Introduced in Prussia in October 1842 by decree of Wilhelm IV for the Prussian infantry, and quickly spread to other German states. The pickelhelm was made from hardened leather treated to a glossy black sheen and enhanced with a metal finish (silvered or gilded on officer's pickelhelms), which included the metal spike at the pommel. Some of the helmets worn by the artillery had a spherical decoration instead of a spike. They stopped using the pickelhael in 1918, due to the fall of the German Empire.

Helmet "Gaed" (Gaede-Helm, Stahlkappe M1915)

In 1915, the commander of the army group, General Gaed, concerned about the large number of soldiers who received head injuries, self-designed and manufactured about 1500 steel helmets, which were issued to soldiers on his front. After the appearance of the M1916 helmet, most of Gaed's helmets were sent to be melted down.

M16 steel helmet

The M16 helmet was developed in September 1915 by Friedrich Schwerd, and already in December passed combat trials on the western front. The M16 proved to be excellent in combat conditions, and in early 1916 the steel helmet went into mass production. Made steel helmets different sizes, from smallest 60 to 70.

Initial sketches of the m16 helmet

On the sides of the helmet, characteristic "horns" protruded, on which the "Stirnpanzer" armor plate was attached. The plate was put on protruding horns and tightened at the back with a leather strap.

Helmet-mounted armor plate

Steel helmet M17

In 1917, the steel helmet was slightly modified, the chin strap fastening to the helmet was replaced with a fastening to the balaclava. This steel helmet became known as the M1917.

Stahlhelm 1918

Main hallmark is the refusal to attach the chin strap directly to the helmet and, accordingly, there is no need for a part riveted to the helmet sphere. The design of the balaclava has also changed: “D”-rings began to be used for fastening the chin strap (similar to the Austrian version), which began to be riveted to the base rim. The chin strap has also changed: the sliding buckle was replaced by a frame clasp with a “tongue”, and holes for the “tongue” of the buckle appeared in the strap. In general, this design turned out to be more technologically advanced in production and more robust in operation, and, importantly, provided better fixation of the helmet on the soldier's head.

Stahlhelm 1918 "cavalry" model

In this model, part of the helmet skirt in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ears was removed to prevent the blast wave from reflecting the deep skirt of the helmet into the helmet. Lightweight M18 helmets made of aluminum were also produced for officers to wear on parades.

Helmet coloring

Until July 1918, steel helmets were painted in felgrau color, after which a scheme was established camouflage coloring. Yellow, green, brown and ocher spots separated by a black stripe were applied on a green or brown background. In addition, changes were allowed in the camouflage pattern to suit the conditions of a particular area.

Even non-military helmets often feature a swastika to show support for the Nazi Party. german helmets World War II are very similar, and when trying to determine the type of model, it is important to consider this. Small changes may be the only difference between one type of helmet and another. Knowing the details that make up a German helmet helps you figure out which model you have on hand.

Short story

During the 1920s and 30s, the German government began redesigning World War I steel German helmets in an attempt to improve them. appearance and functions. The vast majority of models of steel helmets were destroyed, in accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Some helmets remained in active service to meet small German military needs. As a result, there was a significant shortage of them.

M1917 were restored and introduced as a specially patented "transitional" model for parades and common use. The remaining wartime stocks (M1916, M1917, M1918) were rebuilt for the military and police. They were used before the National Socialists came to power in 1933.

In 1935, the military approved a new Stahlhelm known as the M1935. It looked like the M1917, but was lighter, more functional, and also significantly updated.

The geometric dimensions of the German helmets of the Second World War decreased in comparison with the models of the First World War. The helmet has become more compact. The M1935 helmet evolved several times during WWII. Each change resulted in several newer variations, although each model had the same basic design. At least three models were made exclusively for combat: M1935, M1940, M1942. All three versions of this helmet were worn throughout World War II.

