WW2 German Helmets - How Were They Made?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ธ.ค. 2023
- The German Stahlhelm is a very distinctive shape of helmet from both world wars - ever wondered how they were manufactured in WW2? Then watch this video (subtitled by me)!
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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Inadvertently helped prevent more friendly fire incidents too, thanks to their distinctive and easily recognizable shape.
Ironically, the us Army tried Camo in europe but ditched the pattern in fear of friendly fire but more friendly fire incidents occurred when they adopted the olive green uniform.
@@griz312an Online Myth recently debunked, only the 2nd Armored Division got the Frog Skin uniforms and nobody got shot because there were no reports of it. Also the uniforms were pretty distinct and up close no U.S. Soldier could accidentally shoot one of their own because of their distance and also their web gear.
@@NeuroPosting88 like I said the brass feared friendly fire because the thinking was the German Patterns looked similar to them. Also the Frogskin pattern wore out fast and and had to be replaced.
@@griz312 exactly
I mean sure... but it also meant they could be recognised more easily on the battlefield. So kinda 50/50.
If I remember correctly the Americans were extremely interested in finding out how these helmets were made. The Americans did their's in a single press which caused thin spots but the German helmets were pressed more than once keeping the same thickness of metal over all.
Good german engineering
Deutsche Qualität !
As a (American) kid in the early 1960s' , I remember going to a military surplus store . There were a few American helmets with a bullet hole through both sides. It was rare to see a German helmet like that.
@@methodeetrigueur1164 Later it was much faster in production og lower quality helmets- the M42
@@methodeetrigueur1164 Ja, definitiv deutsche Qualität.
My uncle was captured in North Africa in 1941 - he was a member of crew in a bren gun carrier that found itself behind enemy lines after driving at speed over a large sand dune. The four men were taken a few miles back to a tented enclosure, lined up for inspection, in walked Rommel, took off my uncles helmet and proceeded at length, discussing with his staff the merits of both designs, a period of 4 years imprisonment followed, he returned home in 1945.
When I was in the US Army, and stationed in Germany late ‘80s, I was amazed how much we looked like the German Wehrmacht in WWII. Especially in the poncho & Kevlar helmet.
PASGT basically got its design from the German M35. You can basically say all helmets with that style of protection are based off that as well. MICH 2000/ACH helmets, French Spectra helmets, Canadian CG634, etc...
The Fritz
@@torpedo58 actually I never once referred to it, nor did I ever hear it referred to as “The Fritz”. Every interaction I ever had with it, it was referred to as “Kevlar”; as in, “Meet in front of squadron hq, LBE & Kevlar”.
@@garyowen9044 Interesting, because we did. Funny how stuff like that goes.
Hello from Germany. We like to keep the good traditions
You have to give the Germans 10 out of 10 for style and versatility, from helmets to uniforms.
Some things German designed could made much easier, for example Germans madeTiger l tank it was heavy and expensive, then Germans see Russia T-34 and made their next heavy tanks shaped like T-34, also German visor hats have 3 piping cord, on the crown,, between crown and band and lower between band and visor , there could be enough only two branch piping cords, same on helmets, m-35 looks cool, but there was no reason bend edges of helmets, later German had no choice because shortage of metal and reducing production cost they made m-42..In General of course German stuff looks cool...
German helmet style yes but versatility is U.S. m1 helmet, Cooking pot shovel face wash all m1 helmet.
Never underestimate the power of images, identity and prestige on soldiers' morale. As Napoleon once said: A soldier would fight through life and death for a piece of ribbon.
Their winter uniforms were regarded as markedly inferior to those used by the Russians (not noted in general for high quality) during the Battle of Stalingrad.
Hugo Boss
I used to own a copper cookware manufacturing company. We used the same process....double action presses on ring die & punch....around 350 ton for 1/16" copper. Then followed by a circle cutter to trim.
Our presses were from the same time period...Cleveland, Warner & Swazy and my favorite, 30 hp Ford Smith polishing machines from a Canadian battleship.
350-ton press for 1/16" copper? Sounds like overkill. We blanked 8-gauge steel with a 75-ton L&J press....all day long for 30 years.
