Show Army Strives to Take Tale Some Of the Risks Out of Warfare Soldiers Taught How Hov To A Avoid void Accidental Injuries in Battle I Ordnance specialists call It brisance A layman would call it the shattering power of a detonated explosive But whatever whatever whatever what what- ever you call cal it its it's terrifically dangerous Controlled brisance kills the enemy Uncontrolled by rules of safety it kills and maims Americans To speak of safety methods in connection connection connection con con- with the grim business of waging war sounds Incongruous Yet the army's ordnance department department depart depart- ment its ground forces its air forces and its service forces have piled up an amazing safety record in time of war For example look at the score in the nations nation's three score government government govern govern- I ment owned contractor operated explosive producing arsenals under I supervision of the U. U S. S army ordnance ordnance ord ord- nance department I In January 1941 less than 11 million pounds of powder and explosives explosives explosives ex ex- plosives were produced in the U U. U S S. S Three years later in January 1944 we produced more than a quarter of ofa ofa ofa a billion pounds of explosives and during those three years our total production was nearly 6 billion pounds Incredible as it may appear in handling the most powerful explosives explosives explosives ex ex- ex- ex plosives known to man man some so sensitive they must be transported under water others so potent that thata a small amount penetrates five inches of concrete it is nevertheless nevertheless less a fact that there were only injuries during 1943 throughout all these installations in America Nor is this safety program confined confined confined con con- fined to civilian workers Our men in uniform have benefited greatly from modern safety methods No Noone Noone Noone one would describe the job of a soldier on active wartime duty as a safe job Yet granting that the soldier risks his life constantly in inthe inthe inthe the performance of his duty the army makes sure that he does not risk it needlessly Gun tubes for example which must resist high pressures yet must R P ota M aa a a L a I A twisted or broken ankle can disable disable disable dis dis- dis- dis able a soldier as effectively J as an enemy bullet American fighting men learn how to jump from a movIng moving moving ing vehicle and land without injury This is only one of the many tricks taught in army training c camps camps also be light for easy aiming and transportation are tested with excess excess excess ex ex- cess pressure rounds before accept acceptance acceptance acceptance ance to insure their safety in the hands of the troops Now our projectiles are bore safe They cannot explode within the gun Reflecting this confidence in the safety of their weapons our men are now regarded as the forest finest marksmen in the world Escape Hatches in Tanks The combat crew inside a battle tank cannot have and do not expect to have absolute safety But the army sees to it that within the limits limits limits lim lim- its of normal battle battie hazards they are protected from unnecessary risks Tanks are provided with hatches hatches' hatcheson on both the top and bottom surfaces surfaces surfaces sur sur- faces for easy e escape pe regardless of the position of the tank New automatic controls reduce drivers driver's fatigue Seats are cus cushioned against shock and nd are provided with safety belts Padding is placed at many points to avoid dangerous impact shock Forced ventilation cools the tank interior in summer heat and drives off oil toxic gun gases during combat Accident prevention however inno inno in inno no the effectiveness of our fighting men the war department department depart depart- ment i said A hitting hard tough tough- bodied army continues to be our objective There are fewer sprained ankles wrenched knees or sprained backs in our field armies of ot today because safety training programs have taught men how to jump correctly cor correctly from relatively great heights with rifles and packs Men lifting various heavy objects in the field do so without injury because they were taught how during training courses Our realistic training methods are actually safety methods Experience Experience Experience ence has shown that the average recruit is as frightened by battle I noise and battle confusion as he Isby is isby isby by bullets Such a soldier becomes excited perhaps fires his rifle unintentionally unintentionally un un- intentionally perhaps kills or orr wounds his own comrades Instead of the enemy Such a soldier is Unsure unsure unsure un Un- sure of himself himsel nerve taunt jumpy On army Infiltration courses bat bat- green tle-green soldiers are taught how to crawl across rough terrain through barbed wire while machine gun bullets whiz above their heads and TNT charges explode nearby like enemy land mines Graduates of these safety in courses are not likely to suffer sutter needless wounds or needless death They know that in crawling It Is vital to keep the head and body down that a smart soldier crawls under barbed wire not over It that a soldier whose weapon Is not clean and ready to function when needed Is a soldier most likely to become a casualty Mention the word doughboy to most persons and they think of a aman aman aman man with a rifle and a bayonet That may have been true in previous previous previous pre pre- wars wars but it is not true in this one Safety training and practice inthe in inthe inthe the army ground forces goes a long longway longway longway way beyond this basic rifle and onet conception of the American foot soldier Weapon training adds to the soldiers soldier's chance of survival by making making making mak mak- ing him versatile with a great many more weapons than his rifle Among these are hand and rifle grenades combat knife automatic pistol machine pistol carbine automatic rifle three types of machine machine machine ma ma- chine guns two types of mortars flame thrower bazooka mines mines' and I booby traps bangalore torpedo and other demolition equipment Most probably the individual infantryman will never be called upon to use all these weapons in combat but he may at any time be called caned upon suddenly in an emergency to use any anyone one of them The knowledge and facility gained during training increases increases in in- creases powerfully the safety factor factor factor fac fac- tor protecting the uniformed man in battle i In addition the army ground forces protects its men in the field by careful instruction in battle andfield and field sanitation in personal hygiene in the safe use of drinking water water wa wa- ter and in defense against diseases caused by insects and parasites Even so small a thing as the COmmon common common com COm- mon foot blister is not ignored in army safety practice Fewer Air Corps Accidents Equally insistent on the highest possible safety standards in the dangerous business of waging war is the army air forces training com com- mand During the first six months of 1943 a total of million military flying hours were logged in continental continental continental con con- U. U S. S During the same period in 1944 the total was million Despite this impressive increase increase increase in in- crease of more than hours fatal accidents and death totals were actually reduced Furthermore the improvement is continuing In July 1944 the accident accident accident acci acci- dent rate for training type planes planes' was the lowest yet recorded Daring DurIng During Dur- Dur ing July in the continental U. U S. S trainees in und undergraduate pilots pilots' schools logged an amazing total of 01 flying time in PT ISs IS's and with fatal accident only one Graduate pilots operating combat type airplanes in transition schools and in the replacement training units established safety records too Pilots in B 17 Flying Fortresses achieved an time all-time low in crack- crack ups Also in July 1944 there were only two in the high high- speed B 25 Billy Mitchells This is not the safety record of a commercial airline or even a com- com merical truck fleet but the safety experience of a giant air force engaged engaged engaged en en- in global war The motto of the army has never been Safety First In army parlance parlance par par- lance safety is knowledge Army airmen achieve safety because they know Typical is the procedure for I forced landings in water which includes in includes in- in cl des how to swim through fire how to handle rubber boats and parachutes defense against sharks precautions to take against wind weather eater and the hundreds of hazards hazards hazards haz haz- ards ards that confront men adrift in open water Airmen know how to take every conceivable precaution in case of jungle landings or any other type or of landing which may lead to danger or difficulty In war great hazards cannot be avoided but trained and disciplined men with a knowledge of those hazards hazards haz haz- know how to avoid ards and the or to overcome some of them have developed one of the greatest organized organized organized or or- safety programs of all time |