subject: Modern Armor [print this page] Armor became useful again in World War IArmor became useful again in World War I. The soldiers of all the armies wore metal helmets. These helmets were made of hardened steel, and were useful in protecting the soldier's head against injury from the fragments of bursting shells. The helmets used in World War II were better than those used in World War I. They were deeper and protected more of the head and back of the neck. Some body armor was also used in World War II. Many American fliers wore "flak suits." These suits were really nothing more than vests and aprons. The vests and aprons had many pockets in them, into which small plates of metal were placed. These flak suits saved many fliers from injury. (The word flak comes from the German word for anti-aircraft artillery.) Many experiments have been made with bullet-proof clothing. During the Korean War, the United States soldiers sometimes wore bullet-proof clothing. It was usually made of a lightweight plastic material, several layers in thickness. These bullet-proof articles of clothing could stop all but a direct hit. The word "armor" is also used to describe tanks and cars that are protected by heavy metal plates. Today we speak of an armored division. This means a division of soldiers that has tanks and armored vehicles of many kinds. The tanks and armored vehicles are made of very strong steel. Armor plate is also used on warships. The sides, decks and turrets of a warship are strengthened by additional thicknesses of steel plate. In airplanes, the pilot's cockpit may be protected by armor plate. The armor plate in an airplane must be thin and light. An airplane would be slowed down if the weight of the armor were too great.