If you did why did they dip it in soapy water before pressing it was it to just clean the metal or was it some other reason like heat when it got pressed.
@@giggity4670 I imagine it was to act as a release agent, in other words cheap insurance that helped the helmets come out of the molds easier and not get stuck.
Canada never had Battleship. Their biggest warships have always been Destroyers and Frigates. One or two aircraft carriers in the past also. Never had a Battleship.
@@robertducanis4448blanking with 75 - 100 ton sounds about right. The 350 ton press was used for the deep draw....12" wide and around 6" deep. You need that tonnage for a smooth draw
Growing up, my neighbor had German war memorabilia, including helmets. One of them was child sized (presumably for Hitler youth soldiers towards the end of the war). Since I was the blondie of the blondies in our neighborhood, when we would play war, I always had to be "the German" and wear that helmet - whilst brandishing my Luger cap gun. Thanks for letting me know where it came from.
😂😂😂
I bet you wish you still had that Luger cap gun!!! I know I miss my Topper M14 + Model of 1911 set and my Mattel "M16". They did not survive my sister's kids when I went off to college.
@@danielbeck9191I wish I had my toy Thompson. All that remains of it are pictures of me when I was 4 trying to assault a photo booth...lol😼
All this brings back memories. I remember being about 11 years playing war with my best friend in the woods near a local beach. We both had plastic M-16 rifles and camouflage jackets. There was a shed quite close to the beach that we always used to storm. My friend opened the door and i "opened fire" against our imaginary enemies, but there was actually someone there, a hobo drinking booze that got scared by the "commandos" and started screaming and swearing. He started chasing us down to the beach but we were too fast. We had to wait for him to catch up and then we started to run again while firing our toy M-16 at him. The hobo was so drunk that he fell in the sand several times. It was so fun. It went on for about ten minutes and then the hobo gave up and retreated back to the shed while we fired and cheered.
That’s dope
As with many things, the Germans were ahead of their time when it came to producing effective helmets. Most helmets today follow similar shapes to protect the ears and the back of the neck.
The German helmets and designs of them from WW2 are still used today in poor country's military or guerrillas that just shows how good they were and ahead of their time
@@giggity4670When the American armed forces introduced their new helmet based on this German design, it was promptly nicknamed 'the Fritz'. But the brass hats soon put a stop to that - ! 😅
@@giggity4670 Untrue
Germany lost.
The WWII German helmet was so good that even Darth Vader adopted a version of it.
A number of years ago, I scored a 1916 stahlhelm at a garage sale for $5. I researched the markings and it was the second earliest of these type of distinctive German helmets made. The first of this type were made in 1915 and were to replace the Pickelhaube helmet. At that time, the metal pressing technology to produce these helmets was revolutionary and a guarded military secret.
Pic plz?
Five bucks? Someone clearly didn't know what they were throwing away.
Funny part is that it was the end of the sale and the owner was closing up and nobody bothered buying it. @@johnjarvie5379
@@johnjarvie5379 I got one for 25 bucks.....painted Rustoleum puke green.....it has been restored to its original colors.
The ones made during WW1 were slightly deeper, made of thicker material, the edges were folded over to stiffen them and the inside was made of leather. A high quality product. Later they saved on the ones for the rank and file by using thinner sheet sheet, left the edges unfolded and used cheap textile for the inside.
LOL! That’s a great new opening picture 😂
...and the caption shows he has some _Terminator_ knowledge too
@@HemiChryslerYes he does, for anyone wondering (like me) that's a Martini Henry Greener 12 gauge.
Boomstick 😂
@@bobhill3941and it looks like a beaut
Q: How were WWII German helmets made?
A: ‘Vweeeeery carefullink’
- Col.Klink
As a former heat treatment tradesman with the Australian Defence Industry, I found the annealing & hardening process very interesting!
Why did you find it interesting - is it an unusual process?
Heating up and cooling down in oil, that's what a friend of mine does with knifes too. (Although he uses clay for differentially tempered blades.)
