The Stahlhelm became a popular symbol of paramilitary groups after the First World War. Like the British and French, German troops identified highly with their helmets. As a result, and also due to the helmet's form, the Stahlhelm had to be formed in heated dies at a greater unit cost than the British helmet, which could be formed in one piece. In contrast to the Hadfield steel used in the British Brodie helmet, the Germans used a harder martensitic silicon/ nickel steel. 5 (Rohr), commanded by Captain Willy Rohr. The first German troops to use this helmet were the stormtroopers of the Sturm-Bataillon Nr. In February 1916 it was distributed to troops at Verdun, following which the incidence of serious head injuries fell dramatically. Thirty thousand examples were ordered, but it was not approved for general issue until New Year of 1916, hence it is most usually referred to as the "Model 1916". Īfter lengthy development work, which included testing a selection of German and Allied headgear, the first stahlhelm were tested in November 1915 at the Kummersdorf Proving Ground and then field-tested by the 1st Assault Battalion. Schwerd then undertook the task of designing and producing a suitable helmet, broadly based on the 15th-century sallet, which provided good protection for the head and neck. In early 1915, Schwerd had carried out a study of head wounds suffered during trench warfare and submitted a recommendation for steel helmets, shortly after which he was ordered to Berlin. The design of the Stahlhelm was carried out by Dr Friedrich Schwerd of the Technical Institute of Hanover. History World War I German stormtrooper on the Western Front wearing the Stahlhelm 380 ACP and 45 ACP as demonstrated by ballistic test videos on YouTube. The steel quality by WW2 had improved enough to stop low velocity handgun rounds such as. The original WW1 Stahlhelm wasn't bullet-resistant to pistol rounds such as 9mm Luger and 45 ACP. The Stahlhelm was quite deep relative to the thickness of the steel one American company that tried to press steel of similar thickness into the shape of the much shallower Brodie helmet was unable to do so. The plate protected not only the forehead but also the eyes and nose. The artillery workshop of the Army Detachment developed a helmet that consisted of a leather cap with a steel plate (6 mm thickness). Stationed in the rocky area of the Vosges the Army Detachment "Gaede" recorded significantly more head injuries caused by stone and shell splinters than did troops in other sectors of the front. The British and Commonwealth troops followed with the Brodie helmet (a development of which was also later worn by US forces) and the Germans with the Stahlhelm.Īs the German army hesitated to develop effective head protection, some units developed provisional, makeshift helmets in 1915. The French were the first to see a need for more protection-in mid-1915 they began to issue Adrian helmets to their troops. When trench warfare began, the number of casualties on all sides suffering from severe head wounds (more often caused by shrapnel bullets or shell fragments than by gunfire) increased dramatically, since the head was typically the most exposed part of the body when in a trench. Īt the beginning of World War I, none of the combatants were issued with any form of protection for the head other than cloth and leather caps, designed at most to protect against sabre cuts. The Bundesgrenzschutz (English: Federal Border Service), however, continued to use the original German design, until both troops switched to the new M92 Aramid helmet. After World War II, the German Bundeswehr (English: Federal Armed Forces) and Nationale Volksarmee (English: National People's Army) continued to call their standard helmets Stahlhelm, but in Bundeswehr the design was based on the American M1 helmet, while the National Volksarmee's M56 helmet was modelled on an unused 1942-1943 German design. The name was also used by Der Stahlhelm, a post–World War I organization for German ex- servicemen that existed from 1918 to 1935. The Stahlhelm, with its distinctive " coal scuttle" shape, was instantly recognizable and became a common element of propaganda on both sides, just like the Pickelhaube before it. The German Army began to replace the traditional boiled leather Pickelhaube ( 'spiked helmet') with the Stahlhelm in 1916. The armies of major European powers introduced helmets of this type during World War I. The term Stahlhelm refers both to a generic steel helmet and more specifically to the distinctive German military design. The Stahlhelm ( 'steel helmet') is a German military steel combat helmet intended to provide protection against shrapnels and fragments or shards of grenades. M35 on display inside Historical Museum Rotterdam.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |