Casualties from flak and cannon fire had been reduced by the introduction of body armor or “flak suits,” as the men called them. The combat body vest was made of overlapping manganese steel plates sewed into a canvas covering. An apron of the same material hooked onto the vest, protecting the groin and upper thighs. The complete suit weighed twenty-two and a half pounds and, though cumbersome, could be shed quickly in an emergency by the pull of a cord.
