With the help of Pervitin, German soldiers could march for days on end without stopping, going without sleep for up to 50 hours.
While soldiers were in combat- usually for “short” stretches of a few weeks at a time- they would likely have slept for 2–4 hours at a time in order to stand watch, and sometimes might not get any sleep for multiple days on end if actively fighting.
American soldiers in Europe, however, improvised, using any flat surface as a bed and even learning to sleep standing up or snooze lightly while marching. GIs learned the term “Hurry up and wait!” and made the most of it.
Throughout WWII, around 140,000 military personnel were captured. Sleep deprivation was one form of torture during interrogations. Other forms included: Solitary confinement.
In the military, there's no such thing as sleeping in and resting. Between rigorous training schedules and long work hours, many soldiers survive on less than five hours of sleep, and under extreme circumstances some may stay awake for days.
The Department of Defense recommends that when sleep deprivation is required for an operation, soldiers take “tactical naps” of 20 minutes, followed by caffeine. If they're aware of a mission ahead of time, they should bank their sleep by sleeping extra hours beforehand.
Hotch: A sniper can wait up to 72 hours without sleeping. Mays: Seriously? Rossi: That's part of their training. They can stay awake for 72 hours and remain completely focused on their target.
Boys as young as 14 lied about their age in order to enlist and fight in the Second World War. Here, HistoryExtra explores the stories of two such boys who enlisted – despite officially having to be 18 to do so… In 1930s Britain, boys could leave school at the age of 14 and start work.
It was not until World War II that the enemy killed more American troops than disease did. Thirty percent of those wounded in action during World War II ultimately died; however, the vast majority survived. During most campaigns in World War II, for every single American soldier killed four or five were wounded.
The Soviet Union is estimated to have suffered the highest number of WWII casualties.
Of course, entertainment gave servicemembers a break from the stresses and the boredom of war. Radio programs, movie showings, USO shows, and visits from Red Cross women serving donuts all allowed soldiers to think about something besides the war, to relax, and even to laugh.
Second World War
However, soldiers at the front still relied on preserved foods. These largely consisted of tinned items, but also dehydrated meats and oatmeal that were designed to be mixed with water. Morale-boosting items, such as chocolate and sweets, were also provided. And powdered milk was issued for use in tea.
Nighttime continued to have a significant impact on combat during World War II. Particularly in the Pacific Theater, the Japanese military was proficient in night warfare, as acknowledged by the Allies.
Battle Fatigue or Combat Stress Reaction (CSR)
In World War II, the shell shock diagnosis was replaced by Combat Stress Reaction (CSR), also known as "battle fatigue." With long surges common in World War II, soldiers became battle weary and exhausted.
Among those who had previously sought psychiatric treatment, 37% of the World War II veterans and 80% of the Korean War veterans had current PTSD. Rosen et al [32] found that 54% of a group of psychiatric patients who had been in combat during World War II met criteria for PTSD.
Instead, soldiers suffered from combat or battle exhaustion. The simplest therapy was rest, sometimes combined with tranquillizers. Other treatments included the use of electroshock therapy, hypnosis, and narcotherapy. This last treatment option involved the use of Pentothal, a 'truth serum.
Private First Class Charles Havlat (November 4, 1910 – May 7, 1945) is recognized as being the last United States Army soldier to be killed in combat in the European Theater of Operations during World War II.
Charles Benjamin "Chuck" Mawhinney (born 1949) is a former United States Marine who holds the Corps' record for the most confirmed sniper kills, having recorded 103 confirmed kills and 216 probable kills in 16 months during the Vietnam War.
World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China.
Full conscription of men
On the day Britain declared war on Germany, 3 September 1939, Parliament immediately passed a more wide-reaching measure. The National Service (Armed Forces) Act imposed conscription on all males aged between 18 and 41 who had to register for service.
Navy Veteran Calvin Leon Graham became the youngest World War II soldier at the age of 12, and the youngest recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. During World War II, it was not unusual for American boys to lie about their age in order to enlist.
The easy experimental answer to this question is 264 hours (about 11 days). In 1965, Randy Gardner, a 17-year-old high school student, set this apparent world-record for a science fair. Several other normal research subjects have remained awake for eight to 10 days in carefully monitored experiments.
If they make it as SEALs, that's just the beginning. For their entire career, they have to go on missions during which they don't get much sleep at all. He said he found consuming caffeine doesn't do much, except drinking coffee or tea helps to keep warm.
While most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep, some adults average five or fewer hours of sleep each night. While it may seem like enough sleep, regularly getting only five hours of sleep each night may lead to sleep deprivation.