Second World War. Price

At auctions, the cost of helmets can reach several thousand dollars. But you can find better options. For example, on "Avito" their cost starts from 1000 rubles. The price depends on the condition. Avito also has helmets worth both 5,000 rubles and 150,000 rubles.

M-42 helmet - prototype for the Luftwaffe

Resource problems began to appear in Germany during World War II. In addition, the bombing of factories reduced the ability to produce a large number of weapons. As a result, it was decided to develop a new helmet that would be easier to produce. Then the M-42 was born. The original color is grey. The cost of the German helmet of World War II M-42 varies from 1000 rubles. But usually rusty helmets are sold for a price of up to 10,000 rubles.

This helmet was made from a combination of metal and leather. He has very interesting story. This is one of the helmets that were made and used in the two world wars. Their design and shape have inspired some of the modern ones.

The helmet has a leather liner with several fingers pointing towards the center. The shutters are fastened to each other by using an elastic band. Thanks to this, you can adjust the position of the helmet on your head.

Chin strap - leather, metal buckle. The rim of the helmet is straight. The frame should be smooth and should not have any sharp edges that could cause discomfort.

Air defense helmet Luftschutz

The side of this helmet has vents to keep your head cool. Its original color is black. The police and military used the same German World War II helmets. This model was very popular. It was a very high quality German helmet from World War II. Its price at the moment does not differ from the price of "brothers".

The Luftschutz helmet has a leather liner with several sections. Top part has a design that allows you to wear a helmet with comfort. The back of the neck is protected by a visor. The edges of the helmet are rolled up. The chin strap is attached with a visor.

This helmet was made during the First World War. Its design was so perfect for the time that the German government decided to reuse it during World War II.

Luftwaffe prototype - M-35 helmet

Stahlhelm is German for "steel helmet". The Imperial began to replace the traditional Pickelhaube (needle combat helmet) with the Stahlhelm during the First World War in 1916. The original color is dark blue.

In 1934, tests began to improve the Stahlhelm, the design of which was a development based on models from the First World War. Eisenhüttenwerke carried out the design and testing of the prototypes.

The new German helmets of World War II were pressed from sheets of molybdenum steel in several steps. The size of the visor was reduced and the large protruding lugs for the obsolete armor shield were removed. The artificial ventilation holes were kept, but small hollow rivets were added.

The edges of the shell have been moved to create a smooth edge along the helmet. Finally, a brand new leather liner has been made, greatly improving helmet safety, fit and comfort. These improvements made the new M1935 helmet lighter. It has become more compact and comfortable than previous designs.

Reference literature

"German Helmets of the Second World War" (by Branislav Radovic) are two illustrated volumes that deal in detail with such helmets as, for example, the famous German Stahlhelm. The publication contains many color photographs, showing the details close-up. The price of a German World War II helmet will be easily determined by you if you take a look at this guide.

Excellent collectible condition. Original color. Partially visible are the remains of the decal of the infantry units of the Wehrmacht. .

In field anti-reflective color. In the summer during the war, German soldiers on the front lines often applied an anti-reflective green coating to their helmets - cement powders, sand and even sawdust were added to the paint ...
The options for the color of the helmets used on the front line depended on the imagination of the master and the tools at hand that he possessed. There are helmets painted with spots various forms and shades: "zebra" - green-white, over a metal or rope mesh, multi-layer coloring, etc. This disguise made it possible to hide the outline of the shooter's head when he emerged from the trench. The Germans excelled in the use of camouflage in the army at all levels. The steel helmet was no exception. Combat examples of helmets, hand-painted in the trenches, are interesting for their individuality for a helmet collector. The image of war only in propaganda films is reduced to dashing cavalry, tank and aviation armadas. Real symbolism, as a rule, is not a large-scale spectacle, but ordinary items of soldier's use. Trench truth is a trench image. Posters and leaflets replicate not so much the images of generals and political leaders as the image of a simple soldier. Therefore, his silhouette becomes the decisive, most recognizable symbol of the "thunderstorm moments of history", the greatest trials of mankind...

