B-17 bomber crewman happy to be alive after his flak jacket protected him from an unexploded 20mm cannon shell from a Luftwaffe fighter circa 1943

[hw97karbine]

The Flying Fortress in the background is B-17F 41-24586 assigned to the 305th Bomb Group, unfortunately I was unable to identify the crewman involved or find any details of the incident beyond what is visible in the clip.

 

[Snautzer01]

View attachment 828825

The Flying Fortress in the background is B-17F 41-24586 assigned to the 305th Bomb Group, unfortunately I was unable to identify the crewman involved or find any details of the incident beyond what is visible in the clip.

41-24586 | American Air Museum

www.americanairmuseum.com

 

[SaparotRob]

That is officially his lucky jacket.

 

[Gnomey]

Good one!

 

[Maxrobot1]

There are more than a few anecdotes of German 20mm shells not detonating on impact. there is speculation regarding the use of "slave labor" in the factories and sabotage. Of course, it could just have been the assembly of the complicated small part making up the fuze.
Luck may have played a art!

 

[hw97karbine]

There are more than a few anecdotes of German 20mm shells not detonating on impact. there is speculation regarding the use of "slave labor" in the factories and sabotage. Of course, it could just have been the assembly of the complicated small part making up the fuze.
Luck may have played a art!

Even when manufactured in optimal peacetime conditions you will have certain percentage of duds in munitions, throw in the pressures of wartime production and that rate is going to increase considerably even without sabotage. Another possibility in this case is that the shell was fitted with an AZ9501 hydrostatic fuze that was actuated by fluid pressure when the shell penetrated a fuel or oil tank, I don't believe it had a mechanism to detonate when striking any other target medium.

 

[Alan Stevens]

A 1942 study found that 70% of bomber crew wounds were caused by low-velocity projectiles, such as deflected flak fragments or shattered aircraft parts. The introduction of flak jackets significantly reduced injuries from these threats, saving thousands of bomber crewmen during World War II.

The U.S. Army Eighth Air Force pioneered the development of modern body armor, including flak vests made with manganese steel plates sewn into canvas. These vests were particularly effective against shrapnel and flak, though they offered limited protection against high-velocity rounds.

During World War II, studies showed that flak jackets significantly reduced injuries among bomber crews. A 1943 report from the U.S. Army Eighth Air Force found that these vests prevented 50-60% of wounds caused by shrapnel and low-velocity projectiles.

Later testing in the Korean War showed that newer body armor designs stopped 75.7% of all fragments and 24.4% of small arms projectiles. These advancements saved thousands of lives and influenced modern protective gear.

 

[GrauGeist]

The 20mm minengeschoß also had the option to be fitted with a hydrostatic fuse, which detonated upon contact with liquid, such as water, fuel, oil and even a human body.