THE GERMAN HELMET I
The antecedent of the German helmet of World War II can be found in the designs of World War I: the M16 and the M18.
In early 1915, theDr. Friedrich Schwerfrom the Hannover Institute of Technology, completed a study on head injuries in frontline soldiers caused by trench warfare. TheDr Schwer, he was working with the medical department of the 18th Army Corps where he was an artillery captain.
Once his study was finished, he sent his recommendation for the use of the steel helmet through ProfessorDr August Baird, 18th Army surgeon.
Shortly afterwards he was ordered to Berlin, where he was given the task of designing and producing a suitable steel helmet.
Thus the German M16 helmet was born.
Sketches of the original designs:
THE NEW MODELS
When Hitler came to power in 1933, and with the breach of the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, the new army began to be formed and developed and the old M18 helmet model was used to equip the troops, with the trim changed. by the new design called M31, the helmet being renamed as the "transitional" model.
Work continued on the new design, and it is in the year 1935 that the new helmet appeared "Stahlhelm 35" (known as M35) with a more modern line, and with which the army was immediately provided (order AHM 1935 no. 289 of 06/25/1935). Its design was an improvement on the previous M16 and M18 models, they were trimmed both the windshield, the visor and the neck protector, resulting in a smaller helmet but without losing its protection capacity.This new model also incorporated the new M31 model interior trim, with a fastening ring with straps and 8-tab leather.
In theM35 the side ventilation holes are rivets which replaced the lugs that served to hold the already outdated stirnpanzer of the M16 and M18 models, and the edge of the helmet is bent inwards.
Later, when the war started, after verifying that the rivet of the ventilation holes of the modelM35It acted like a projectile after receiving a strong impact on the helmet, causing serious head injuries and also taking advantage of it to save manufacturing costs. In 1940, a new model/variant appeared. : theStahlhelm 40(M40)which by order of the Army High Command of 03/26/1940 replaced the previousM35. In this new model, the rivets in the ventilation holes were eliminated, being replaced by a simple embossing on the metal, this new variant keeps the edge folded inwards.
In 1942 (Order of the High Command dated 7/6/1942) a new variant was reintroduced which would be calledStahlhelm 42(M42).This time the need for a new model/variant was to reduce the manufacturing cost, the stamping of the ventilation holes is maintained and the brim no longer bends, thus the helmet appears to have a greater span.
In the period 1942-1944, work was carried out on the project of a new hull design, with the idea of replacing the M35 model (and its M40 and M42 variants), remaining in the prototype phase and which was called themodel M44, which in its design is reminiscent of theCzech Vz.32. After the war, this design will be the basis for the new helmetM56VOPO-NVA, used by German Democratic Republic (DDR).
Mention also the variants of the helmet called M37 and M38 intended forfallschirjager. The design of these helmets is the same as the M35 but to which a large part of the side, rear "skirts" and the visor have been cut. It also changes the inner lining and the chinstrap that allow better support to the head for skydiving.
PAINT
Regarding the color, indicate that depending on the weapon or destination the helmets were painted in different colors:
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dark olive gray - Heer / Kriegsmarine
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medium green gray - Heer / Kriegsmarine
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soft green gray - Heer / Kriegsmarine
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anthracite gray - Luftwaffe
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Dark Gray - Campaign Repaints
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dark yellow - camo
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yellow brown - camo
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reddish brown - camo
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brown - camo
Apart from mentioning these colors, the colors with which the helmets were painted vary according to the dates, so in general we would have that between 1935 and 1940 the helmets were painted grey-green (feldgrau) light soft, from 01/27/1940 gray green (feldgrau) dark matt, and from 1944 they were covered with a smooth slate gray paint (schiefergrau).
MANUFACTURERS
According to data consulted, during the years from 1935 to 1945, approximately 25,000,000 helmets were manufactured in total, between 5 manufacturers. From the start of the war, the various manufacturers marked the helmets on the inside with their own markings, along with the size of the pot. These marks were normally located on the inside of the right apron, and the manufacturing batch number was marked on the lower rear part, which could be just a number or a number preceded by letters: DN (Deutsch standard), S, T.