One of these symbols was a soldier's helmet. How many metaphorical names he received - from a simple and sweet heart "pot" or "bucket" to the ironic - "shaving basin"! The heir to bronze masks, knightly visors, Slavic helmets and tinsel, a steel helmet is one of the few elements of a soldier's heavy weapons that has not lost its original function - to protect in battle and decorate in a parade - even today.

The most expressive and memorable, thanks to the impeccable plasticity of the lines, throughout the first half of the 20th century, remained the helmet of a German soldier - Stahlhelm (steel helmet). Its recognizable shape is predetermined by the combination of the volumes of a cylindrical body covering the head, and a conical nape that covers the ears from the impact of a sound wave and fragments. The protruding visor gives the helmet an aggressive, predatory shape.

The first samples of such helmets were put into service in 1916, received the designation M16, were supplied to the allied countries (Austria-Hungary), after the end of the war they ended up in other countries, Turkey and Finland. Three large buttons (clasps) were used to fasten the balaclava, one in the back of the head and two in the temporal parts of the helmet. In addition to the clasps for fastening the balaclava, on the helmet of this sample there were two protruding bushings - “horns”, which served for ventilation (they had through holes) and a special forehead plate was attached to them, which, according to its inventors, was supposed to strengthen the protection of the frontal part, designed for sentries and machine gunners. Such hinged armor did not live up to expectations: even if a bullet with close range and could not pierce the helmet, then the force of her blow was such that the soldier's cervical vertebrae could not stand it. Further, the M16 helmet was modified to M18.

Changing the role of infantry in the war, increasing its mobility, abandoning positional battles, in which maximum head protection was the main function of the helmet, led to a decrease in the size of the visor and butt pads. The helmet was stamped from alloyed carbon steel with the addition of molybdenum. The sheet thickness varied from 1 to 1.15 mm. A helmet made of such steel withstood pressure up to 220 kg per square mm, which provided protection even from large fragments and pistol bullets. As a result, the German M35 helmet (adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1935) visually became more streamlined and plastic, and its outline became more refined and stylish. The image of a Wehrmacht soldier with a sharp shadow cast by a visor on a courageous face has become a common stamp of German propaganda.

To develop a new version of the steel helmet, designers were involved who, together with the military, managed to choose the optimal combination of the protective properties of the helmet while reducing its weight, along with some other issues were resolved: cost reduction and manufacturability.

It is worth noting that lightweight helmets made of vulcanized fiber with an aluminum frame were specially made for officers of all branches of the military participating in the parades. Therefore, the rows of helmets sparkling in the rays of torches in the films of Leni Riefenstahl are an artistic convention, and not reality. In war, such brilliance turned into unnecessary victims.

By the beginning of World War II, the German M35 helmet was rightfully considered the best example protective weapons. A balaclava of eight leather (sometimes nine.) petals with holes for ventilation was pulled together from above with a leather cord (during operation it was replaced with improvised material, for example, ordinary shoe laces). The chin strap, designed to fix the helmet on the head, was made of calfskin. The frame buckle securely fixed the required size. The balaclava and belt were attached to a special spring-loaded frame hoop, which ensured maximum comfort during movement and in the event of a strong blow.

For the mobile units of the Wehrmacht - airborne - the standard infantry helmet was replaced with an even more ergonomic and comfortable one. Its weight has been reduced as much as possible, dimensions minimized by reducing the width of the margins. Heisler's landing helmet M38, put into service in 1938, had almost no margins, since it turned out that in the event of a hard landing, the butt pad caused injury in the neck and shoulders, and the helmet visor created unwanted aerodynamic turbulence during the jump, which often led to the failure of the helmet from the head of the paratrooper and he landed in one balaclava. The shape of the strap has also changed: it has become a Y-shaped. An additional fixing strap was attached to the back of the helmet, which dramatically increased the tightness of the helmet on the head during the jump. Now air currents they didn’t swing the skydiver’s head from side to side, which improved the general well-being of the “green devil” (a nickname for German paratroopers), jumping into dangerous unknown. Instead of a military balaclava, an integral cap with 11 large holes began to be used. Sewn from two pieces of mutton skin (which, later, due to the high cost and complexity of dressing, was replaced by pork) and reinforced with cork, it, together with the hoop frame, provided additional protection from injury during landing. Soon, instead of cork, rubber (foamed rubber) began to be used as a shock absorber. The balaclava became a type-setting - seven rubber segments of different thickness, attached to an aluminum ring, tracked the profile of the paratrooper's head even more accurately.

