Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a WWI M18 helmet, which was converted for use by the Third Reich in the 1930s before the widespread issue of the M1935 helmet. This would involve repainting, and the helmet was then fitted with a pre-war M-31 Leather liner, with the correct WWII pattern split pins. It looks like it was probably in service for some time, as it now has a wartime Panzergrau (Armor Gray) color lightly textured finish, and is also now fitted with only a single Heer Army Eagle decal on the left side. It was probably originally issued with "Double Decals", but when it was repainted at arsenal, only a single decal was added, as per regulations. Definitely an interesting example with a great look!

The Heer decal is roughly 85% retained and has a great look. The shell is stamped W66 indicating that Hermann Weissenberger & Co. in Stuttgart-Cannstadt manufactured it. This company made M16 shells in size 66 ONLY for the war effort. There is heavy oxidation and staining on the interior crown, so we can no longer see the rolling mill marking.

All three original liner retaining pins are intact and have complete original paint on the ends. The interior of the helmet still has an original M31 leather liner with all eight fingers present, and in fair shape, though there is some heavy staining and what may be mold. The original tie string is retained. The liner band is aluminum, with square aluminum chin strap loops attached to reinforced sides. This is the last pattern before the move to galvanized steel bands. The left side of the galvanized steel liner band is marked 64 n.A. / 57, indicating a size 57 liner for a size 64 shell. This is not really the correct size for this shell, which explains the large gap between the outer band and the shell in some areas. The right side displays the full manufacture information, as well as a date:

B. & C.
LITZMANNSTADT
1942

This liner was made by Biedermann & Czarnikow, a German company who moved operations to Łódź in occupied Poland to take advantage of the slave labor in the ghetto located there. NSDAP authorities renamed Łódź to Litzmannstadt in honor of the German General Karl Litzmann who had captured the city in the previous World War. We assume this liner was fit to the helmet when it was repainted at arsenal later in the war.

The liner is fitted with the correct chinstrap which is stretched taut over the front brim of the helmet.

A beautiful, solid example of WWII Reissued M16 helmet with a single Heer Army decal and some interesting characteristics. Comes ready to research and display!

The first "modern" steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915 and were shortly followed by the British army later that year. With plans on the drawing board, experimental helmets in the field, ("Gaede" helmet), and some captured French and British helmets the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, in the spring of 1916. These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. At the end of WWI it is estimated that Germany had produced about 8,500,000 steel helmets. As a result of the restrictions placed on the German’s by the Treaty of Versailles, which dictated a standing army of only 100,000 personnel, there was an abundant surplus of these helmets, and though they saw widespread use by Freikorps personnel, there was still a stockpile controlled by the Reichswehr.

These excess helmets underwent minor modifications in 1923 with the addition of provincial identifying shield decals and in 1931 with the development of a new chinstrap and liner system. Although helmet development was ongoing when AH came to power in 1933, the M16 and M18 helmets were still the main headgear worn by the Reichswehr. The helmets remained the same until March 1933 when the provincial shields were discontinued in favour of the national tri-color shield. In 1934 the national eagle shield was introduced, and both the tri-color and eagle shields were applied to the helmets. After the development of the new M35 helmet, the WWI helmets were still issued to second line and training troops well into WWII. The Austrian M16 was almost identical to the German version with the positioning of the chinstrap liner rivets being the most readily identifiable difference.