@@pookyac42 More so through multiple pressings of the steel it induces stress within the metal. In turn has to be annealed to avoid cracking from say bullets & explosions. Followed then by the hardening & cooling in oil. Yes I did plenty of knife blades among other things. 🤫
@@andrewd7586 Many thanks for your reply ✌️🙂
Heath and Safety want a word with the plant manager.
I love Stalhelms... I have 5 M35's, 2 M40's, an M42 and two M34 Civil helmets... some good condition with decals and some relics - Amazing things to collect
Heer Decals or other branches?
Were the helmet liners adjustable, or sized? I had one years ago, way too small for me.
one Stahlhelm and two Stahlhelme...steel is Stahl
the helmets also came in different sizes
i have one thats made for very small heads , almost child sized
@@owenmerrick2377
I also collect German helmets they are fascinating iconic things even the leather straps are from different manufacturers
Germans are masters of stamping sheet metal. Was used a lot in the manufacturing of firearms and aircraft too.
..but American .30 caliber ammo was designed to go through their helmets.
@@iamgermanehelmets were never really expected to stop a bullet
@@iamgermaneEven a small caliber bullet would go through them. Its for stopping shrapnel and debris not bullets. They are basically glorified hardhats
I am more impressed with their engineering and technology rather than their stamping methods.
I mean that would be impressive if they just kept doing that but we all know what they did instead because the logic of a Nazi can only be compared to a bird flying into a glass door
I must be only one here, who have used Stahlhelm on active military duty. They transferred me to computer programming in Finnish Army and our gear was little outdated -- Mauser and Stahlhelm.
Thumb nail SS Platoon is 🇫🇮. Pl leader Unter offier has Civilguard activity medal.
We used that helmet too in the Spanish Army , red cross soldiers had it until the 90's.
This was really cool to watch since I picked up a WW2 German helmet and a Canadian helmet at a garage sale for $5 Cdn about ten years ago, in rough shape but I cleaned them up.
In a crazy way, you may have just watched that helmet being made…
@@insideoutsideupsidedown2218 or at least the factory that made it?
The stamp tells u wich factory@@edterryberry255
@@edterryberry255if you ever run into a M1 in Canada it very well could be a Canadian helmet
Canada bought large numbers of M1 s. Most Canadian's just figure they are just American helmets when there not.
Hang on to that investment. They may not be worth much now, but become increasingly rare.
The stahlhelm is definitely the most iconic helmet ever created
Pickelhelm says hold my beer. :D
Darth Vader agrees...
Everything the Germans did was out of perfection including the tanks and the submarine! ! That’s why they attacked them there envy and chealousy
I remember seeing a documentary years ago comparing WW1German and British helmets and why the Brits suffered so many more head injuries. The German helmets were molded as such, while British helmets were stretched, so that the top of the crown was extremely thin. Cheers, Mark!
It was also how the German Stalhelm covered the back of the neck, giving it a bit more coverage from low shrapnel. The British Brodie helmet did not, and was mostly meant to stop shrapnel from above like if you're in a trench.
Did you know both the Germans and the British went back to the Middle Ages for their helmet designs? The German stahlhelm was based on a German knight's helmet (based on, not a direct copy) and the British Brodie helmet was copied from helmets worn by English infantry at the battle of Agincourt.
The French copied a firefighters helmet but made it out of steel, not the brass of the original.
Really.. The M16 is quite funny@@wayneantoniazzi2706
The British were very cheap and wouldn't supplied their troops with proper helmets.
As you can see in this newsreel, the German helmets were also stamped from sheet steel, but the Germans used higher-quality processes than the British- at least early in the war.
Love the terminator cosplay at the beginning
Now that was one fascinating video. Thanks Dr. Mark! I had no idea the process was that labor intensive.
If anything symbolizes the German soldiers it’s that helmet. How did this survive and its good quality. Wow.
They still lost the war.,
@@paulkoza8652 And Napoleon lost in the end. So do we not look at his accomplishments?
@@mrshovelbottom7475it overshadows the brilliance of the ones who defeated them.
so?
what has that to do with this?@@paulkoza8652
@@paulkoza8652 and yet only had half the casualties of the allies!
LOVE the "Terminator-inspired" opening slide! "Come with me if you want to learn!" Yes, I want to learn, and I ALWAYS click on your TH-cams as soon as I see them posted! THANKS!!
