Steel Combat Helmets

M16/17/18 Stalhelm

10th Hussars Rifle Regiment from the Pueyrredon Armored Cavalry w/ M18/40 helmets. Photo from Military Yearbook from 1960s.

The Prussian spike helmet, (Pickelhaube), appears in regular use in 1910 and was used along with the French-style Kepi until 1923 where he was replaced by the pith-helmet also known by English topi or safari/ This model was longer in the front and shorter in the back. It was first lined with khaki fabric and later in a light shade of olive green.

By 1935 the military high command knew it was time to equip the army with a steel helmet. The M16 helmets of Austrian origin has been in limited use in the country. With this in mind there was an international call to select the first regulatory steel helmet in Argentina. Samples came from all parts of Europe.

M18 German Helmet (Stalhelm)

The German M18 (Stalhelm) was basically the same as the M16 of the great war but with modifications in band liner and chinstrap. They were possibly a German transitional model with the M18 shell and the M31 aluminum liner.

The Belgian M26/31 (French Type), the Polish Wz31 (possibily Kielce Ludwikow manufactured in an olive-khaki salamander colored finnish), the Swedish M21-18, The French Adrien Model 26, possibily the Danish Model 23 and of course the English Mk II Brodie helmet also known as the Tommy or Shrapanel helmet, (or known to the Americans as a doughboy or tin hat).

The helmet that was selected after numerous tests, including ballistics, was the M35 German which was a more compact version of the German M16/18 called "Frankenstein" because of its browplate air vent lugs sticking out of the side .

While some of these models had already reached the country, the geopolitical pressures and impending global confrontation of a new great war ruled out this legendary model that was manufactured in quantities of about 25 million copies and used by Germany and its satellites later during WWII.

Like the spike helmet (pickehaulbe) M10, the German M35 were passed on to the mounted police forces.

Chauffeur for an officer of the Peruvian Air Force in the 1930s with an Italian M33 Helmet. The officer that rides in the sidecar has an French Adrian-style helmet. Photo from Cascoscoleccion.com.

A famous photo from WWII shows a Gebirgsjager soldier (German mountain troop) giving his mule a drink from a British helmet captured on Crete.

We see below a photo exhibition with different models from the 1930s. They are original helmets of the era that may have been taken into consideration when it was time to adopt the first regulation helmet for the Argentine military. The recreated models show a single cylindrical decal with Argentina's colors just as those which were tested. The different designs are interesting as each country inspired its own style. Some of the fundamental qualities that were considered were the frontal vision, the auditory capacity that the helmet allowed and, of course, the lateral protection of the individuals that trusted in these safeguards, sometimes too much during the course of a war. The forensic and orthopedic studies that were based on the experiences from the Great War gave a new impulse to this technology in the 1920s. The models from the 1930s were part of this evolution. The experts probably had many of these factors in mind when the time came to select an adequate model that was also elegant for formations.

British helmet MK II. As I had previously noted, it was known as the Tommy by the English and Tin Hat by the Americans. It was basically a hat in the shape of a bowl, lacking lateral protection, possibly inspired by the similarly shaped helmets of the 15th century. It was an often used helmet by England, its colonies and the commonwealth during the World Wars. It was adopted by the US in 1917 and in the post-WWII era by the countries of Western Europe (along with the US M1). It was also used by many countries in the Third World, especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The MK II, the Canadian Turtle (MK III) and more than anything the M1 were helmets used by NATO and its orbit of influence. On the side of the Warsaw Pact, the Soviets SSH40, the SSH68 (known as the Conehead), the Polish WZ67, the M56 DDR East German "Vopo", and the Czech M53.

The helmets of the Warsaw Pact were never in the mind of the Argentine military and, although the assimilation of the standard NATO system was inevitable, the old Swiss helmets kept their footing until the 1970s when Argentina adopted the US M1 which their neighbors on the continent had already adopted. Cuba, with its Bulgarian Model 51-72 helmets (a rare Bulgarian metamorphosis of the Italian M33 and the Soviet SSH39 with the Italian winning out), was the notable exception in Latin America. Cuba also used the Soviet SSH68 Conehead and Czech M53.

Unlike the rest, Franco's Spain remained firm during the Cold War in its decision to continue using the Model Z of 1942, a helmet similar to the German M42. Later, under pressure that conditioned its entry into NATO, the country decided to adopt the US M1. Paradoxically, the US adopted the "Fritz" PASGT system (Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops) which was a version of the ballisitic fiber from the German helmet of WWII. In short time this system was also adopted by the other NATO nations, including Spain.

