Landships II

The Osprey publication "Flak Jackets" (no. 157) devoted a few pages to this subject. The German "Sappenpanzer" was said to be proof against smaller grenade and shell fragments, and rifle bullets at greater than 300 m range. It was said to be noisy with movement, and at 11 kg weight was impractical except for static troops such as sentries or machine gun emplacements. The British introduced a variety of metal and ballistic fibre types of body armour, of both commercial and army issue. Scale armour was said to be only marginally effective, able to stop low velocity fragmentation projectiles only, and sometimes worsening a bullet wound by forcing the scale into the wound. The Experimental Ordnance Board plate armour model of 1917 weighed about 4.5 kg and was said to be able to stop a .45 calibre pistol bullet at 800 ft/sec or a rifle bullet at 1000 ft/sec. The Chemico ballistic fibre vest (silk and other fibres in a resinous compound) was light (2.5 kg) and comfortable and was capable of stopping a .45 calibre pistol bullet at 300 ft/sec. When penetrated, it did not cause bullet deformity like the plate armour. 

Body armour is not mentioned frequently in the British memoirs which I have read, despite the EOB set being fairly widely distributed in 1917-18. At least one memoir commented negatively on the courage of the wearer of body armour. Perhaps, like parachutes, the introduction of this life-saving technology was inhibited as much by prevailing attitudes as by technological limitations.

Let's not forget the real life superhero ARMOR MAN.

(Well, ok, that's just what I call him. But he really does look like a superhero, taking off his jacket and getting ready to save the dames! At least, I presume that to be some sort of armor.)

---Vil.