Fighting when drunk

[chornedsnorkack]

In Second World War as well as Winter War, Red Army soldiers used to be given 100 g of vodka daily.

How did it affect their reaction and judgment?

In the Winter War, it was mentioned that land soldiers got 100 g of vodka, but aviators got 100 g of brandy instead. The supply department reported afterwards that in two and half years, they had spent 10 millions of litres of vodka (sic!) and 88 000 litres of brandy.

This means about 100 millions of portions of vodka and 880 000 portions of brandy (here omitting to account for density) or, in other words, during about 75 days, 1,3 million portions of vodka daily, and 12 000 portions of brandy...

So, is it easy to fly well and fight well with 100 g of brandy?

Meanwhile, the German pilots invented amphetamines... how do those affect fighting?

[Load Toad]

Well lets think about it:

Alcohol impairs your judgement - you feel brave but your reactions slow and you misjudge distances. You are more likely to get into a fight you can't win, crash on the way home or order a pizza and fight in the taxi cue.

On Amphetamines you talk everyone to death, stay awake, buy loads of stuff you don't need. Your sexual parts shrink and you go crazy. When you come down you feel very depressed and want to kill yourself.

Take your pick.

[chornedsnorkack]

Well lets think about it:
Alcohol impairs your judgement - you feel brave but your reactions slow and you misjudge distances. You are more likely to get into a fight you can't win, crash on the way home or order a pizza and fight in the taxi cue.
On Amphetamines you talk everyone to death, stay awake, buy loads of stuff you don't need. Your sexual parts shrink and you go crazy. When you come down you feel very depressed and want to kill yourself.
Take your pick.

Well, slow reactions, misjudging distances, getting into hopeless fights and crashing are all bad for pilots.

Talking one´s copilot, navigator or gunner to death might be bad, but it is no good sleeping during a fight. There is nothing to buy in a cockpit. Sexual parts shrinking and going crazy are regrettable, but do they affect the outcome of the fight?

What about caffeine?

[evansb]

About fifteen years ago, a Canadian study on the effects of alcohol on driving revealed a surprising finding. Consumption of small quantities (150ml or less) of hard liquor would actually reduce the driving time through pylons by young, (18-21 year old), male drivers. Further tests of passing ability, parking, and observance of speed zones revealed no degredation of performance. Not surprisingly, this study got very little exposure . Drivers of all other ages and gender categories did experience a reduction in driving ability.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Ampetamine

No experience; none likely!

Alcohol

Dislocated shoulder. Recovered to normal after 18 months.


That, of course, isn't what you meant but perhaps it illustrates some of the characteristics.

evansb

Have you a link or reference for that Canadian study please? It's just what I need to give some of the sanctimonious buggers I work with something to agonise over.

G B Z

[evansb]

If my recall serves correctly, the tests were filmed by a CTV (Canadian Television Network) weekly current affairs programme. I'll attempt further research for you.
Cheers.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Thanks; much appreciated.

G B Z

[evansb]

The programme was called "Live It Up" and ran from 1978 to 1990. The test was recorded on film, not on video tape, so access is difficult. However there is a French study that had some interesting conclusions:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=2472671

Also, NHTSA has many research paper references on low-dose alcohol studies. Google their site if you like.

You may also want to bounce this question off the Medical & Health thread of pprune.

[Agaricus bisporus]

There are still plenty of active pilots out there who remember the UK military banning drinking in the wardroom (can't speak for the RAF) at lunch time (early '70s?) and flying in the afternoon. How anyone handled a Sea Vixen, Toom or Wessex on 3 pints of lager is beyond me, but apparently it was not at all unusual.

[ORAC]

I seem to recall the biography of a WWI pilot relating how their aircraft engines were lubricated by castor oil and that a fine haze surrounded the cockpit. As a result they tended to suffer quite severely from the runs - which they got around by drinking, for medicinal purposes you understand, large portions of brandy and milk.

Theoretically only after landing, but apparently a couple of shots helped wonderfully prior to take-off.....

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

evansb

Copied, many thanks.

G B Z

[TwoDeadDogs]

hi there
A German infantry officer is recorded as having broken thru Russian lines with his battered company, by virtue of the fact that all of the enemy squads and platoons he encountered were drunk enough not to be able to offer any effective resistance.In one instance, they crept thru a defensive position because all of the occupants were asleep, ....ed as lords.Conversely, a British unit in Normandy are recorded as having beaten off repeated infantry attacks at close quarters. The German survivors were all drunk and told their captors that they had been given lots of calvados before the assault.The British recorded that the Germans were shouting and screeching even before the assault went in....
regards
TDD:ooh:

[Double Zero]

I met a sqn leader in the early '80's who happily referred to his old squadron 'playing jokers' ( as in 'it's a knock-out' ) ; on a pilot's tour, he was allowed once to say " sorry I can't fly today boss, hungover".

Otherwise 100% oxygen as soon as strapped in was said to do the trick.

At the end of a tour, there was a party to 'use up unused jokers'...