Polish helmet Wz31. Like the Italian M33 the Wz31 was advanced for the times. These helmets were semi-spherical. The Soviets may been inspired by both the Polish Wz31 and Italian M33 when they made their SSH39/40 series, in the same way the Wz28/35 could have inspired the Soviet SSH36. The Polish Wz31 came in a textured salamander colored finish with anti-reflective paint. They were used during WWII and some ended up in Germans hands used by the Luftschutz and anti-air (along with other captured helmets).

At the end of WWII, Poland continued to make the Wz-31 but in a smooth finish and new liner and chinstrap. This version was called the Wz31-50. During the "Cold War" the helmets made by Poland were based on a mix between the Wz31-50 and the Russian SSH39/40, with the Soviet style exerting more influence over the Polish design.

Italian helmet M33 (Elmetto). I came across this model for the first time in an antique shop. After some research I found that the pre-War model used during the Spanish Civil War. The Galician Eagle emblem was soddered to the front and its color was a brown-green. The rear part was stamped with a code "B" that showed its place of manufacturing (the factory Bassano di Grapa). On the chinstrap attachment it was stamped "AT" which means Arsenales Turin. I became an afficionado of the M33 after that first helmet. I got a lot of great info from the book "M33 Analisi Di Un Elmo" by Diego Bosi, websites like the one from Michele Tagliavini and CascosColeccion, and of course the book "Combat Helmets of the World" by Paolo Marzetti.

The helmets used in the Italian kingdom at the beginning of the Great War were the French Adrian M15 with French Army emblems, the same as the first helmets used by the US Army when they were equipped with this technology by France.

Italy manufactured its own version called the Elmetto M15-16 Adrian, consisting of two parts: the shell and the crown. For trench assaults, the elite units were equipped with armor reminiscent of the those used in medieval times known as Farina.

The M33 helmet was very advanced for the times. It had a spherical shape and the liner band was suspended over three rivets attached to the helmet which served as ventilation for the head. The suspension also lessened the blows of explosion fragments. It was used from 1933 until the 1980s , despite considering its substitution by the English MK II or the US MI at the end of WII.

The M33,like the Polish M31, may have served as an inspiration for the Soviet SSH39/40 series. The similarities of their shapes represented a true confusion for Italian and Soviet troops on the Eastern front, as well as for Finnish troops who used the M33 (among many others) to confront the Soviets.

The M33 helmets were first painted a light grey-green but moved to a darker grey-green during the course of the War and a sand color for the troops fighting in the African desert. The troops of the RSI painted them in a field grey to match the German troops. Something particular to these helmets is that they were stencilled on the front part with symbols corresponding to the different branches that they belonged to. The Italian M33 was used by Spain, Peru, Albania, Lebanon, Finland and possibly by Balcan countries, among others.

Swedish helmet M21-18.

Belgian helmet M26-31.

The Swedish M21-18 is derived in shape from its ancestor 1921-16. They both had a crest and shield with 3 Swedish crowns on the front plus a blue and yellow decal with the 3 Swedish crowns on both sides. The model after the 1921-18 was the M26 in a simpler design and this one was used until the 1970s. Norway manufactured its own version of these Swedish helmets which were called the M31 Baltic helmet.

The Belgian M26-31 was a version of the French Adrian M26 helmet. The Belgian model had flatter laterals and seemed to be an intent to mix the French design with a British helmet, at least it gave that impression. It had the face of a lion on the front as its emblem.

Italian helmet M34, exported in Greece.

Danish helmet M23.

The Italian M34 was made between 1934 and 1939. It was one of Fascist Italy's many attempts to produce a craneal protection reminiscent of their Roman Imperial past. During the 1930s many experimental models came out, but the M33 won out. The M34 helmets were not approved and the company that made them exported them to Greece, just before Italy declared war on the country. The helmets that the Greeks received did not have a liner, so the liners that they have are of Greek production. You can often see the Royal Crown of the Greek monarchy stamped on the leather. Due to the surprising explosion of war between Italy and Greece during WWII, Greece did not receive the quantity necessary to cover the entire army with the helmets. That is why it is common to see an M34 along with the British MKII fighting for Greece during the war. Despite its Italian origin, these helmets are popularly remembered as a Greek model.

The Danish M23 is was a unique project with a very particular design that distanced it from the German, French and English tendencies of the era. From its frontal position it gives the impression of a harlequin hat. From the profile the conical and open front is much less pronounced. This model had an opening in the rear to hook during marches..

Dutch helmet M34

French helmet M26.