In 1940, the M35 helmet was modernized, by simplifying the manufacture of ventilation holes, they began to be made by stamping, and not in the form of separate parts, the steel also changed the composition, manganese silicate was used instead of molybdenum, which made it possible to reduce the number of operations and time spent on manufacturing . This model was named M40.

By 1942, the technology for making helmets for all parts of the Wehrmacht had changed. The expensive and lengthy process of rolling the edge was replaced by flanging, at the same time the quality of the material from which the helmet was made worsened, it became softer from alloying, and the addition of molybdenum and manganese had to be abandoned (strategic raw materials were not enough for tank armor). This model received the name M42. Paratroopers have an additional hook on the belt, designed for its precise fixation, and the belt itself has become wider.

In addition to the design, ergonomics and shape, coloring played an important role in the design of the helmet. While the helmets flashed in parades and in the "lightning wars", the coloring of the helmet did not have a pronounced camouflage character: it was painted in a dull grayish-green "fieldgrau" color and decals and identification emblems were applied to it. At ground forces(Heer), on the right - a national heraldic shield in a white, red and black oblique stripe, on the left - a white and silver eagle of the Wehrmacht on a black field. However, as soon as the fireworks were replaced by the thunder of battles, these emblems had to be covered up for the purpose of camouflage. Since 1940, only the Wehrmacht decal remained, they were no longer applied to the M42, until the end of the war, the troops received helmets with decals from warehouses, but their number was small .

The color of the helmet began to change depending on the season, the place of battles and the type of troops. By the middle of the war, the art of helmet camouflage with the help of special covers and nets reached the widest development. A simple solution was a rubber rim from a car camera, under which it was convenient to attach foliage and branches.

Since 1942, a cover made of protective fabric"Zeltbahn 31". For the winter, such a cover was made of white fabric and attached to the helmet with a lace, pulled together under the rim of the lapels. The protective fabric "Zeltbahn 31" was obtained after applying light or dark green and brown medium-sized geometric shapes and thin gray-green lines intersecting each other and creating the illusion of ripples on a marsh-colored cotton base. With 5-7 loops sewn on for attaching masking branches and leaves and a rope net for masking the face, such a cover has become an integral part of the real life of a soldier.

Since the end of 1943, home-made wire meshes have also become widespread (this statement is debatable because at the front the Germans used an anti-grenade mesh, which, most likely, was used by soldiers), rigidly fixed to the helmet. The "trapping bird net" (this is what the soldiers called this element of ammunition) served as a universal means for attaching any camouflage, both from leaves and from elements of urban garbage, paper, rags for combat in settlements.

Steel Helmet (Stahlhelm): The steel helmet was developed and introduced to the First world war when the need arose to protect a fighter in a positional, trench war. The first model to become a traditional symbol German soldiers, there was a steel helmet M16 (Stahlhelm M16) - a helmet with an angled ear and neck protection, which was originally produced with a projected shield, with frontal armor. For fastening this protection and air ventilation, distinctive "horns" in the upper part of this headdress served. On the steel case of the 1916 model of the year, there were fasteners for a chin strap on both sides. Of course, one should not assume that this headgear could protect a fighter from a direct hit by a bullet in the head or a fragment from a nearby exploding projectile. As well as any helmet, it only protected against head injuries during the collapse of dugouts and shelters, small fragments and bullets flying along a sliding trajectory.