I howled with laughter when the video started with that 🤣
And how many of us heard the line being said with Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice in our heads?
Thank you, Dr. Felton & Team, for some amazing content over the past few weeks. More vids like this on German war production, please!
It is, I love it.
Fascinating! As an engineer I have always felt that the German helmet design was greatly superior to anything worn by Allied troops and sure enough, modern “Fritz” style helmets are now the norm in western forces.
Last part was optimistic. No country had helmets that could stop common bullets, that was a reduced load.
Hats off to you Mr Felton! Brilliant, as always.
Dr Felton, the teacher no one asked for, everyone needed.
World would be a better place, if history teachers were as engaged as Mark.
Lame, tired, unoriginal comment.
Wins the award for iconic helmet design imho.
I can always rely on Mark Felton to provide the answer to a question I never knew I wanted the answer to until it pops up on my feed. excellent. 👍
Where in the world does Dr. Felton find these things? Every bit as interesting as any major event in WW2. I'm never unimpressed. Well done Mark. Cheers from the States!
How It's Made! special episode with the one and only Dr. Mark Felton!
Gave me a flashback to my student years. As a student I worked the night shift in factory called Comet where they made stainless steel beer barrels. At that time, I found amazing how you get from a couple of tons role stainless steel (flat) in multiple steps to a 3D object. The first ten steps you couldn't even recognize what the end product would be like.
:)
Nowadays we see this funny looking other types of helmets shaped around the ears, exposing unessarily parts of the head.
In the old German Borderpolice after the War we used the old helmets.Interesting story.
In the mid 80's, rural German fire departments were still using surplus helmets from WW2. They had a piece of leather attached to the back to protect the neck from embers.
Not only in rural areas and far beyond the 80ties. In Berlin the new type of helmet was introduced in 2003!
In villages it is still used to this day
Der Nackenschutz ist bei der Feuerwehr Standard. Wenn die ein Stück Glut in den Nacken fällt, brennt sich das sonst bis zu den Stiefeln runter.
The company that made the German helmets for the military Schuberth is still around makes amazing motorcycle helmets, I love my c3.
One minor translation error. "Fassleder" does not mean "barrel leather", but "fastening leather". It doesn't come from the noun "Fass", but from the verb "fassen" (a cognate of the English verb "to fasten").
Richtig. Fassen, einfassen
wow- never thought about the amount of work, incl manual effort, that went into these things... just imagine grinding the edges of untold numbers of helmets, every day!
The opening picture is what peak performance looks like.
Don’t lie, this video was an excuse to show us you holding a gun with that quote hah 😂 pretty epic
Thanks Dr. Felton! Probably the most easily recognizable helmet in history, at least in the 20th century. As I was watching, I noticed no one was wearing nitrile or latex gloves during the extensive toxic process of manufacturing 😂 Reminds me of the ladies and children used to polish brass artillery shells during the "great war", all the while being exposed to lead and other toxins.
Thanks for posting! Very interesting!
Perhaps they were slave labor.
Very little PPE shown and the 'monotony' of some of those work tasks! Wow!
Also no type of mask or any protection during the helmet spraying process. Bet they were all high as a kite 😂
Now 'health and safety' has gone too far the other way.
Let's say that, the best-looking helmet ever. And i think one of the best helmets in overall.
The amount of hand work is fabulous
I've watched a similar short film made after the war in Germany, where it's shown, how these very helmets were rendered into a more peaceful purpose.
They've use some kind of a circular shearing machine to cut off the kinked rim of the helmet in order to achieve a plain, rounded bowl shape and afterwards stamped multiple holes into that bowl and riveted handles to either side in order to get kitchen strainers.
Geh.
The "Fallschirmjager" helmet, same basic bowl shape but without the flares (helps with wind resistance as the paratrooper descends, RAPIDLY), was made in fairly much the same manner.
@@selfdoit wasn't made for wind resistance but for avoiding the lower back edge to make neck injuries when they landed as the chute speed is very high ( coup du lapin rabbit shock)
The intro is amazing haha! Great job sir!