Like the Belgians, the Dutch tried to merge the shapes of the English and French helmets in one. This inspiration was the idea of the models preceding the Model 1923. Its shape appears to be more like a firefighter's than a military helmet, and it was indeed used by firefighters. The Model 34 was exported to Romania in 1938 where it was painted an olive green and given as oval emblem on the front from the Royal House of Carol II. After WWII, despite the influence of the USSR, Romania developed its own more compact version of the Dutch M34 called the M73. Meanwhile, after WWII, Holland adopted its own version of the US M1 called the M53 NATO.

The French M26 retains the shape of the M15 Adrian. It was constructed in 2 parts, crest and shell. Just as the M15 Adrian, the M26 had a front emblem. It was much used during WWII by France and its colonies. After WWII France revolutionized its traditional designs and adopted the shape of the US M1, but with a more prolonged posterior. This model was known as the M51 NATO.

Spanish helmet M26

Czech helmet M32-34.

The Model 1926 project from the Arsenal de Trubia was the protagonist helmet (among others) of the Spanish Civil War, utilized by both sides during the war. It continued in service after the war in the armed forces of Franco's Spain where they were standardized in dark brown or khaki with a metallic emblem of the Galician Eagle on the front.

The WZ32/34 was a recognized combat helmet of WWII. Th Slovak troops painted Slovak crosses on them during actions on the Eastern Front. Many of them were also used by the Wehrmacht until 1945.

Polish helmet Wz28/35

German helmet m35

The Wz28 was a Polish designed helmet that was not accepted as a reglamentary helmet. There were 2 versions of the helmet, one had a crest. It is possible that the Soviets were inspired by this helmet when rhey created the SSH36. Although it was not accepted by the army, it served during the war in the anti-air artillery units and other small groups. In 1935 a version of the helmet was made for the anti-air defense and civil defense called the Wz35.

During WWI, Germany made a helmet called the Stahlhelm M16 and other variations with modifications in the chinstrap and liner band called the M17 and M18. In the period between wars, Germany used these types of helmets for their reduced army. The ones that were adapted with a new liner were called the M31. The helmet along with the liner were considered transitional. In 1935 the M35 appeared. The M35 was based on a model from the Great war but in a more compact size. It had the M31 liner and during WWII it was modified with airholes (Model 1935/40). Eventually, in efforts to reduce cost and time, it no longer had an inward sloping brim but rather stopped at edge. This version was known as the M42.

Italian helmet M31

Czech Helmet Wz30

The Italian M31 helmet, although it was never the definitive helmet adopted by the Italian Regio Esercito, will always be remembered for the phoros taken of Il Duce wearing it. It was a design that tried to revive the glorious past of the Roman Empire, the martial law that the fascist regime wanted for Italy. This model had a version with an aeration crest and another without it. Both versions passed on to civil defense groups. These helmets were the ancestors of the Italian M33.

The Czech Wz30 was a highly exported design to countries like Spain and Ethiopia. In Spain, during the civil war, it was the helmet of the international brigades that combatted Francoism. Its design was the shape of the M15 Adrian with the aeration system of the German M16 and its variations.

1936. Presidents Roosevelt and Justo during the former's visit to Buenos Aires. Source Argentine Mauser Rifles 1871-1959 by Colin Webster.

The M38 Arrives

1939. 6Th Infantry Regiment. Mercedes.

The first experimental steel helmets for modern war from the Helvetic Federation were designed by the painter and sculptor Charles L'Eplattenier and were based on designs from armor and wars of antiquity. There were a series of models not approved for serial production. The model that was finally approved on January 13, 1918 by the federal council was the design of Colonel Imboden. According to Bashord Dean (chairman of the Armor Committee of the American who supervised the development of the first experimental helmets in the US), in correspondance with Swiss designers, the project was by Dr Edward Gesser (directorial assistance of the Swiss National Museum in Zurich) and sculpor Paul Boesch (lieutenant in the Swiss High Command). Production first began in the Werker factory in Baden and later in the Metallwarenfabrik in Zug. It had 2 sizes, A and B. They weighed between 1220 and 1230 grams. The steek magnesium material wa 1.5mm thick and painted an olive green. They cost 22.50 Swiss francs per unit-a ton of money for the time! There was a lot of 10,000 helmets out of the 603,000 that were produced that went to Brazil in 1932. The models made until 1935 had a continuous liner band and the first models had an oval buckle on the chinstrap.

Swiss M18/38 ear cut-off (Cavalry Telephonist). 11Th Cavalry Regiment 1946.