The stamp of the manufacturer and the size changed places during the course of the war, being located on the skirt at the back above the batch number.
Q - FW Quist GmbH - Esslingen
E.T./ckl (1943) - Eisemhüttenwerke - Thale
NS - Vereignite Deutsch Nikelwerke - Schwerte
SE/hkp (1943) - Sächsische Emailler und Stanzwerke - Lauter
FS / EF - Emailierwerke AG - Fulda
The helmet was manufactured in different sizes and each one of them had the corresponding trim size associated with it, thus we have the following equivalences:
pot 60 cm - garnish 52-53 cm
pot 62 cm - garnish 54-55 cm
pot 64 cm - garnish 56-57 cm
pot 66 cm - garnish 58-59 cm
pot 68 cm - garnish 60-61 cm
pot 70 cm - garnish 62-63 cm
In thenext articlethis information is extended.
Q
SE/hkp
Q
FS/EF
ET/ckl
DECALS
By order of February 17, 1934, the helmets had to have 2 lateral decals, on the right side the tricolor shield with the national colors, and on the left the emblem of the weapon in which they served.
Once the war began, the High Command realized that the decal with the national colors was visible at long distances and that it served as a target for enemy snipers, for which reason, according to the directive of March 21, 1940, it was ordered to eliminate the Tricolor calca with special emphasis for the helmets that were used in the front. Despite thisorder many helmets kept both decalsespecially those used in the rear and those used by high officers.
In 1942 the left decal also disappeared (on helmets used in combat), a time when helmets began to be painted with mimetic tones.
Decal dimensions:
national tricolor: 40 mm x 33 mm
Heer eagle: 40/41mm x 33mm (silver)
Kriegsmarine Eagle: 40/41mm x 33mm (Gold)
Luftwaffe Eagle 1st Design: 36mm x 60mm
Luftwaffe Eagle 2nd Design: 36mm x 67mm
There could be a variation of up to 1 mm according to different manufacturers.
INNER LINING
The M31 model interior trim consists of an aluminum outer ring (later made of zinc) that is fixed to the helmet by three rivets, one on each side and one at the rear, into which the straps are inserted (which in turn make of shock absorbers) of the inner ring to which the leather trim is attached.
To the inner ring va fastened by rivets the leather lining (sheep, goat or pig skin) formed by 7 or 8 tabs, which have 5 ventilation holes. These tabs have a hole at the end through which a string passes that serves to link them.
Guarnición casco modelo M38, paracaidistas.
El barboquejo es sencillo consiste en 2 piezas de cuero natural con la parte exterior tratada y de color negro brillante o marrón oscuro, sujetas al aro de la guarnición que se unen con una hebilla simple.
Barboquejo para cascos modelo M35, M40 y M42, guarnición modelo M31
Barboquejo para cascos modelo M37, M38 paracaidistas
CAMOUFLAGE
El soldado alemán durante la II Guerra mundial, utilizó varios métodos de camuflaje para el casco de combate, entre ellos destacamos los siguientes:
Esquemas de pintura
Redes de alambre: medio usado para sujetar elementos de camuflaje, ramas, hojas,....
Red: usado también para sujetar elementos de camuflaje
Fundas miméticas
la VARIANTE hungara del casco ALEMAN
Una vez finalizada la I Guerra mundial y Hungría como estado independiente, comenzó a trabajar en la modernización del su ejército. En 1935 con la aparición del modelo de casco alemán y dado que el Gobierno de Hungría, mantenía buenas relaciones con el Gobierno del III Reich se consiguió la colaboración alemana para la fabricación del nuevo casco para el ejército Húngaro.
En un principio se intentó que fueran 4 las fábricas húngaras que desarrollaran y elaboraran el nuevo casco, pero finalmente sólo fueron 2 y que trabajaron bajo la supervisión del primer fabricante del casco alemán M35, EISEMHÜTTENWERKE. El nuevo casco húngaro se entregó a partir de 1938, las fábricas húngaras fueron:
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MAGYAR KIRALYI VAS ES GEPGYARAK (marcaje: MAVAG) en Budapest.