I'm blown away at the processes that went into the helmets of that time, and that it resisted a bullet. Very interesting footage.
It's propaganda a rifle bullet will penetrate both sides of the helmet especially if there's not a head in there.
My 3 uncles were in WW2. Gus parachuted over Normandy June 5th. Decorated but never talked about it. Tommy 7th wave Normandy Beach. Bronze star and two purple hearts. Bill tail gunner island popping hopping Philippines New Guinea Australia. Bill did a million miles in a B24 Liberator. He was almost deaf.🇺🇲 God I miss those guys 😢 R.I.P.
WW2 German helmets were cool looking, reminds me of ancient Roman legionaries…
I will have to agree with you. I do think, however, that the best looking helmet is actually the world war 1 Stahlhelm M1916. It has the look of the world war II helmets, it is just more exaggerated.
I want to own a M1916, and a M1935 Germen helmet and also a World War 1 American, and World War II American. The price of originals is just too high now. This is especially the case for the German examples. This being the case I just bought a reproduction German WWII M1935 Stahlhelm. It has the look, but none of the prestige of an orginal. The cost however was $130 dollars versus $2k.
I got a M35 and M42 and the firehelmet. The M35 unfortunatly had the DoubleDecals removed@@leviturner3265
They remind me of the 15 and 16th century Salet Syle helmets
They do remind me of those Imperial Gallic helmets worn by the Roman soldiers with the Lorica Segmentata.
@leviturner3265 Are they really worth that much? I have 3 WW2 German helmets that were used as motorcycle helmets by some chopper riders in the 60s. They've been decorated(badly) but not modified. 1 has no liner but the other 2 are complete. I don't collect military memorabilia and had no idea they were valuable. I figured they might be worth $100 or something.
I shall go do a little research now. Thanks for your comment
I think some of the German fire services use the same style of helmet which I found interesting. Thanks as always for the awesome video Mark.
I think even the labor service did. As did the motor pool units.
Everyone except the police
www.ctif.org/sites/default/files/styles/cover_image_slider_teaser/public/news_images/2018-03/Schlauchtragekorb_Freiwillige_Feuerwehr_Mu%CC%88nchen.jpg
Similar helmets. Back in the day of steel helmets the molding was nearly identical. Nowadays there are helmets with similar shape still being made, but rather using aluminium or carbon fiber.
Firehelmets were different..
I have a firehelmet and a M35 and M42.
Who’s the race behind all these sophisticated factories of weopans and uniforms cause if it’s the white race introducing all this to mankind that means white supremacy does exist an racism is being practiced
I love these old news reels ,they straighten your back in the morning
Appreciate the upload, the Stalhelm was pretty advanced for its time.
The flange was a great innovation, especially the back. When there was an explosion, the soldier tended to look up. The wide rear flange then covered the shirt or coat collar, preventing debris or hot ashes from falling down the back of the neck and under trhe shirt. American and British helmets did not have that feature. When these were made during WWI, there were protruding lugs which permitted the wearer to add additional armour. Seldom used, though.
These helmets are still worn in some countries in South America. I think Felton has a video about that.
British Commando's & various resistance groups took advantage of the flange design during Infiltration missions, as you only needed to sneak unsuspecting to a German & quickly break his neck as the base of the flange compressed the windpipe & spinal column if you grabbed the helmets front peak pulling it in a downward arc towards shoulder blades, this is why the modern variants have an arch cut out at the base of the flange at the back to avoid this design weakness
I can assure you that the instinct when hearing a shell going off overhead is not to look up to see it. "Flange"...A what? Innovation? Try looking at any number of helmet designs from as far back as the 13th & 14th centuries. I think you will find that the British MK1 in comparison was probably better able to stop falling debris, since the RIM (not flange) was wider. It also allowed for easier use when lying prone, and allowed the wearer to tilt his head up more, and HEAR better.
@@stLtBilko Interesting.. Thanks
@@memkiii True it is still the most successful design it is timeless from ancient warfare to the cock up that helped to re equipt & modernise the taliban, plus they look cool when you're riding a "chopper"
During the 70's and early 80's some M35 were still used by police forces in Argentina. Previous to that, the 1940's army uniform looked pretty much like the wehrmacht as it was a strong influence in the region and in other countries. Helmets used were the M35 and Swiss M18. Chile has a fibre M35 lookalike for parades, and retain a parade uniform that looks similar to the older German uniforms. Modern military make use of contemporary designs and certain older M1's are being completely phased out.
