THE FALLSCHIRMJÄGER STAHLHELM

GERMAN PARA HELMET

ENGLISH :
History:
A variant of the M1935 helmet with a shell lacking the projecting visor and deep, flared rim was issued to Fallschirmjäger (German paratrooper) units. It was so designed in order to lessen the risk of head injury on landing after a parachute jump. Early Fallschirmjäger helmets were manufactured from existing M1935 helmets by removing the undesirable projections, which were omitted when the new design entered full production. [1][2] The modified shell also incorporated a completely different and more substantial liner and chinstrap design that provided far more protection for German airborne troops.

Decal insignia
After Stahlhelm shells were painted, the colours of which varied by organization, small identification or insignia decals usually were affixed to one or both sides of the helmet. Almost every military, naval, and political organization had its own distinctive insignia, which was applied as decals to the sides of helmets. The right side of early M35 helmets bore the tricolored shield of red, black, and white stripes, the traditional national colors of Imperial Germany (cf. the black, red, and gold of today's Germany, harking back to the 1848 Student Revolt). The left side of the shell often received decal insignia denoting the branch of the armed forces, or Wehrmacht, or an organization within the Nazi Party.

The Wehrmacht consisted of the army (Heer), the navy (Kriegsmarine), and the air force (Luftwaffe). While not technically part of the Wehrmacht, the Waffen-SS ("Armed-SS") tactically operated as such and was considered part of Germany's armed forces during the war. The same was true of some Sturmabteilung (SA) units, along with other subsidiary organizations, which functioned as part of the armed forces particularly towards the end of the war. Wehrmacht branches typically displayed distinctive emblems in the form of decals on their helmets. The Heer, or army, displayed a black shield bearing the frontal view of a silver-colored German eagle holding a swastika in its talons, while the navy used the same eagle emblem in gold. Luftwaffe decals displayed the side view of an eagle in flight, also holding a swastika. The SS was both a military and a political organization, and its notorious, black runic initials on a silver-colored shield (normally applied to the right side of the shell) looked like twin lightning bolts. Other military, political, and civil or defense organizations used similar decal insignia to distinguish their helmets. Such visible identification devices were gradually abandoned as the war progressed, however, so that by war's end most Wehrmacht helmet insignia had been eliminated to reduce the wearer's visibility in combat.

DEUTSCH:
Geschichte:
Als Grundlage für den Fallschirmschützenhelm diente der Stahlhelm 35. Allerdings wurde der Augenschirm fast ganz weggelassen und der Nackenschirm, der am Rand umgebörtelt war, wurde auf 1,8 cm Breite gekürzt. Der Nackenriemen wurde unter dem Kinn am Kinnriemen befestigt. Der Kinnriemen wurde auf Schläfenhöhe mit Karabinerhaken an Ösen, die an der Inneneinrichtung 31 befestigt waren befestigt. Der Nackenriemen wurde hinten am Helm ebenfalls mit Karabinerhaken an der Inneneinrichtung befestigt. Ein Teil der Helme wurde mit der Innenausstattung des neuen Stahlhelms versehen. Diese wurde mit vier Schrauben an der Helmglocke befestigt, wozu diese vier Löcher, wie beim endgültigen Muster, erhielt. Da diese Riemen nicht genügen halt boten, wurden die Riemen auf 2 cm verbreitert. Der linke Riemen wurde verlängert und am Ende wurden drei Druckknöpfe angebracht. Darüber lag noch ein 1,6 cm breiter Riemen der links mit einer Dornschnalle festgeschnallt wurde.

Das Stahlblech, aus dem der Helm gefertigt wurde, hatte eine Dicke von 1,15 mm und wurde in den Größen 66, 68 und 71 an die Fallschirmschütze ausgegeben. Durch die verstellbare Inneneinrichtung waren noch die Größen 53, 53, 55/56, 57, 58/59, 60 und 61 möglich. Der Helm wog mit Innenausstattung 1000 Gramm.

Helmabzeichen:
Auf der linken Seite des Helmes wurde das Wappen der Luftwaffe getragen . Das Wappen bestand aus einem weißem Luftwaffenadler (Die Farbe des Untergrunds war die des Helms). Das Abzeichen war 3,8 cm hoch und 3,1 cm breit und wurde 3 mm unterhalb des Lüftungslochs angebracht.

