Question about Mae West B3 / B4

[Ruben Alba]

Hello!

I’d like to complete my 82abn. parachutist equipment.

I’ve got a question about Mae West life preserver.

Which was the most common model used at Operations Husky, Neptune and Market Garden?

Was B3 model used at the beginning and replaced by B4 model when the war was about to be won? Or were both models used interchangeably?

Which is the most suitable model for each campaign?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Regards from Spain.

[phantomfixer]

I can't speculate on airborne operations, but with the USAAF, the B3 and B4 were used interchangeably...during and after the war....the B4 most likely would have been produced in greater numbers, but I do not think the B3 was declared obsolete before the wars end...others will know about survival equipment...

[dustin]

Ruben's questions are more of an Airborne inquiry rather than the vests themsleves or AAF use. Since airborne operation knowledge was required, I thought it best to leave it for those that know more. But now since it sat for awhile, in my observations of Operation Husky, the B-3 vest seemed to had been the prominent used life preserver. This does make sense that this was an early 1943 operation. The B-4 was not quite yet available in any large quantities at this time. By Neptune and especially Market Garden, the B-4 was the dominant type. Production of the B-3 all but ceased in 1942, with a couple of minor exceptions. By these later operations, the B-4 far surpassed the availability of the B-3 and was the mainstream.

To directly answer your question in short; B-3 for Husky and B-4 for all later operations.

Now, there are those out there more astute on Husky that may have images of paratroops with B-4's, but again I think you'll see a lot of B-3's used then.

[Ruben Alba]

Thank you both for your answers.

Thanks DUSTIN, it is the information I was looking for.

I believe the same: B3 for husky and B4 for the others.

But I wanted to know more opinions.

Thank you.