I would love to see a video about the historical artifacts in your personal collection, Sir Felton.
Their style in originality is pretty badass you got to give them that
The slick editing and wording makes it seam like the stahl helm is bullet proof and will stop 8mm Mauser rifle rounds but in reality they couldn't stop 9mm just indirect fragments from shells and grenades which still saves lives.
They were extremely well-crafted
I love the new opening phrase and photography of you standing there with your Sporterized Martini-Henry rifle. Didn't know that you liked collectible historical firearms. Thanks for sharing this with me and my family and we wish you a spectacular day the range of where you may be. God bless you all and thank you again for your time, work, and devotion to the fact
I beg to differ. That to me looks like a 12 gauge Greener GP shotgun built on a proprietary length martini action. I presume this because I bought a Greener GP at an estate sale for $100 but it was missing the bolt. Thought it would be easy to find a replacement but martini-henry bolt's are 1/4" too short. I need the Greener bolt. Anyone out there have a spare bolt?
Amazing quality saved lives!
That't dedication from Mark. He went back in time, filmed the process and even commented it in flawless german.
As a kid we used to play with both the German and the American helmets. I can’t speak to which were better steel. However I can say the German Helmet had a better liners that sat on your head better. The American helmets moved around a lot more. Also if my memory serves I thought it seemed like the German helmets had different sizes and the liners were more difficult put in or remove. It was great fun as a kid. We used to run around the neighborhood dressed as Germans or Americans.
German liners were made into the helmet while US liners could be worn separately from the shell
@@jamalwilburn228 yes! I remember 😀 if there were not enough American helmets we kids would split them up some wearing liners and some just the steel helmets. I have not thought about that in many years. No one wanted to just wear the steel pot. It moved all over your head…but at least it was the right color.
The Irish Defence Force introduced a very similar helmet in the 1920s; having rejected the French "Adrian" model, they approached the Germans for a modern version of their WW1 helmet but the Germans were unable to comply due to the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty; so instead Vickers was commissioned to produce something which turned out to be very similar to the famous German WW2 helmet in this clip.
I recall seeing part of a British newsreel which depicted Irish soldiers wearing such helmets (while Eire remained neutral during WWII) and drawing catty attention to the appearance of the helmets. However, from what you say it seems they were products of British industry rather than German.
The IDF missed out. Duke University tested the effectiveness of WWI and WWII helmets in protecting against blast waves. In their tests the French Adrian helmet outperformed the rest of its contemporaries as well as a Advanced Combat Helmet currently fielded by US infantry. What’s most unusual is that the Adrian Helmet was the lightest and thinnest of all the helmets in their tests, but the shape is very ideal for deflecting shockwaves.
When I was issued my US Kevlar helmet when the were new in 89, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities to the stahlhelm which my grandfather gave me when I was very young.
I bought an M35 Stahlhelm back in the 1970s from some surplus outfit for $24.95 complete with a good liner. Turns out these were left by the Germans in Norway and the Norwegians then used them. Under the spraybomb paint you can still make out the Norwegian lion and German shield decals.😮
worth alot of money now even if it didnt stay original
I also had one from Norway earlier. The liner and chinstrap was replaced by the norwegians
@@tavish4699
I'd like to restore it, but don't know how to remove the newer paint without damaging the original paint underneath.
@@mikkel2169
Mine could be a replacement too. Not sure. The liner band is German marked though. Lodz Ghetto works. The Germans called it Litzmannstadt.
id advice you to just google that , i just looked and found alot of tutorials on youtube :D@@browngreen933
Of course. It all makes sense as to how Mark gets all his information now. He's a time traveling pro. Great video
Love the Mark Felton "In action" shot. Looking dapper as always, my good man.😉🥂
Cool 👍
It failed to mention that these helmets came in sizes. I have one that is missing the leather liner and strap, but the size is
stamped in the metal. If everyone didn't notice, our US helmets look amazingly like these.
