Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fascinating and totally original German WWI M16 Stahlhelm retaining approximately 80 percent of its period applied, hand painted camouflage finish. Rather than the more commonly encountered geometric panel pattern, this helmet displays an unusual concentric circle camouflage scheme in deep dark red, brown, green, and black. This distinctive pattern is very rarely encountered and is considerably less common than the standard panel camouflage examples normally seen. The paint exhibits no ultraviolet reaction and was applied over the helmet’s original field gray finish, which remains visible in areas where the camouflage has flaked or worn away.

The stamped sheet steel shell retains both dome headed chinstrap retaining rivets, which secure the internal Pickelhaube style M1891 chinstrap lugs. Both extended ventilation side lugs are also present. These are the correct longer stepped type used on a medium size 64 shell, allowing a Stirnpanzer brow plate to be properly positioned regardless of shell size.

All three liner split pins remain present and retain traces of the camouflage paint. This includes the correct larger rear split pin, although it is installed in the front left position. The helmet retains its original M1917 metal liner band with all three leather liner pads still attached. Two of the three pads are somewhat deteriorated and are no longer complete, while the third remains in better condition. All three pads retain their original padding pillows.

The original chinstrap is absent. Both chinstrap attachment "loops", however, remain attached to the internal lugs and are included. The surviving liner band, liner pads, padding pillows, attachment hardware, and chinstrap fittings provide an excellent view of the helmet’s original wartime construction.

The shell is stamped: B.F.64

This marking indicates manufacture by F.C. Bellinger of Fulda. The company produced helmet shells in sizes 62 and 64 for the German war effort. Size 64 is a desirable medium large shell capable of accommodating liners measuring approximately 56cm to 57cm, corresponding to about a U.S. size 7 to 7 1/8. Size 64 shells are harder to find than smaller sizes and are therefore especially desirable to collectors.

The interior crown bears the heat lot marking: R1418

The “R” prefix is associated with steel supplied by the Röchling works at Völklingen. The number 1418 identifies the individual steel heat or production batch used during manufacture.

This helmet shows honest age, wear, scattered oxidation, and areas of camouflage loss, but remains a highly impressive and unusually complete display example. Its rare concentric circle camouflage, strong surviving colors, desirable BF64 shell, original M17 liner band, surviving pads and pillows, and clearly visible heat lot marking make it especially appealing for an advanced German WWI helmet, trench warfare, camouflage, or Imperial German militaria collection.

History of the M16 Helmet

The Stahlhelm was introduced into regular German service during the Verdun campaign in early 1916. Its deep bowl, extended skirt, and stamped steel construction offered far greater protection from shell fragments and battlefield debris than the leather Pickelhaube it increasingly replaced.

The prominent horn shaped ventilation lugs on each side of the M16 shell also served as mounting points for the Stirnpanzer, a heavy steel brow plate intended to provide additional frontal protection. Although effective in a static position, the plate was too heavy for general infantry use and saw only limited service, particularly with snipers, sentries, machine gun crews, and trench raiding personnel.

M16 helmet shells were manufactured in several sizes, generally ranging from 60 to 68, with some size 70 examples also reported. The suspension system consisted of a headband supporting three segmented leather pouches, each containing padding material. Leather or fabric adjustment cords allowed the liner to be fitted comfortably to the wearer. The one piece leather chinstrap was attached to the shell by M1891 chinstrap lugs of the same general type previously used on the Pickelhaube.

The protective value of the new helmet was quickly recognized. Reserve Lieutenant Walter Schulze of 8th Company, Reserve Infantry Regiment 76, described his combat introduction to the Stahlhelm during the Battle of the Somme on July 29, 1916:

“... suddenly, with a great clanging thud, I was hit on the forehead and knocked flying onto the floor of the trench... a shrapnel bullet had hit my helmet with great violence, without piercing it, but sufficiently hard to dent it. If I had, as had been usual up until a few days previously, been wearing a cap, then the Regiment would have had one more man killed.”

The M16 was not without drawbacks. The ventilation lugs could allow cold air into the helmet during winter, leading some soldiers to block them with mud or fabric. The large flared skirt could also interfere with hearing, distort surrounding sounds, and create an echo when the wearer spoke.

German Stahlhelme were originally finished in Feldgrau, or field gray. Before an official camouflage standard was established, troops frequently attempted to reduce the helmet’s recognizable outline using mud, foliage, cloth, and locally applied paint. Official cloth helmet covers in white and gray also appeared during late 1916 and early 1917.

Painted helmet camouflage was formally standardized in July 1918 under German Army Order II, No. 91 366, signed by General Erich Ludendorff on July 7, 1918. The order called for helmets to be painted in several colors suited to the season, separated by finger wide black lines. Green, brown, and ocher were among the colors recommended for summer use.

Although the familiar segmented panel pattern is most closely associated with the 1918 directive, considerable variation occurred in actual field application. Paints were often mixed and applied at unit or individual level, producing a wide variety of colors, shapes, and arrangements. The concentric circle pattern seen on this helmet is a particularly unusual interpretation and is far less commonly encountered than the standard angular panel camouflage normally found on surviving examples.