparable figures of the details of damage to AF.V. and the break cop7. D
down of casualties. We know that 830 Israeli tanks were destroyed, but we do not know yo
exactly how. According to contemporary accounts it is likely that a far higher proportion rigwn
of tanks were destroyed by shaped charge weapons both close and medium range. An ht.loa
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unknown number of other armoured vehicles were destroyed. ed
The total number Of wounded was 8135. We were told that 9.3 per cent of these from
were burns and that almost all came from AF.V. If we take this number to be 750 from h
830 tanks we get the ratio 0.9 burns from each tank penetrated. This compared with the ttp
figure of 0.3 from 1945. There is no reason to believe that the number of A.F.V. crew ://m
killed and wounded but not burned would be very much different from the 1945 figures. ilita
We might, therefore, express this in round figures per tank penetrated as follows ry
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(Table V). a
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Table V j.c
Israel casualty estimates A.F.V. (1973) om
(Per tank penetrated) o/
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Casualty Total number Casualty Total number ru
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Killed 0.6 500 Burned 0.9 750 ry
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Wounded 0.6 500 II Totals 2.1 1750 0, 2
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These figures must be high because the A.F.V. other than tanks are not included.
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You will appreciate these are estimates but even taking into account the different type of d C
tank and the crew numbers, nevertheless there would appear to be a definite increase in o
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the numbers of burns casualties and possibly of killed in action and wounded per tank s
penetrated. : firs
The increased number of burns might be attributed to the increased proportion of t p
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S.c. weapons used. In 1945, S.c. weapons caused only a third of the tank destruction blis
and of casualties. However they caused many less burns per tank destroyed than did h
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A.P. shot. We must remember that the amount of explosive in S.c. weapons in 1945 d a
were only 20 per cent of those in 1973 and that the spall fragment damage, the pressure s 1
and temperature effects are all enhanced with the heavier charges. 0.1
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Of the 750 burns some 30 per cent were 3rd degree of full thickness, and about 3
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7.5 per cent (say 50-60) had pulmonary problems. As I interpret the papers about 40 /jra
burned patients required tracheostomy and 12 required I.P.P.V., but another paper m
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stated that 8 per cent of burns had I.P.P.Y.-that is about 60 (Nagan). -1
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Types of injury -0
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the cTrehwes oe umtsaidye b teh ed itvaidnekd :i-nto those that occur inside the tank and those that occur to uest. P on 1 J
a. Outside tank. About 40 per cent of total casualties. The threat is that of the roteanu
usual battlefield weapons. Namely small arms fire and fragments of H.E. devices. We cteary
were told that some 85 per cent of casulaties resulted from fragment injury overall d b 19
presumably as opposed to bullets. y cop77. D
b. Inside tank. The threat may be divided into :-(i). Anti-tank missiles. (ii). Anti yo
tank mines. (iii). Anti-tank obstructions. rigwn
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Anti-tank missiles ed
Anti-tank missiles are essentially of three types:- fro
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a. Armour Piercing Shot (A.P.D.S.) (A.P.F.S.D.S.). b. Shaped Charge (S.c. or h
H.E.A.T.). c. Squash Head (H.E.S.H.). ttp
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All these types of missile were in use to some degree in 1945 but what has happened
in the intervening period is that the means of delivering them has been made more ilita
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efficient and more versatile. They can now be delivered by:- h
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Hand held. Soft skin vehicles. Light armoured vehicles. Tanks, Helicopter and lth
Aircraft. .b
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The missiles themselves can be powered by recoilless charges, rockets or shells, j.c
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they can be sighted before firing or they can be guided in flight-a true guided missile. m
The armamentarium covers close, medium and long range weapons. o/
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Now how do these different types of weapons cause injury? F
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Armour piercing ary
Essentially this is very hard tungsten carbide shot which is fired at very high 10
velocity. This has sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate the armour of the tank, When it , 2
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hits, it causes spall fragments (Scab) to be driven off the inside face at high velocities to d
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create injuries, and the missile may richochet around inside the tank, There is a high o
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pressure and high temperature effect on the crew with resultant burns and lesser changes s
of hearing and lung function. They are also likely to set off the ammunition causing : firs
further damage. Such missiles are usually delivered by shells from anti-tank guns and t p
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the guns of tanks such as the chieftain (Fig. I). b
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APDS s