The helmet was modified in 1918 (Stahlhelm M18). On this helmet, the holders for the chin strap were removed from the body, and were attached directly to the rim of the balaclava. M16 and M18 were used in Freikorps and Reichswehr. And both samples were part of the equipment of the early Wehrmacht with minor modifications. They were equipped with modified model 1931 balaclavas and national emblems in 1933/34. These helmets were also used during the Second World War. They were supplied to various auxiliary units (police, anti-aircraft gunners, foreign formations in the service of the Wehrmacht, etc.). By the thirties of the last century, the German helmets M16 and M18 were not effective against improved ballistics. The 1932 experimental helmet was introduced and used in training during the extensive test period of 1932-34. But he was not destined to be in service with the German army. In accordance with the order (HM 35, Number 289), the M35 helmet (Stahlhelm M35) became the new helmet. It was made of high-quality steel, while maintaining the basic, traditional form. But it was less massive, with a low silhouette and with better safety features for the fighter than the M16 or M18. Gross weight was reduced by 150 grams. (Weight M35 was approximately 1300 gr.)

In addition, the vents on both sides of the helmet were made as a separate piece (a rivet with a hole), unlike later helmets, in which the vents were stamped. The shape of the M35 helmet is more oval (from front to back) compared to the more rounded shape of the M40 and M42 helmets. This slight difference is imperceptible until the M 35 helmet is on par with later models. M35 had a standard model 1931 balaclava.

The M35 helmet received minor changes in 1940. Simplification and lower cost became necessary for the increased needs of the army, which entered into big war. The production of the M40 helmets was less technologically advanced than the production of the previous M35 model. For the M40, as well as for the M35, the rolled edges of the base of the helmet are characteristic.

It is because of this that the M40 is often mistaken for the helmet of the M35 model. The main difference between the two helmets is the air vent, which was punched out without any additional detail (a rivet with a hole) being inserted into it. This method of production made it possible to reduce the number of operations required for the manufacture of a helmet, which was an important factor in the efficiency of production in wartime. Due to the simplification of the helmet manufacturing process, the shape of the helmet has also undergone a slight change, which has become more rounded than that of the M35. In 1942, the German helmet changed again. Here is a photo chronicle of the issuance of new steel helmets to recruits.

The Model 1942 helmet is the most common of all German army helmets used during World War II. Their release was carried out from 1942 to 1945. The helmet model M 42 was a simplified version of the model M40. A distinctive feature of this helmet is that the edge of the base of the helmet was not rolled, but left sharp. This feature is dictated by the need to simplify and reduce the cost technological process helmet making.

The quality of the M42 helmets was certainly inferior to the M35 helmet. Helmets with protective effects superior to the M35 were tested in 1944, but never adopted by the army.

Insignia. Decals.

There was whole system insignia (decals) on German helmets, which distinguished the branches of service and service. They changed until they were abolished in 1940 and 1943.

Decals from the Reichswehr period originally had the shape of a shield, 3.5 cm high and 3.4 cm wide. The emblem was divided into two or three colors with a diagonal division going from the top right corner to the bottom left.

The state colors were as follows:

Prussia: black and white

Bavaria: white and blue

Saxony: white and green

Oldenburg: blue and red

Thuringia: red and white

Bremen: white and red

Itenberg: black and red

Mecklenburg: blue, yellow and red

Baden: yellow, red and yellow (divided from top left to bottom right).
The above emblems were abolished on March 14, 1933 and replaced by a shield of the national tricolor - black, white and red. (order HV 33, no. 121) February 17, 1934 in accordance with order no. 440/34 WehrA.Allg. IV-AZ. 64, the national tricolor was moved to the other side of the steel helmet, and in its place appeared the symbol of the new government - an eagle holding a swastika in its claws. formidable bird, which took place on the standards of the Roman legions, became the insignia of the German Wehrmacht. In a black shield 4 cm high and 3.3 cm wide, there was an eagle with a head turned to the right, measuring 3.8 by 3.1 cm. Both national emblems were placed 3 mm. below the ventilation holes on their respective sides. Decals were often varnished for weather protection. Over the years, the varnish could acquire a golden hue. In 1940 (in accordance with the order of March 21 HM 40, No. 428), the tricolor shield was abolished. And the eagle existed on the helmets of the soldiers of the Third Reich until August 28, 1943 (HM 43, No. 690) Helmets issued earlier usually retained the insignia until the emblems were rubbed off themselves, or a secondary layer of paint was applied to the surface.

