Elmi the south wind-Germans in the First World war

of Roberto Bocuzzi



Evolution and technique.

Ballistics and accessories.

The elmo Austro-hungarian.

Inks and mimetismo.

The high nichel-chromium and alloy steel more than a millimeter, has rendered these helmets the means of more effective defense for the head, of the $first World War, tant' is true that the design has been resumed in years ' 90 from the new ones elmi in kevlar of the Forces Born. During the period that goes from 23 November 1915 to 10 November 1918 (a day before the company of the German armistice) they came some constructed more than eight million and half. They exist you vary models, different between they for the ransom, the disposition of the bolts of support of the padding, soggolo and the system of aeration. E' to notice that such differences depend also on the factories that have constructed the helmets with proceeding of the war, for which the denominations (dates and models) are not other that a conventional way in order to classify them, all deriving from the prototype planned in the 1915 from dr. the Bier and dr. the Schwerd, than by hand by hand has gone modifying second the availability of the material in equipment to the factories.

The first forty exemplary realize you from famous Franz craftsman Marx exceeded the ballistic test to the polygon of Kummersdorf. The German factory more important for the construction of the helmets was the Heisenhuttenwerk di Thale am Harz, where came constructed the first trentamila exemplary ones that endured the test of the fire to Verdun. Endured after, an other ten of branchs (office) rose in Germany and seems that from the l9l5 to the 1918 one was had every day medium production nearly 4,000 helmets! E' to notice that in such figure they did not come completely included the helmets not answering to the ballistic test; bullet from 13 grams with speed begins them of 240 m/sec. Such helmets in fact came used for practices or give back you to the foundries. The helmets cram 50 to you to the time in cases of wood came send you to the forehead. Every vagone railway it contained 50 of these cases, for a total of 2.500 helmets.

6 ransoms for elmi the south wind-Germans of the first world war exist. The elmi German of the first world war in kind, but rare exceptions, like as an example the fregi to badge of Gardekorps (1920), they never did not carry distinguished to you official.
RANSOM

ELMO FOR HEAD

WITH CIRCUMFERENCE (cm)

60
from 50,5 to 52

62
from 52,5 to 54

64
from 54,5 to 56

66
from 56,5 to 58

68
from 58,5 to 60

70
from 60,5 to 62


Ascertained E' that they came produced:
40% of elmi with ransom 64

40% of elmi with ransom 66

10% of elmi with ransom 68

10% of elmi with ransoms 60-62-70


The issue of the ransom is one the most important what when it is spoken about elmi south wind-Germans. In fact on the ransom of the elmo the shape more or less great depends than it and moreover the less great shape depends more or of "cornetto of aeration" that acts as also from attack to the protecting steel screen (of only ransom). The length and the largeness of the cornetti of aeration, diminish proportionally from ransom 60 to the 62, from the 64 to the 66 and cosi via. In practical while the ransoms increase the cornetti of aeration they diminish of largeness, for that if a elmo is had of small ransom and fortified of cornetto large it comes applied the protecting screen of only ransom adapted also to a elmo of great ransom with cornetto small. More it searches to you from the collectors are exactly those of ransom 68-70. C$r-with regard to the screen protected to you it must say that requirement minimums affinchè could be distributed to the troop were the ability to resist to beyond 50 meters to any kind of project them enemy talk nonsense to you with the gun or the gun. Of this corazzetta (stirnpanzer) they came some produced least exemplary, approximately 50.000 (from which a high collezionistico value derives some also), that for several reasons: first of all, the weight too much elevated that it could vary from 1,2 to 1,4 kg, in the second place, for the use limited to which they were destined, observations from the trenches, sharpshooters in short positions, etc.

The padding is constituted from three bearings imbottiti from horsehair or straw and fixed to circles of leather (prod.1916) and metallic (prod.19l7-l8) high from 2,5 to 3 cm. They exist varies types to you of soggolo. In particular soggolo of fabrication the Austrian with relati attacks to you to elmo the servants in order to distinguish the elmo, to prescind from the ink, those true and own Germans. The elmi German they are supplies of "attacks" to joint, smontabile, similar to those of the pickelhaube, while those Austrians, supplies of "fixed attack", with the soggolo are sewn. To notice the praticità of the German model, while after the breach of soggolo the Austrian soldier it was forced has to give back the helmet for the repair replacing it with an other, to the German soldier it was enough to ask the substitution for the soggolo without ulterior effort of supplying from part of I affixed warehouses to you. They existed of the points of collection for the repair of the helmets: for the forehead situated to North of the Danube it was the Helmfabrick-Brude Gottlieb near Brun (puts into effect it them Brno), for those situates to South of the Danube the Helmfabrik to you To Westen near Cilli. In kind the sottogola of the elmi German is of leather, but some in hemp exist some. To the contrary the soggoli of those Austrohungarian ones are all of hemp. Rarest to find some in leather.