That's an interesting addition, thanks. Yes, I've noticed that for years. I love these vintage manufacturing videos.
And stamps in the side? Makersname??
the "coal scuttle" design
They provide the best protection for the ear and neck, and give the best field of vision.
no@@mikkel2169
That pic and text at the beginning was hysterical.
That is the coolest intro picture ever.
Looks badass!
Nice viewing. I had seen this viewing material when I was a youth and found it very helpful. I used to swage my own bullets when I was younger and I made the dies that formed the copper jackets in multiple processes so as to keep the wall thickness the same throughout the processing of the jackets. I couldn't get bullets for my .455 Webley Automatic Pistol and the bullets were a very flattened, oblate, and blunt round nose shape.
I think what we see in the film here is the production of (M-35) early stahlhelm because the production methods were changed when the late war (M-42) helmet came out. Stretch marks are common on later helmets probably because a single stamping was used.
Yes.. I agree its the M35. The M42 is "thiner" and feels like lower quality because of faster and easier production
Thank you Dr Felton
Please keep these coming 🙂
Cheers from Canada
It’s interesting the number of countries that are today using a variation of this design.
I always think a lot of latter day helmets look suspiciously like the Stahlhelm because I believe it was the optimum design to provide maximum head protection, they also happened to look cool and always remind me of Darth Vader's helmet which was was obviously based on it!! 🤣
Yep, Lucas filched all manner of World War II era detail for his classic space fantasy...
The US wanted to adapt a similiar design, but didn't because it looked too much like German helmets
Was only thinking about these other day after watching some dig find videos from Russia where many German helmets are still found today in good preservation..some even with the decal preserved..amazing!! Thank you Dr Felton..Hasta la Vista..baby
Remember when the US dropped their old style WW2 helmets for the current model? There was some consternation that the new model resembled the German WW2 helment.
This installment reminded me of my undergrad days when I brought my Dad's genuine German WWII helmet to high school for a history class project. While I was away having lunch someone stole it and I never saw it again. To characterize his reaction as "unhappy" would not do it justice.
I wonder what those factory workers would think about the fact that an average Heer or Luftwaffe helmet in good condition sells for on average $1,000 and a SS helmet in good condition can sell from anywhere between $5,000 to $20,000 depending on condition, model and unit markings.
Paratroopers helmet is worth more like gold dust today.
M35 with name and SS-schutze written on the liner.. but unfortunatly with removed Doubledecals
I paid 50 dollars for a Heer M42 with original liner and chinstrap in 1995, The insideliner has the name Willer
Yup..crazy prizes on Fallschirmjagers...@@lablackzed
@@mikkel2169 I believe it. Years ago I was buying and selling helmets for around $100. Top quality ones in perfect condition and named. I bought my two SS helmets for under $500 thirty years ago. Now they are worth 10k a piece. Not a bad investment if you ask me.
Beautiful helmets and far advanced if compared to the British Dough Boy or the Russian variant. The American helmet was definitely well thought out and had a cool look to it as well. I used to wear one and these helmets were heavy, but not near as heavy as a modern kevlar.
I'm always impressed with the sophistication and style of the Germans and almost cannot believe they were capable of so much destruction and death.
I have thought many times, what the world would have become, had Hitler taken a peaceful and financially competitive approach to conquering the world and what it would have been, if he'd help the Jewish people move from Europe, back into the ancient lands of Israel?
If you press the helmets from plate in one go, it makes the metal on the top very very thin. Doing it in stages keeps the thickness as it should be the whole way around/across.
I was gifted with a desk set: A letter opener and scissors of German made quality. Still perfect and well made (After 40+ years). Their war helmets were distinctive for sure and as indicated, well made.
Possibly the best helmet ever made.
Still lost.
Made mostly with slave labor.
Fantastic as always. I would not mind seeing a video on the unique visor caps of the Third Reich. Keep up the good work.
Excellent, original film footage. Thank you Mark
That was a fantastic video Sir!! Thanks for your channel.
Siempre quise saber como se fabricaban, en mi casa hay uno, creo que es m 35 el modelo. Gracias Mark Felton.