In combat conditions, the German infantrymen used various ways camouflage, including helmets. The coloring changed depending on the conditions.

In winter, the helmet, of course, was covered with white, more often painted with a lime mixture. In order not to repaint the headgear, the soldiers fastened pieces of white cloth over the steel helmet using various means (special leather fasteners, cut rubber strips from car cameras, wire and belts from a bread bag). In the summer, a new helmet painted at the factory was not always a means of protection. A wet metal helmet, smoothly painted, shone strongly in the sun and was an unmasking for a fighter. He became a good target for enemy snipers.

Therefore, on top of the helmets in the forward positions, the fighters put on camouflage woven covers, various nets of ropes and wires, straps from bread bags and other devices that allow you to fix camouflage. The regular, combined-arms helmet cover had a two-sided color - winter and summer. And also, it had specially sewn holders for branches and grass.

Helmet covers for soldiers of the SS troops were sewn in a special way. The colors (summer, autumn), cut and fastenings (special aluminum hooks on spring mechanisms sewn inside) were completely different than the general samples.
In summer, an anti-reflective green coating was often applied - cement powders, sand and even sawdust were added to the paint. The options for the color of the helmets used on the front line depended on the imagination of the master and the tools at hand that he possessed. There are helmets painted with spots of various shapes and shades: “zebra” - green and white, over a metal or rope mesh, multi-layered coloring, etc. This disguise made it possible to hide the outline of the shooter's head when he emerged from the trench. The Germans excelled in the use of camouflage in the army at all levels. The steel helmet was no exception. Combat examples of helmets, hand-painted in the trenches, are interesting for their individuality for a helmet collector.

Helmets were widely used in World War II. Whose helmets were the best? Why English helmets look like saucers, US helmets look like helmets Soviet soldiers, and German landing helmets do not have visors.

SSH-40

The Soviet helmet SSH-40, in which the Red Army went through the entire war, and which is still the basis for helmets Russian army accepted by Semyon Budyonny himself. One of the developers of the helmet, M. I. Koryukov, recalled: “He (Budyonny - Ed.) carefully examined the helmet made by the laboratory staff and ... took up the saber. Surprised by the choice of weapons, I chuckled. Noticing this, Semyon Mikhailovich explained that a good cavalryman cuts the enemy with a saber from shoulder to waist - a bullet does not have such strength ... But then, so to speak, the scythe found a stone. The air slashed by the saber whistled, and immediately the helmet clinked. Budyonny looked with surprise at the place of impact: “Please tell him at least something!”, And he took up the revolver. Semyon Mikhailovich shot first from twenty-five meters, then from ten, almost point-blank. After each shot, the helmet bounced, the bullets ricocheted, and I was very afraid that they would not hit Budyonny. I was calm and did not worry about the fate of the helmet. "Well done! - said, finally, the marshal, - they did a good job.

Prior to that, the Red Army was armed with the SSH helmet (steel helmet) -36 (it was distinguished from the SSH-40 by a crest on the top) and SSH-38 (without a crest, but with wide brim, which sailed heavily, which caused a lot of trouble for the cavalrymen) .

Stahlhelm M35

The German helmet M-35, adopted in 1935, by the beginning of World War II was rightfully considered the best example of a military protective equipment. It became the development of the German M-16 helmet, which appeared, as the name implies, back in 1916.

Changing the role of infantry in combat operations, increasing its mobility, moving away from positional tactics of combat, also affected the characteristics of the helmet. It became lighter, the size of the visor and the conical butt pad, which covered the ears from sound wave and splinters. The first M-35 helmets were made of alloyed carbon steel with the addition of molybdenum and withstood pressures up to 220 kg per mm².

