Original WWII Italian M33 Helmet with Armored Division Tank Stencil - Dry-Rotted Liner & Chinstrap
In stock
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Original Item. Only One Available. During the course of World War II the Italian Army deployed four armoured divisions. Three were formed before 1940 by expanding on already existing armoured brigades, they were Ariete, Centauro and Littorio. In 1941 the new standard armoured division consisted of 8,600 troops, 189 M-type medium tanks, 40 armoured cars, 20 self-propelled guns and 70 pieces of artillery, and 1,120 vehicles.
This is an outstanding M33 Italian helmet with a very worn wartime liner and chinstrap and a great period stencil for the Italian Tankers, the Armored Divisions.
The M33 Helmet (Elmetto Mod. 33 in Italian) is a steel combat helmet designed in the 1930s in Italy, and was the standard combat helmet of the Regio Esercito up to World War II, and of the Esercito Italiano well into the Cold War. Designed by Nicola Leszl for the Mussolini Government, these have become extremely hard to find on the collectors market today, especially WWII examples that have not been refurbished.
The stencil depicts crossed rifles under a Royal Italian crown, with a tank stencil in the center. The exterior paint shows wear and heavy oxidation, with roughly 70% paint retained. The rear rim is stamped I 117. The leather liner with the correct Z-stitch and 58 size-perforated liner show heavy dry rotting and material loss, but it does retain the original tie string with washers. The leather chinstrap is in similar, shape extremely stiff and fragile with the correct wartime buckle and rectangular bales.
A very nice service-worn M33 helmet for the Armored Divisions. Ready for further research and display.
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