The Combined Bomber Offensive 1943 - 1944: The Air Attack on Nazi Germany. L. Douglas Keeney
of the entire formation in altitude and breadth. Protection from continuous-following fire control was secured by closing up the units in trail and thus saturating the enemy’s flak defense at a particular time. This tactic reduced the risk to any single unit.
Various types of evasive action were taken by the bombers to reduce the likelihood of hits by flak. One was a change of altitude by at least 1000 feet on the approach to the bombing run or after bombs were released. Another was the making of irregular changes in course of at least 20 degrees every 20 to 40 seconds except on the bomb run. Such tactics gave protection because of the tracking time necessary in continuous-following fire control and because of the time required for a projectile to reach operating altitude.
In addition to protection offered by armor plate, further protection was given to air crewmen by the development of flak suits and flak curtains which were capable of stopping low-velocity projectiles. In the autumn of 1943, an analysis of the wounds to crew members on combat missions had showed that 70 were due to missiles of relatively low velocity. The Surgeon of the Eighth Air Forces, Col. Malcolm Crow, was of the opinion that many of these wounds could be prevented by body armor. As a result of researches by the medical department and by the British, had the Wilkinson Sword Company of London make up simple suits of body armor. These were made of laminated (20 gauge) manganese steel plates 1/16 inch in thickness, approximately two inches square, which overlapped 3/8” on all sides. This armored suit covered the vital parts of the trunk, and was designed with a quick release mechanism to facilitate removal in case the wearer was required to abandon the aircraft. The armor as used formed a loose fitting outer garment which weighed about 20 pounds. By the end of May enough of these were being manufactured in the theater to outfit some 30 Heavy crews, and orders were to be placed in the United States for additional quantities.
Defensive measures and devices constantly called for the best efforts of air leaders. That these efforts brought forth both makeshift and very clever contrivances is already evident. Subsequent defensive developments will be taken up as they appeared in later phase of the offensive.
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