A continuation of the development of the M-35 helmet was the M-38 helmet, which had several varieties. For landing units their own helmets were produced, which had practically no fields (the wind could simply rip off the helmet, plus wide back pads caused injury to the paratrooper), helmets for fighters air defense Luftschutz, on the contrary, were wide-brimmed. Among collectors, they received the name "Gladiator".

Hadrian's helmet

The profile of Adrian's helmet is involuntarily associated with a fire helmet, which is not surprising - fire helmets originated from Adrian's helmet.
The helmet of Adrian was developed back in the years of the First World War by General Auguste Louis Adrian. She received the name M-15. Having a French origin, Adrian's helmet was adopted as part of the equipment in many countries (including Russia, where it was in service until 1939). In France alone, 20 million helmets were made. M-15 could not protect against a direct hit by bullets. The habit of wearing Adrian's helmets was not easily inculcated during the First World War. Soldiers who were not accustomed to heavy helmets often simply threw them off during the battle.

In World War II, Adrian's helmets continued to be used by the French army. Their distinguishing feature- a longitudinal ridge that covers the vent and serves as a stiffener.

M-1 and MK-1

The American M-1 helmet, adopted by the US Army in 1941, replaced the M-1917 helmet, which resembled the English MK1 helmet in shape. The English helmet was shaped like a plate, which is why it was jokingly called the "bowl" (Dish Pan). The wide fields of the helmets covered the soldiers of the First World War from shrapnel (according to the analysis of sanitary losses, artillery and shrapnel accounted for up to 45-50% of all losses on the Western Front).

The M-1 helmets did not look like plates, but were similar to the Soviet SSH-40 helmets. They were made from Hadfield manganese steel. By September 1945, more than 22 million copies had been produced.

The British in World War II used a modification of the already mentioned MK1 helmet - MK2, and then MK3. In shape, English helmets still resembled plates, but with smaller fields than in the First World War.

The past 20th century was truly epochal. It turned out to be rich in events in terms of scientific and technological progress and radically changed political map peace. These changes brought two world wars, which have remained in memory not only because of the huge loss of life, but also as having given a tangible impetus to the development of weapons and personal protection. One of these means were helmets, or helmets, which became a kind of hello to the then contemporaries from the distant medieval past.

There are several helmets from the beginning of the 20th century in the funds of the Kozmodemyansk Cultural and Historical Museum Complex.

By the beginning of the First World War, the heads of soldiers and officers of almost all the armies of the world were not properly protected from bullets or shell fragments. Of course, in late XIX At the beginning of the 20th century, in Europe and in Russia, the pickelhelm was widespread - a pointed helmet of the German type, the prototype for which was the helmet of fire departments. Pickelhelm was worn by military personnel, policemen, gendarmes. However, in war conditions, this type of helmet was not reliable enough. It should either be improved or replaced with a more suitable means of protection.

In Russia, until 1914, pickelhelm-type helmets were preserved in the Company of the Palace Grenadiers (officers of the company were out of order), as a ceremonial headdress in His Page Imperial Majesty corps and in the cuirassier regiments of the Imperial Guard and the gendarmerie.

German pickelhelm sample 1895 reservist with a cross on an eagle.
Size 25 × 24 cm. From the funds of MU KMK.

At the height of the First World War, in 1916, Tsar Nicholas II, true to his allied duty in the struggle against the imperial Germany of Wilhelm II, by agreement with French President Poincaré, sent a Russian expeditionary force to the Western Front, consisting of two brigades of two regiments each. each. Their uniform was Russian, and the French side provided weapons and ammunition.

In the summer of 1916, St. Petersburg ordered 2 million Adrian helmets from France, but only a little over 300 thousand units were delivered to Russia by the end of 1916. In Russia, these helmets were known under the M1916 marking.