Cavalry Regiment 11 (1946).

In 1938, after the intensive ballistic tests developed in 1937, the Swiss M18/40 was adopted by the Argentine army in reglamentary form. According to the website CascosColeccion.com, they were produced by P&L Stadler of Berna. These helmets came without the modification in the liner band that allowed for better ventilation in the rear holes and the easier use of the robust gas masks. The reglamentary helmets mentioned in regulation N18 on February 15, 1940 are the Swiss steel helmet and a plasticized felt German-type helmet for parades according to the work by historian Luqui-Lagleize.

Argentina decided on the neutrality helmet, the Swiss M18 which was similar to the US WWI M5a experimental, "deep salad" a helmet that could be called today "Darth Vader".

The Swiss M18 helmet went into service in 1938, hence the name M38. It was used in large campaigns, maneuvers and parades from a light khaki green to an olive green and even earthy brown.

Some were made on the M18 Swiss molds for parades in fiber with the same liner as the German-style.

Also in continued use was the old German style fiber from the mold of the M35 for parade in olive green and later between 1946 and 47 in earthy brown.

The use of both the Swiss model 18 (M38 Argentina), and the fiber were regulated in the circular N18 of February 15, 1940.

The Swiss helmet was in service for nearly three decades until 1967 where it went to the National Gendarmerie who painted them in an emerald green, the same color as their vehicles.

An Argentine girl with a Swiss helmet, possibly from a surplus or camping store.

The German style parade M36, in fiber was replaced by the plastic liner of NATO M51 (The French version of the American M1).

The American M1 entered service in the early 1950's in the Marine Infantry units, but decades later, finally replace the Swiss model 38 to present a better image in the orbit of NATO countries. But during the three decades of service, the Swiss helmet along with the German style in fiber inprinted Argentina's 20th century military history.

After years of being the image of the Argentine soldier, many of these helmets wound up as auction items, sold to scrap yards or surplus in camping stores. Until the mid-1980s, they were used in Argentina as motorcycle helmets in military colors, including remanants of the cockade, painted black or chrome. I also remember having seen a Swiss helmet shell that was used for "Trench Art" with the helmet serving as a lamp shade and the ammo for a 81mm mortar as the lamp base.

Sources: "Los cuerpos militares en la Historia Argentina 1550-1950" by Julio Mario Luqui-Lagleyze
Guia de uniformes militares: Comandantes y jefes argentinos del ejercito 1865-1945.

Gallery of M38 Collection

Computerized image showing khaki color based on residual paint from another helmet.

Above is a Swiss M18 army helmet (Argentina M38) covered in a dark olivie green. You can see that the cockade was painted over. Binnerbini Collection.

Nice example of an M38 belonging to army shooting instructors. Binnerbini Collection.

Swiss/Argentine M18 battleship grey color with Navy badge. No Argentine helmet used the shield, however you can see M1 liners with shields from the Air Force and round national shields. In this case is a custom metal helmet with a soddered shield.

M18 Swiss Helmet from the National Gendarmerie. It comes in a lighter green than the Army green. The color is also used on the Gendarmerie's vehicles. Binnerbini Collection.

M18 Swiss Helmet from the Argentine Army Military Police. Binnerbini Collection.

M18 Swiss Helmet from the Argentine Air Force. Binnerbini Collection.

Above is an unusual orange Swiss M18 helmet. It may have belonged to the navy as a talker gunner or the air force as a protective air force bomber gunner (anti-flak) or even a civil defense helmet or fireman's helmet(?).

M18 Swiss Helmet (Cavalry-type). The ears were cutout for gas mask and telephone. Binnerbini Collection.

Miscellaneous and Unusuals. Paint, camouflage scheme and decals

The example on the left is an M38 painted in a type of camoflage scheme for vehicles (Two colors Brown Green) is home painted. It has the sun which was used on vehicles starting in the mid-1950s. The sun was never used on helmets and the camoflage on helmets was limited to nets and cockade decals (national bicolor cockades).

The example on the right is an M38 that was exposed for a long time at a farm now on display. It still retains part of the snow camo paint, possibly it belonged to the mountain troops since they tended to paint their half-tracks in the white color of their ski uniforms.

Rare example of an Argentine tank helmet from the semi-cylindrical series of parachute and armored crew. Note the newer decal over an older one.

Excellent example of a parachute ETA M44 helmet, with a hand-painted decal. Note the short camo net for Argentine Paratrooper Helmet. Many thanks to Argentine collector Eduardo Krapovickas.

