Armoured fighting vehicle injuries in peacetime.

A year-long prospective study of injuries caused by armoured fighting vehicles on exercises in West Germany revealed that 2 soldiers were killed. Another 41 needed hospital admission for treatment of injuries of the lower limb (16), upper limb (15), head (8) and back (2). Tank loader/signallers were peculiarly susceptible to severe leg injuries, due to the ankle being trapped and twisted by the turret rotating within the hull. Insecure, falling hatch covers accounted for many of the hand, head and back injuries. Soldiers in training need to be made more aware of these particular hazards. Reduced caution would make injuries such as these more common during armoured warfare, and their statistics should be included in casualty estimates.