The French helmet of Adrian (the first version of the M1915) was developed by General of the Army Auguste Louis Adrian in 1915. It protected the fighters from both shell fragments and shrapnel. The helmet consisted of four parts: hemispherical helmet arch, front and rear visors (both with sharp edged edges) and a ridge that covers the vent and reinforces protective properties helmet. A helmet was made from a steel sheet 0.7 mm thick, with a total weight of 700-800 grams, varying depending on the size, of which there were three. The leather balaclava consisted of 6-7 parts fastened at the top. The chinstrap, 0.5 cm wide, was made of horse leather. The helmets supplied to Russia had only two differences from their French counterpart: the front emblem (in this case, the Russian double-headed eagle) and the color - light ocher. The weight of the helmet, balaclava and chinstrap were the same as those of the helmets supplied to the French Army. During the war, they were equipped mainly with shock units, because. rear production could not cope with the needs of the front.

For the first time, such helmets were used during a large-scale offensive of the Russian army under the command of General Alexei Brusilov in the southwestern direction, which led to the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian troops.

After the revolution, Adrian's helmets (with the eagle replaced by a large tin red star) were used in the Red Army until 1939.

Russian "Helmet Adrian" model 1916

In turn, the development of the first Russian steel helmet, by decision of the General Staff, began as early as 1915. Adrian's helmet of the 1915 model served as a prototype for it. In 1917, an order for the production of helmets was placed in Finland at the Solhberg-Oy and Holmberg factories . In Russia, the helmet was known under the index M1917 (Sohlberg), respectively, with the year the production of helmets began, but this helmet was never officially introduced.

The revolutionary events of 1917 prevented this. Only 500 thousand helmets were produced at the Sohlberg-Oy factory, and 100 thousand at the V.M. Holmberg factory. Only a small part was sent to the Russian army. Most of the helmets did not have a balaclava installed, because. it was planned to do this at factories in Russia.

According to the report on the Main Quartermaster's Office of December 14, 1917, No. 91471 "On the termination of the further production of helmets by the Central Military Industrial Committee", the production of helmets was discontinued. On December 28, 1917, this decision was approved at the Special Conference on the Defense of the State. However, the decision to stop the production of a steel helmet did not affect the enterprises of the already independent Finland, which received this independence according to the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of 12/18/1917. In addition, half a million helmets issued for the Russian army remained in the hands of the Finnish government.

During civil war a small part of the helmets was used by the White Guard formations. In the 20s and 30s. The M17 Sohlberg helmet became widespread in the Red Army.

The helmet had three sizes of dome and six sizes of underbody device (53 cm, 55 cm, 57 cm, 59 cm, 60 cm, 62 cm). The helmet was painted in khaki color. Weight was 800-850 gr., steel thickness - 1.2 mm. Outwardly, he had some external resemblance to the French helmet of Adrian, but at the same time remained unique. The helmet was made from an alloy of steel and nickel by stamping. In the upper part of the dome of the helmet there was an air vent, covered with a convex triangular lining, attached to the surface of the helmet with three rivets. The balaclava was made of fabric and fastened with corrugated aluminum strips, just like on Adrian's helmet, designed for ventilation and attached to the surface of the helmet with eight rivets. In the upper part of the balaclava had a round hole, the size of which was regulated with a cord. The chin strap was made of leather, its size was regulated by a rectangular buckle. The fastening of the chin strap was carried out using rectangular metal rings attached to the fields of the helmet with two pairs of rivets.

Helmet M 17 (Sohlberg) model 1917
Size 30 × 18 cm. From the funds of the MU KMK.

In 1935, the production of steel helmets was launched at the Leningrad Metallurgical Plant, which received the marking "Steel helmet 1936" or "SSh36" according to the year the helmets were supplied to the army. It was a new Soviet-made helmet, in keeping with the spirit of the times, replacing the previous models "Adrian's helmet" and M1917, and inheriting only the best from them.

Employee of the storage department of the MU "Kozmodemyansk Museum Complex"
Emelin E.V.