M1936 - 1ste MODEL PARA HELMET

On 29 January 1936 Hermann Göring established Germany's first parachute school at the Luftwaffe base in Stendal. The men were reorganized into the
I.Battalion and the 15 (Pionier) Kompanie of what was to become "Fallschirmjäger Regiment I". Likewise on 1 April 1937 the Army formed a parachute company which also trained at Stendal. A new protective helmet was need for parachute jumps and the firm of Essenhüttenwerke in Thale undertook the initial prototype design. The result was a helmet with the cut-down apperance of a standard M1935. This helmet was soon introduced for general use in 1936.

The model 1936 parachute helmet (M1936) was made of steel in the general shape of the M1935 helmet but without the extended brim and flared sides. It utilized a three rivit M1931 liner retaining system like the M1935 but with a modified eight-finger leather liner and heavy foam pad in the crown. Like the M1935, the helmet used the same hollow rivits for air vents. The unique chinstrap was designed to cross behind the back of the neck and down around the chin while crossing on either side of the ears. Four reinforsed oblong slots in the helmet shell allowed the wearer to hang the carbine hooks on the sides of the helmet when it was not used for parachute jumping.

M1937 Early MODEL PARA HELMET

In 1937 an improved shell was introduced that utilized the same components as the M1936. The model 1937 Parachute Helmet (M1937) was nearly idintical to the M1936 with the exeption that it had two, rather than four, non-reinforced oblong slots in the helmet shell. Under sustained use the early lining system proved faulty as the three rivits combined with the aluminium M1931 liner band tended to warp or shear. Subsequently the helmet underwent modifications that resulted in the introduction of the improved Model 1938 Parachute Helmet (M1938)
The first M37 model helmet, which was designed to use the modified M31 liner and a quick release chinstrap,of which there were 2. The slots on either side of the helmet were used to attach the clips of 2 of the straps when not in jump configuration.

M1937 Transitional MODEL PARA HELMET

The M37 Early model helmet was the later modified as the M37 Transitional model helmet, to accept the early new m38 liner and friction gate buckle. These early liners utilised yellow foaminstead of the later black foam.

1ste model M38 Helmberiemung für M37 Fallschirmjägerhelm / 1ste mode M38 Helmet straps for M37 transitional helmet

M1938 MODEL PARA HELMET

The M1938 helemt incorporated four hollow-bore spanner bolts (with screws and hexagonal washers) in favor of the three split-tailed rivets found on the M1937. The liner system was completely redesigned with heavy rubber padding on the sides and crown with an improved aluminium liner band ring. Later models incorporated a zinc plated steel ring instead of aluminium. Helmet sizing was achieved by varying the thickness of the rubber padding in the appropriate sized helmet shell. The support lining was now constructed out of two pieces of leather sewn together in the center in which twelve holes were cut to allow for venting.

The M1938 helmet was constructed in four different centimeter shell sizes (64, 66, 68, 71)The shell was stamped with four holes where the lining could be attachedto the helmet shell using spanner-bolts. Original examples are stamped with "ET" or "ckl" representing both trademarks used by the Thale manufacturing facility. No other revisions to the basic design were introduced after 1938. Early helmets bore a double decal configuration consisting of the Luftwaffe eagle and the National tricolored shield of Germany. The German Army (Heer) also used the standard Armed Forces Eagle insigna (Whermachtsadler) for a very short time being integrated into the Luftwaffe.

The early M38 helmets are either in early apple green or Luftwaffe blue. These are equipped either with the early yellow foam or the later black foam. They are either with the early chinstrap and with the slide buckle or the later jumpstraps

HELMETS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAMOULAGE

1 - HELMET COVERS

2 - CAMOUFAGE PAINT AND OTHER TYPES OF CAMOUFAGE

M38 Paratrooper Helmet with paint typical for Italy.
Die Stahlkalotte trägt die typische Tarnlackierung, wie sie für Einheiten an der Italien üblich war.

3 - RED CROSS MARKINGS

Other M38 Paratrooper Helmets with paint for red cross members.
Andere Stahlkalotte mit typische Lackierung für Sanitätseinheiten