The varying Stahlhelm and its remained in use also in the post-war period until 1935. Between 1930 and the 1934 came modified or replaced all the paddings with the new mod. 1931, subsequently subentrò the new light metallic helmet (M35) that it equipped the army of baby III reich. The M35 was the helmet standard of the German army.

The ink, as it has been said is different between the German model to that Austrian. When the Bier-Schwerd plan came approved of, it was believed endured to give one ink appropriated to the new one elmo; the black ink seemed adapted for the new ones at first elmi, but then considering that the ordinary uniform of the Germanic soldier was the feld-grau, the elmo was believed had to be conformed more to this ink, for which the green olive came chosen. In the meantime in Austria before the adoption of the German model, it was being worked to the Berndorf plan, that is the realization of a helmet "made in Austria", the elmo berndorfer for excellence constructed in 140.000 exemplary and distributed until to exhaustion supplyes in November 1917. Of this elmo two exist varying characterized from the various Foggia. It was supplied of three types of paddings: two to three bearings mount on metal or felt Rim and one to you to simpler cap, than it could be tightened and be increased. Such elmo it was supplied of a system of aeration to cupolare and enough various shape regarding that one of the M16. Also for it a corazzetta was previewed of the type "stirnpanzer" that it was coupled using the "button" of the aeration to cupolare and two final additional hooks on the visiera of the elmo and from a fixed ardiglione to the posterior part of the elmo, in order to prevent the scivolamento towards the high of the strap of the corazzetta same. Of these corazzette if they know three varying for the stahlhelm and two for the bemdorfer. These helmets came clear brown inks. As soon as they reached in Austria first elmi of German fabrication, they came endured modified the inks. Subsequently the M16 came constructed on licence in Austria with the padding, the ink and the soggolo modified, like saying previously, classifying itself like Austrian M16. However, it is the elmo berndorfer, the Austrian M16, than the stahlhelm German they accompanied the Austrian soldier for all the war.

Austria produced also elmo the Hungarian, if not other identical in the shape to stahlhelm the south wind-Germans but with padding and sottogola of type berndorfer. The implantation bolt dell padding, the much smallest one than that one of the M16 is situated much more up on the lateral stratum. Such elmo it was in equipment to the Hungarians in parallel with the berndorfer and stahlhelm to leave from 1917. Sovente, the brown is darker, but that depends on the sopratinta that in kind the Austro-hungarian ones gave to the elmo in order to render it more opaque. Nearly never the Austro-hungarian ones used sopratinte camouflage, single in little cases, like in snowy zones, or zones from the characteristic red arena. The Germans to the contrary used most numerous camouflage colorations, to times the elmo, of for himself green, turn out painted irregularly with pennellate vertical grey, black browns and and browns, yellow and browns, etc. That depended on the season and from the land where the soldier was employed. To the stahlhelm as for the bemdorfer cover was added also one anti-glare in bag burlap, rough of color Havana, feldgrau, etc. officially adopted the 03/01/1917. The telini anti - reflected they were realizes to you in approximately 800.000 exemplary. To difference of the Austro-hungarian models, these telini had claw hooks anzichè cordicelle for the implantation. To the level of the borchie of aeration they were applies you of reinforces of leather or oilcloth like for those Austro-hungarian ones.

A signal deserves elmo the so-called "Turk" who other was not that a M18 with the visiera cut like demanded from Turkey, for religious requirements (in fact renders possible to approach to the forehead the ground for the prayer Muslem) for a lottery of 5400 exemplary supplied from the allied Germanic Empire. The models of the stahlhelm more search to you from the collectors are the Turkish model and the model from cavalry.



Evolution of the Germanic helmet; the first only four are

states employ to you in the First World war, last the four

they are helmets from parachutist




Mod.1916. Stahlhelm M16

In alloy of acciao to the Ni-Cr of the thickness of 1mm. it is supplied of a padding to three horsehair imbottiti burlap bearings or straw mounted on one band of leather (1916) or metal (1917) and fixed one to the elmo with three bolts. Alternatively to the inside the packages of medicazione.La coloration could come riposti were generally of a green olive, but to advanced war it came painted to geometric camouflage. The copy in photo is a restored M16, varnish and padding reproduction is one





Mod.1916. Stahlhelm camouflage M16.

