| Place | Europe: Western Front |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM04524.006 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Helmet |
| Physical description | Leather, Steel |
| Location | Main Bld: First World War Gallery: Western Front 1916: Weaponry |
| Maker |
Otto Koch & Co Unknown |
| Place made | Germany |
| Date made | 1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
M 1918 steel helmet with 'Stirnschild' steel brow plate : Imperial German Army
Description
Painted German M 1918 steel helmet with leather chinstrap. A painted protective steel 'stirnpanzer' brow plate is attached to the ventilating lugs on the helmet.
History / Summary
The specific history of this helmet is unknown. The helmet itself is a Model 1918 pattern, which features a steel helmet liner band with the chinstrap attached directly to the liner band, rather than to lugs on the helmet shell, as with the M1916 version, and thus lacks the rivets on the lower flare of the side skirt which were a feature of the M1916 and M1917 versions. All German helmets were made from pressed chromium-nickel steel.
The contoured steel brow plate, known as a 'Stirnschild', introduced in 1916, is attached to the helmet's ventilation holes by means of angled cut outs at the rear of the plate, and secured to the helmet with a rivetted, buckled leather strap attached to slots at the rear of the plate. These plates were of the same thickness as the helmets, and of the same material, but added some 2 kg to the weight of a helmet.