In the photo is a US M1 WWII era helmet, one of the first M1 helmets that arrived to Argentina towards the end of the 40s. The Marine Infantry helmet has an Argentine National Cockade decal with a yellow anchor. Note the large web for the M1. Photo Eduardo Krapovickas Collection.

Computarized images showing the round Argentine Navy cockade and the Argentine Decal Flag from the Air Force in the 1970s.

Shells models, chinstraps and liners.

This is the inside of a Swiss M18 helmet (Argentine M38). Observe that the Swiss helmets received in Argentina were the early version of the model. They have a circular liner band while the later M18-40 has a U-shaped band.

Above are the Swiss Model 18 helmets with M40 liner on the left and M63 on the right. Neither liner was used by the Argentine military.

Swiss Helmet M18, Shell Types.

http://www.datacomm.ch/rebmann/

Very interesting link to a Swiss reenactors' explaining different shapes of the M18 and its variants. Below are some helmets to illustrate the differences.

Air Holes Vent, (Aeration System).

See the air hole rivets which are very similar to the Italian M33 helmet. The difference is that in the Swiss helmet there are only two in the rear and are solely for ventilation. In the Italian model the rivets also fasten to the liner band.

Swiss Camo covers

Above is a reversible camo cover for the M18 helmet used by the Swiss. The Argentine military did not adopt this system of camo, but rather used a netting system.

German Helmet M35

Argentina copied the German style in a fiber-plastic for parades. However, some German steel helmets arrived in Argentina in the form of the M35/40. In the 1940s the Argentina Marine Infantry received a few hundred of these helmets. They may have come as part of a "package deal" along with the 20 Flak (Krupps) 88 cannons.
The image is an authentic German helmet from WWII reused by Czechoslovakia who painted it brown. Binnerbini Collection.

Austrian Helmet M17

Authentic Austrian helmet M16/17 in brown factory color. This type of helmet was one of the first used by the Argentine military but did not gain wide acceptance. Binnerbini Collection.

Paratrooper Helmets

Argentine Paratrooper Aluminium Helmet from the 1950s, used until 80s.

Typical Argentine camo helmet net, in this case for a parachute helmet.

M1-C Paratrooper Helmet. Second Lieutenant Oscar Augusto Silva who was killed in action in the Malvinas War.

Malvinas campaign

M1 Battlefield Relic. Binnerbini Collection.

US M1 Steel Pot Combat Helmet

WWII era, US liner, Argentine Navy circa 1948/82.

Very nice and complete early WWII front seam, swivel bale US M1 helmet with Firestone liner. This old helmet, among those which were deployed on Normandy's beaches, returned to combat during the Malvinas War. It was found in the 1990s near where the Argentina's infantry took positions during the War.

Here's a captured british helmet (MKII Styke), used for a photo by a argentine marine on Mount Tumbledown Front, during the Malvinas War . Photo Imperial War Museum.

Anecdotes of the Helmet at War

During the Battle of Goose Green, where the disparity of forces was overwhelmingly in favor of the British, Estévez fought section A of the 2nd. British Parachute Battalion, which had about a hundred well-armed troops and naval support. In combat, which started at 5 in the morning lasted until almost 10, Estevez's section made three successive withdrawals and counterattacks.

During combat, Estévez patrolled the positions, shouting orders, under the British fire. When he left his trench he was shot twice, once in the arm and once on the left leg. Staggering, he reached the next trench. Estevez, who without worrying about his own wounds, asked a wounded and bleeding conscript named Sergio Daniel Rodriguez if he was alright, then took a FAL rifle and started shooting. Next he grabbed the radio and was giving new orders. There were five soldiers in the trench at the moment. Estévez, again without regard for his wounds, took the helmet of a dead Argentine soldier and placed it on Rodriguez's head to protect the soldier. At that time he received a new shot in the right cheek. Although they tried to help him, after saying a few words that could not be understood, he died. Subsequently, because Estevez was loaded with grenades, his body was pulled out of the hole. His body was shot several more times to the point of being almost unrecognizable. His grave, like that of many Argentine soldiers, is in the Darwin Cemetery in the Malvinas Islands.

Text taken from Wikipedia

Lieutenant Roberto Estévez - 25th Infantry Regiment (Argentina) Cross of Heroic Valour in Combat

Post War M1 FM "Modelo NATO"

Two Argentine helmets type US M1. The first, darker colored helmet was made in the US. The second was made in Argentina under the name "Modelo NATO". The difference between the 2 is that Argentine one has a longer visor. Binnerbini Collection

Modelo NATO/OTAN.