Same characteristics and same accessories of the M16 model to difference of the geometric ink





Mod.1917-1917 Stahlhelm M17-18

German Elmo mod.1917-18. Unprovided E' of the external bolts for the sottogola, in how much, this, of new type was directly fixed to the inner band of the padding. The elmo it comes classified like Mod.1918. It is necessary to remember that the greater part of regarding official documents the fabrication of the elmi succeeded you to 1916 has gone destroyed to Potsdam in 1945



Elmo from cavalry. Stahlhelm M18

Commonly famous like elmo from cavalry, it was employed from all the units to the end of the war and beyond. The reason for which it introduces of the cuts to level of the lateral stratums, can have had to various reasons: to eliminate the effect risonanaza that it was taken place in the mod.1916 when near outbreaks happened, increasing therefore the probalità of risk of the breach of the eardrums of the soldier. Eliminate the effect whirling arm that was come to create when the horse was to the gallop, provoking an annoying buzz preventing therefore I listen drawn near of the enemy in particular conditions. And more reliable hypothesis, in order to facilitate the use of telephones and caps radio.





Austrian Elmo Mod.1916, Oesterreich-Stahlhelm M16

It has the same shape of the elmo mod.1916 Germanic, but sene it differentiates for the coloration brown, in several tonalities, and for the sottogola in directly connected hemp to the center up on the lateral stratums. During the parades or in particular occasions, on the air inlet one of sx, they came applied to three leaves of oak of summer or a rametto of pine in winter. The padding of skin or oilcloth is to three bearings that second the intention of the German inventor and like saying on purpose of the mod.1916 Germanic, were assign to you to contain the medication packages. Also sullìelmo Austrian as for the German they came applied of corrazze the anti-bullet





Corazzette anti projects them (Stirnpanzer)



To sx. equipped German Soldier for a turn of vedetta.L' elmo camouflage M16 soldier is supplied of corazzetta Stirnpanzer eil wears the protecting armor.

To side. Complete Corazzetta of protection characterizes them Sappenpanzer of the first type

Inner sight of the corazzetta



Austrian Elmo mod.1916 with cover antireflesso in tela.Il telino could have the colors more diversi.Venne used more from the Germans who give the Austrians, which however enough diffusely used it between the end of 1917 and all 1918, especially on the forehead of the Piave. It reinforces around the air inlet ones, not always present, could be of leather, oilcloth or simply it realizes to you to machine.


Padding mod.1931. until 1934 it replaced the old paddings of the helmets surpluses of the great war.

Omitting Austria, several nations in the post-war period, they adopted elmo Germanic in all its varying

STATE.......................................................
MODEL............................................................ PERIODO

Afghanistan...................................................
M16 and M17-18........................................................2a GM (* *)

Bolivia.........................................................
M16 R (*)............................................................... anni ' 60

Bulgaria.......................................................
M16 R..................................................................... 2a GM

Czechoslovakia...........................................
Austrian M16 R...................................................... anni ' 20

China...........................................................
Austrian M16 R...................................................... anni ' 30

Croatia.......................................................
Austrian M16 R.......................................................2a GM

Estonia.......................................................
M17-18 R.................................................................anni ' 20-' 30

Finland.....................................................
M17-18 and elmo from cavalry......................................2a GM

Yugoslavia-Serbia........................................
Austrian M16 R........................................................anni ' 20

Lettonia.......................................................
M17-18 R and Austrian M16 R...................................1939-41

Lituania.......................................................
M16 R..................................................................... anni ' 20

Mexico......................................................
M16 R.......................................................................anni ' 20-' 30

Norway.....................................................
Austrian M16 R...................................................... anni ' 20-' 30

M17-18 R............................................................... 1945-50

Slovenia.......................................................
Austrian M16 R........................................................anni ' 20

Turkey........................................................
M18 without visiera...................................................... years ' 20

Hungary.....................................................
M16, Austrian M16, Berndorf R and M17 Hungarian... years ' 20-' 30

(*)R = Ricondizionato. To the elmo it has been modified the ink, the padding and the sottogola second the requirements of the Armed Forces of the country in which it comes used.

(* *)gm = World war




Turkish soldiers during an inspection with the new M18 helmet lacking in visiera