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Fig. 1. Diagram of the mode of action of Armour Piercing Discarding shot (A.P.D.S.) d 1
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Shaped charges (S.c. or H.E.A. T.) yo
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In August 1941 Zuckcrman and Bernal carried out experiments to determine ht.loa
whether shaping the explosive charges to give the " Munroe or Newman " effect could de
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Fig. 2. Diagram showing the principles of the Shaped Charge Missile. eb
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When the front of the weapon touches the armour the charge is detonated at the 10
" stand off" distance and the jet of hot gases and fine metal particles penetrates the , 2
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armour (Fig. 3). 2
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70 Armoured Fighting Vehicle Casualties y
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HEAT C
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Fig. 3. Diagram of the High Explosive Anti~Tank (H.E.A.T.) Missile -1
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Spall fragments come off the inside of the armour, and as the jet enters the lank it 2
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expands rapidly causing a pressure pulse and a temperature pulse from the fireball g3
efoffremct a( Fpiugslm. 4o naanrdy 5h)a. zlanr da. ddition the explosive gases, smoke and combustion products uest. P on 1 J
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Fig. 4. HijZh-specd photograph of the Fig. 5. The expansion of the penet he
jet expanding into a steel chamber rating jet at a later stage than in a
after r:enctrating armoured plate. Fig. 4. lth
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These weapons have great penetration effects on armour, as it shown is the pictures j.c
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of a direct hit on a tank (Figs. 6 and 7). m
The shaped charge weapons come in various sizcs from 50 mm (2 in) up to 150 mm on/
(6 in). For example Law, Carl Gustav, R.P.G.7, Swingfire, Milan, anti-tank guns and F
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guns on tanks. ru
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Squash Head (H.E.SH.) 1
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ln this missile a charge of plastic type explosive squashes onto the outside of the , 2
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armour and it is detonated. This results in a pressure wave causing spall fragments to 23
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M. S. OWeI/-Slllifh 71 y
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Figs. 6 and 7. Tank before and after tx:ing hit by a H.E.A.T. missile. 2
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come off the inside causing mainly high velocity fragment injuries, and the fragments 2
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cause burns and ignition of combustible materials (Fig. 8). Such a missile is used g3
in the WOMBAT anti-tank gun and in the Chieftain lank. uest. P on 1 J
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Fig. 8. Diagram of the mode of action of High Explos(ve Squash HC:'1d (H.E.S,H,) Missile. ilita
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Anti-lank mines e
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By and large these only cause significant casuaWes if the charge is sufficient to lth
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breach the belly of the lank, or to accelerate it upwards to leave the ground. Many of m
the injuries arc rrom crew being thrown around inside the tank. j.c
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Methods of injury o/
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The different ways in which various weapons cause damage are:- e
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a. Blast- whole body, ears and lungs. b. Spall fragments. c. Flame-skin and lungs. ru
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d. Toxic gases- lungs. c. Light--<:yes. ry
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All must be considered when attempting to forecast the number of casualties, 0
those killed, burned or with penetrating wounds, the type and distribution of the , 20
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injuries. 3
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Experimental work C
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The physical effects of the different missiles on A.F.V. simulators has been investi rp
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gated continuously since World War TI. Recent emphasis has been on shaped charge : firs
missiles, perhaps because of the proliferation of small, easily carried and fired weapons. t p
Such research from the medical point of view is designed to define the physical effects u
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of the missilcs upon men inside the A.F.V., to encourage methods of protection from lis
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such injurous elTects and to establish the best methods of treatment to alleviate suffering e
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and promote healing and rehabilitation. a
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Research has been divided into several overlapping areas of missile effects;- 0.1
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a. The effects of blast in confined spaces. b. The effects of flash and flame. c. The 36
effects of hot gases and vapours. d. The effects of penetrating and spall fragments. /jra
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Blast 23
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The damaging effects of blast are worse in confined space than in the open. The 2
blast wave creates a blast wind of very high velocity and this may be sufficient to tear g-03
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cause closed abdominal injury such as visceral contusion or rupture at higher pressure roan
