[PTMCCAIN]

Hey guys, thought I'd show my Wehrmacht helmet, a M42 model, and I found a great old German newsreel to go along with it, showing how they made them. Also added some explanatory detail:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOpgKZZ6SUU

[TXdefender]

That's neat, thanks for sharing.

[rcmodel]

I have a friend who collects, buys, and sells them.

What amazed me is how small an average German solder must have been.

I have never seen a German helmet yet big enough to try it on!
Even without the headband & liner.

And I wear a size 7 1/4 hat.

rc

[PTMCCAIN]

RC, amen to that brother.

I have a very large head, mind you, but...everyone was smaller back then, keep in mind. Any man over 6 foot was considered a "big guy."

[351 WINCHESTER]

Really. A helmet that will stop an 8mm round?

[Robert]

Now I have to dig up a pic of my WW1 Brodie...

Very cool!

[PTMCCAIN]

Pics please.

[Jim K]

No helmet a man could wear on his head would stop the bullet from a 7.9 round. That was some kind of propaganda hype. What struck me was the sheer manpower required to make those helmets. Nothing was automated; every machine was loaded and operated manually. They must have had at least the equivalent of a regiment just making helmets. And there were few women involved; others have commented on the reluctance of the Germans to use women in arms factories, but that film shows it clearly.

I think Americans fail to realize the genius behind the U.S. WWII helmet. It was as strong as the German helmet, but had a number of advantages due to its two-piece construction. The liner alone was a good "hat", lightweight but with some protection capabilities (I was once saved a very nasty whack on the head because I was wearing a helmet liner, so I speak from experience). Further, the air space under the liner provided a fair degree of insulation.

The "steel pot" with the liner removed, could serve to carry water, gasoline, or other liquids, to dig a foxhole or bail it out, to use as an emergency latrine or as a basin, to melt snow for water, to boil water, as a "tote bag", and as a seat. Most of those things can't be done (or are not feasible) with a helmet like the German helmet and our modern Kevlar helmet.

Jim

[rcmodel]

The other thing is, the Germans made their helmets in four shapes, and in six sizes each.

Our "one size fits all" helmet concept surely streamlined manufacturing and supply considerable.

I have often thought if the Germans had spent less resources and man power on making medals and dress daggers in a gazillion different designs, and around 24 different helmets ?

They might have had a better chance of beating us by being able to make more tanks and aircraft.

rc

[PTMCCAIN]

You just can't convince a German to settle for "good enough" ... they will pursue everything until they reach absolute perfection in construction, design, engineering, organization and documentation. Trust me on this.

It is a main reason they lost WWII, they were so rule bound that the individual soldier was incapable of making quick decisions on his feet, but was always looking for superiors to tell him what to do, when, etc.

[rcmodel]

But in WWII, and even much later, the old "one size fits all" U.S. GI helmet & Liner was "good enough"!

Better then that in fact, because it could be used for so many things the German helmet couldn't be used for.

You wore your hot water heater, kitchen sink, and bathtub on your head!!
When you weren't digging fox holes with it while still wearing the liner for at least a little protection!

rc

[Jim NE]

When we played Army as kids, we usually wanted to be the Americans, but we ALWAYS thought the Germans had the cooler gear - from their helmets to their Lugers to their dressy uniforms. Even their hand grenades were cooler!

[hso]

Difficult to make a WWII helmet thread into a firearms accessory topic.