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MAGYAR VAGGON ES GEPGYAR (marcaje: GY) en Györ.
(fábrica completamente destruida en abril de 1944 por bombarderos de ls USAF)
Así como el casco alemán sufrió modificaciones (modelos M35, M40 y M42) el casco húngaro permaneció sin modificaciones hasta finalizar la guerra. Se desconoce exactamente el número de cascos fabricados, pero se estima que fue cercano al millón.
A pesar de que el nuevo casco húngaro es idéntico en diseño al modelo alemán M35, existen unas diferencias que los permiten distinguir a ambos:
El casco húngaro:
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lleva una trabilla trasera a modo de enganche.
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la guarnición interior formada por 3 lengüetas de cuero sujetas a un aro metálico, es más simple que la del modelo alemán.
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los remaches laterales se sitúan por detrás del orificio de ventilación (en el modelo alemán se sitúan por delante).
Se fabricaron en tres variantes:
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color verde para uso del ejército.
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variante A: color azul ceniza para uso de la defensa civil y servicios auxiliares.
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variante B: color azul ceniza con cresta de refuerzo para el uso de los bomberos.
Según el fabricante del casco podemos observar unas pequeñas diferencias que permiten distinguirlos:
MAGYAR VAGGON ES GEPGYAR (marcaje: GY)
casco más robusto
frontal más angular
cabeza plana de los remaches de la trabilla trasera
MAGYAR KIRALYI VAS ES GEPGYARAK (marcaje: MAVAG)
casco más refinado
forma reprimida
frontal más redondeado
cabeza redondeada de los remaches de la trabilla trasera
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Observar la posición del orificio de aireación y el remache de la guarnición del casco alemán (izquerda) y el casco húngaro (derecha).
Hungría exportó el modelo M35/38 a Finlandia. Los lotes de los cascos enviados a Finlandia se identificaron con la marca DR junto con la marca de la talla, y carecen también de la marca del escudo de armas húngaro.
la VARIANTE española del casco ALEMAN - el modelo z
Tras finalizar la Guerra Civil Española, con el nuevo régimen en el poder surgió la urgente necesidad de rearmar al ejército y con ello la necesidad de modernizar del casco de combate, con ello se aprovechaba también dejar de usar los modelos M26 y M21, al recordar al antiguo ejército de la República Española.
Debido a la proximidad del nuevo régimen franquista con el régimen de la Alemania nazi, y con las influencias que esta aproximación conllevaba, en septiembre de 1942 se aprobó el uso del nuevo casco modelo Z42, con el mismo diseño que el modelo alemán pero de calidad inferior, tampoco se utilizó el mismo modelo de guarnición siendo la del modelo Z42 la típica de tres lengüetas usada en los modelos M21 y M26. Este nuevo modelo de casco se fabricó exclusivamente en España en la Fábrica de armas de Trubia.
En el frontal del casco también se dispuso una trabilla para fijar el emblema del ejército de tierra, del que se reguló su uso en enero de 1943
referencias y bibliografia
Referencias:
Imágenes extraídas de Internet y de los libros:
Stahlhelm - Evolution of the German Helmet - Floyd R. Tubbs - The Kent State University press
The history of the German steel helmet 1916-1945 - Ludwig Baer
German helmets 1933-1945 - T.V. Goodapple and R.J. Weinand
Tablas extraídas del libro:
Wehrmacht combat helmets 1933-45 - Brian C Bell - Osprey Publisher
Bibliografía:
Wehrmacht combat helmets 1933-45 - Brian C Bell - Osprey Publisher
Stahlhelm - Evolution of the German Helmet - Floyd R. Tubbs - The Kent State University press
The history of the German steel helmet 1916-1945 - Ludwig Baer
Combat helmets of the Third Reich - A stuy in photographs - Thomas Kibler (Vol. 1 y 2)
Enlaces de interés:
https://germanhelmetvault.com/