| Tango01 | 28 Sep 2017 10:47 p.m. PST |
"Comparisons of one's own weapons and equipment to the enemy's was not just a pastime of common soldiers, but of senior officers as well. Throughout the Great Patriotic War, captured equipment was thoroughly tested and studied. In our days, much attention is paid to comparisons of tanks, planes, and guns. However, it is interesting to learn about similar trials for more common, but no less important, elements of a soldier's kit. The question was simple: which helmet is better, a Soviet one or a German one? The answer came from a commission of the Main Quartermaster Directorate of the Red Army in January-February of 1943.
The first mass produced Soviet helmet, the SSh-36, was introduced into the RKKA in 1936, and it became clear by the end of the year that it had a large number of drawbacks. The most major ones were the brittleness of its steel and low resistance to bullets near areas where it was bent. Attempts to improve the helmets led to a number of experimental prototypes, some of which underwent military trials…"
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robert piepenbrink  | 29 Sep 2017 4:10 a.m. PST |
Other factors enter in to helmet design. I understand a US study following WWII concluded (a) German pattern helmets offered slightly superior protection, and (b) no such helmet could be adopted until the last soldier who served in WWII had retired. I was still finding the occasional WWII vet in uniform until about 1980 or a little past. In 1985/86, I turned in my US WWII pattern helmet for "the Fritz" as it was then called. |
| whitejamest | 29 Sep 2017 9:17 a.m. PST |
My parents had both been active duty in the army for about ten years before the change over happened, and described it as a very weird feeling transition. It wasn't just a new helmet pattern, it was a look that had such a strong association with an old enemy. |
| doug redshirt | 29 Sep 2017 10:09 a.m. PST |
In WWI when the US was experimenting with helmet design, guess what design they came up with? Yeah. The same one as the Germans. For a number of reasons they put it on the back burner. |
| mkenny | 29 Sep 2017 4:08 p.m. PST |
The Germans designed a better helmet during the war. It provided superior protection to the one we all recognise as a German Helmet. However Hitler personally vetoed its manufacture because he believed the one in use 'looked better'. The improved German design was shelved but post war it was picked up by East Germany and became their standard Helmet.
Short version is the WW2 German helmet was not the optimum design. |
 piper909 | 30 Sep 2017 12:01 p.m. PST |
I personally admit to never being happy with the new look "Fritz" Army helmet. Just too many associations with German militarism for my taste, however improved it may be. I remember reading that back in the day, soldiers lamented the disappearance of the old helmet liner, noting that the old steel pot could be used separately as a wash basin, soup holder, etc. and that the new helmet was all integrated so you lost that multi-functionality. Was this issue ever addressed? |
| The Beast Rampant | 30 Sep 2017 1:42 p.m. PST |
The improved German design was shelved, but post war it was picked up by East Germany and became their standard Helmet. Maybe, but it is one UGLY helmet. Like a very unhappy compromise between a Tommy and a Fritz. |
| Lion in the Stars | 30 Sep 2017 11:05 p.m. PST |
I remember reading that back in the day, soldiers lamented the disappearance of the old helmet liner, noting that the old steel pot could be used separately as a wash basin, soup holder, etc. and that the new helmet was all integrated so you lost that multi-functionality. Was this issue ever addressed? Not by the time I was wearing the Kevlar 'fritz' helmet in 2001-3. Suspension system was bolted directly through the kevlar helmet. |
| Mobius | 01 Oct 2017 9:41 a.m. PST |
What's with the SEAL pattern helmet. That looks like it would give the least area of protection. |
| Andy P | 02 Oct 2017 4:09 a.m. PST |
having been (un)lucky enough to be issued still with the 44 pattern helmetback in the 80's, i managed to distort one with a thunderflash. |
| Blutarski | 02 Oct 2017 7:45 a.m. PST |
Anyone interested in exploring the interesting story of the involvement of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC in the design and development of combat helmets should check out - "Helmets and Body Armor in Modern Warfare", by Bashford Dean.
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| mkenny | 10 Dec 2017 11:18 a.m. PST |
German Newsreel showing one man wearing the'new' helmet in September 1944. It is the second man you see after the link starts playing and if you blink you will miss it. youtu.be/ZCch_kTWnh8?t=5m46s I presume it was a helmet issued for trials. [URL=https://imageshack.com/i/pmPps3kmj]
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covers the basics for this WWII theater of war.
