The German Helmet - 12 Variants through WW1 to WW2

This is Kathy Johnston from MilitaryTour.com. For all of you WWII history buffs, we will be discussing the history of the German helmet from WWI to WWII. We will discuss how and why the first steel helmets were made, what the variations are between years, the sizing and colouring of the German helmets, and the helmet decals. Due to the types of warfare taking place prior to WWI, helmets were not at all like what we're used to today. Only made of cloth or leather, they did little to help protect the head during battle. Think of the German Pickle Hope, the spiked, boiled leather helmet that the Germans wore up until 1916. Headgear made to protect from saber cuts, but not from bullets or shrapnel. Once the highly dangerous trench war of WWI began, these types of helmets became a big problem and of little protection. Due to the high number of casualties and deaths as a result of severe head wounds during the Great War, the French designed and initiated the use of the first steel helmet. This helmet, called the Adriaen Helmet, became the helmet by which all further steel helmets evolved from. The British Army then developed the Brody Helmet, which would also become the helmet used by the U.S. Army. The Germans, slow to follow suit, finally developed the Stahlhelm, or steel helmet. Initially, in 1915, the Army Detachment of the Vosges developed a new helmet that consisted of leather, but with a steel plate to protect the soldier's eyes and nose. By 1916, the Germans developed the M16, and this helmet became instantly recognizable by its coal shuttle shape. The design of the M16 was made by Dr. Friedrich Schwerd from the Technical Institute in Hanover. After studying the types of head wounds that were suffered in battle, Schwerd designed and produced the Stahlhelm based on a 15th-century salty, made from martensitic silicon nickel, which is much harder than the Brody Helmet, which was made of steel. Finally completed in February 1916, it was first distributed to the troops of the Verdun and was a marked improvement for the troops. The M1916 went through several changes during its early life, mostly with the chin strap arrangement and the internal liner system, resulting in the M1917 and the M1918 helmets. The M18 came designed with a cutout on the sides of the helmets for the ears. After Germany lost the Great War, most of the M16 helmets were destroyed as per the Versailles Treaty, though some did remain in use by the police. By 1932, a new helmet was being modeled to replace the older types. This new helmet, the M1933, retained the original shape of the older helmets, but it was made from a composite plastic material, which was more lightweight. The M33, though no longer issued to the military, was still used by police and fire brigades. With Dr. Friedrich Schwerd again in charge of improvements to German helmets, he worked with Heisenhuttenberger company in 1934 to rework and redesign and test a newer model. This would become the M1935. Made with pressed molybdenum steel, the size of both the visor and the skirt were made smaller, with the edge of the shell still being rolled. The ventilation holes became smaller when they were replaced with hollow rivets, and a major change was made to the helmet liner, making the helmet considerably more comfortable to wear and easier to adjust. It was also outfitted with a new chin strap to replace the cold carbon clip and the roller buckle style. The M35 would begin its distribution in June 1935. During the first two years, more than 1.3 million were manufactured. One variant of the M1935 was issued to the Fallschirmjäger. In order to help reduce the risk of a head injury upon landing from a jump, the projecting visor and flared rim were removed from this helmet. This major change in the design of the helmet also called for a change in the liner and the chin strap design. Due to the economics of a long war, with the need for faster production and a change in manufacturing methods, slight modifications were made to the M35, resulting in the M1940 and the M1942. The M42 no longer came with the rolled edge and was stamped of a single sheet of metal to save money and to increase manufacturing efficiency. Changes also occurred to the ventilation hole. Instead of being an external metal piece that was pressed into the hole after the helmet was made, it now became part of the helmet itself during its pressing. Much more uncommon and hard to find were two variants made in 1944 and in 1945. The M44 helmet, which was a simpler helmet with sloped sides, was similar to the British 1944 type MK3. Hitler did not approve of these helmets, so there was limited distribution. The M1945 variant was like the M42, however it no longer had the ventilation holes. These were of limited supply due to being manufactured during the final months of World War II. To prevent rusting, all of the German helmets were painted inside and out. The Heer M35 had a smooth field grey or green-grey finish and the Luftwaffe with a grey-blue finish. SS helmets used a satin black finish. With the modification of paint processes and the change of manufacturers and paint suppliers, it was difficult, if not impossible, to maintain paint color or texture consistency. Another big change to the color of helmets was made by the soldiers themselves. Helmets were being repainted by the men depending on their own personal circumstances and experience. There really were no two helmets made that were of the same color. Helmets were made in five different shell sizes and liners as follows. Shell size 60 is an extra small and is 52 to 53 centimeters. Shell size 62 is a small and is 54 to 55 centimeters. Shell size 64 is a medium and is 56 to 57 centimeters. And shell size 66 is a large and is 58 to 59 centimeters. Shell size 68 is an extra large and is 60 to 61 centimeters. Decals were applied to one or both sides of helmets to designate the unit or branch of service the wearer was in. Initially, the M35 helmets had the Imperial German National Shield placed on the right side. The National Shield is a tri-colored decal with black, white, and red stripes. The left side was for the insignia of the branch or the organization. There were a number of printing companies that made decals during the war, so there became a wide variance in the look and style of them. Hejarami has a black shield with a silver-colored German eagle facing forward and holding a swastika. Kriegsmarine is the same as the Heer but in gold. Luftwaffen had a decal with a side view of an eagle in flight holding a swastika. SS had black runic initials on a silver shield. These were normally applied to the right side of the helmet. In August 1935, Heinrich Himmler introduced the National Socialist Party decal. The step of adding decals to helmets during manufacturing was stopped in 1943 to reduce visibility for the wearer and to quicken production. Germany exported many of their helmets to a variety of countries. The M1918 was used by the Argentine Army, Poland, Irish Defense Forces, and by the Yugoslav People's Army up until 1959. The M1935 helmet was used by the Polish Home Army and was exported to China and it became the main helmet of the Chinese Army. They also exported it to Hungary, Spain, and South America. I hope you enjoyed this video and got some useful information from it. For more historical information or to purchase any of the products we discussed, please visit our website at militarytour.com. We specialize in historical military products and have a huge variety to choose from. Take care!