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levels_ Mammals. including men, arc very sensitive to the duration, magnitude, rate and ca
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character of the rise and fall of blast pressure. The animal's position, orientation and d 1
species difference all effect tbe tolerance to air blast. Although figures exist for tolerance by97
to pressure- duration levels for air blast- little exists for penetrating anti-tank missiles. cop7. D
Work is being done on this at Porton and this graph shows a typical pressure/time yo
curve, using 125 mm (5in) S.c. against 20 mm steel armour (Fig. 9). right.wnloa
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Fig. 9. Pressure-Time Curve inside a lank simulant after renetration of a Shared Charge Missile 3 b
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Calculations from air blast figures leads us to believe that 70 p.s.i. is the threshold e
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for lung damage, and that 50 per cent falality results from pressures of over 400 p.s.i. C
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in the open. The figures for confined spaces would inevitably be lower than these. rp
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The effects on ear drums and hearing are known, for ear drums start rupturing at : firs
7 p.s.i. and even children's ear drums are ruptured by 30 p.s.i. In 1945 about 31 per t p
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cent of drums were ruplured or hearing impaired and in 1973 it was about 25 per cent. b
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Spall/raglllents d a
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The pallern of spall fragments for each weapon is known by the missile and fighting 1
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vehicle designers. The weight of the fragments and the pattern that occurs inside the .1
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vehicle may be defined in the spall ' cone' measurement to give some idea of the likely 3
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injuries 10 the crew (Fig. 10) . /jra
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Fig. 10. The inside surface of a steel d 1
plate that has been pe<letrated by a b9
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• plate as a " scab to of metal. rigwn
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Flame and lIeat e
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For unlimited exposure the Ihreshold skin temperature is about 43°C. What lth.b
matters is the temperature at the junctional layer of the dermis with the epidermis. An m
exposure time of I second to an ambient temperature of 45°C is sufficient to raise the j.co
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junetional temperalure to 43.3°C. This level is exceeded in Ihis Temp-Time curve of o/
125 mm S.c. attack on 20 mm sleel armour. and burns would be likely to occur (Fig. 11). n
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Hot gases ru
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This heading covers Ihe air in the tank healed by the missile effect, hot particles 1
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and vapours, and noxious gases both from the explosive penetration and from burning , 2
contents. 0
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100 e
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Fig. 11. Temperature-Time Cllrvc inside a tank simulant after it has been penetrated by a Shaped -0
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Charged Missile -0
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from hot gases unless the temperature is above 300°C. However, it is easy to induce lung roteanu
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damage with cold air and smoke. The respiraLOry syndrome reported in fire victims is tery
usually from the inhalation of smoke. and identical syndromes with a typical delayed d b 19
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oganssterti ch caovnet ebnetesn. Sdiemscilraibr epda tihno liorrgiyta nist dgeasscersi bscudc hin aasl l atmhemseo nciaas.e st aolcf dpiafrfteircelenst aaentdio laocgidy cop7. D
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namely, the trachea and bronchi show intense hyperaemia and oedema leading 10 pro rigwn
gressive obstruction and pulmonary oedema. ht.loa
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These behind armour gases have been analysed in experiments at Ponon to e
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elucidate their toxic pulmonary effects. fro
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Non-pulmonary thermal burns in general have a high incidence of respiratory
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insufficiency leading to pulmonary complications and, in addition, it has been found ttp
that there is an immediate reduction in the immunological response after burns. ://m
One must always remember the reduction in oxygen content of the tank if the ilita
explosive, the metal fragments or combustible products utilise the ambient oxygen. ry
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Light lth
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The brilliant incandescence inside the tank tha1 is hit may well cause temporary
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blindness and therefore incapacitation. This would reduce mobility and greatly increase o
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the chance of a further hit. o/
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Protection eb
Personal rua
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Overalls. Non-inflammable and flame retardant clothing can give effec(ive protection 1
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to short duration exposure provided the applied heat is not too severe. The Israelis , 2
used' Nomcx ' overalls which is a good non-inflammable compromise material in that 0
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