This was great Mark! I love German helmets, but I only have one, that I bought years ago from a militaria dealer which he got from a farmer at Bihain farm in the Ardennes, in 1981. Mark, can you find out which German unit was in the vicinity of Bihain Farm in the battle of the Bulge? I’d love to know, because I’ve got one of their helmets and it’s still got snow CAMO on it, it’s like a type of concrete in places. There’s no decals visible. But I had read a book which had the 2nd SS panzer division around that area. It was at the very end of the push west, before they were pushed back. I bought the helmet because my dad fought in Europe from D day on, he was in the Royal Artillery, Sword beach, Caen, Normandy, up to Belgium to Grave, then Nijmegen bridge, then the bulge northern shoulder, so he was up in the Ardennes, then across into Germany and down through Germany, and was at the liberation of Belsen. Then he guarded the river Elbe with orders to kill anyone who tried to cross it (Russians running wild). We lost him on New Year’s Day 2013 aged 92. He was a great dad. 👍🇬🇧
You have some great memories of your Dad's wartime exploits, I love to read such personal "I was there" views of history. My Dad did the same as a Royal Marines Bandsman, he aimed the big guns (as a mathematician) and was the ship's tailor too. He sank the Bismarck and escorted the Russian Convoys. The Russians gave him a medal for that.
@@philiptownsend4026 wow, your dad was a hero. They were a great generation weren’t they. 👍🇬🇧
As always, best historical content on the tube.
I recently bought a stack of pre war pencil artworks. Turns out they belonged to Kurt Zehe known as Gargantua, the biggest Wehrmacht Soldier. He was also Wrestler. His Uniform and Stahlhelm had to be handmade because of the size of his head.
Here in Taiwan, we have motorcy helmets designed exactly like the WWII German helmets. Plus molds in the same style.
As a kid in the 1960s - 70s one of the coolest things to have was a German helmet. All our Dads and Uncles had been in WW2 so there were usually a few helmets that they had brought back, but since my folks had been in the Pacific, I was out of luck on that. I did finally find a German helmet at a yard sale, it was double decal with the Luftwaffe eagle. Only cost me a few bucks. Man I was one happy kid, I wore that thing playing army all the time, ha - haaaa.
Mark Felton playing the terminator is not something I thought that I wanted.
I have seen this footage before on the documentary series "World at War". I think it was the episode about Speer's reorganisation of industry and Germany going onto a total war footing, about 1943.
The part where they show the helmet taking a 8mm Mauser head on and not penetrating shows then even in videos just showing how things are made, they would use it as propaganda even though it would be very stupid to show this to a soldier and make them think their helmet was actually that good.
Most soldiers would have believed it, until the first engagement...😂
Yes, ridiculous propaganda!!! I had (still have) a German stahlhelm that was surplus and left behind in Norway. The Norge Army repainted and used these post war. I had a wartime K98 and fired at the helmet which was placed atop a thick wooden fence post. The bullet went completely through the helmet (both sides) the post and kept on going who knows how far longer!!!
Agreed! a pistol shot maybe, even a modern helmet won't stop a rifle bullet.
Yes - they will have been tested by firing a "bullet" at them, but there is no reason whatsoever to think that would be a full-power military round. It will have been the discharge of a projectile at a velocity equivalent to that the helmet was designed to withstand. That's how factory testing works.
I have always thought that the Germans had superior helmets. Now I know that to be factual. Cheers Dr Felton
That was a great video. Very cool to see how they were made. Thank you for that.
Thanks for posting this video.
They were made with love. ♥️
And slave labour :)
@@morningstar9233German engineering in times o war. And peace. Vorsprung durch technik. ... little sarcastic
@@morningstar9233might as well give them something to do, USA just imprisoned their Japanese citizens in concentration camps after confiscating all their stuff.
Whereas the Nazi's let the prisoners they couldn't use die from exposure, starvation, disease or industrial scale execution. @@skipintroux4440
@@morningstar9233 There was no slave labour in germany during the 1930's
Hello Mark, what about the german para helmet?!
Thank you Mark, yet another interesting one!
Really enjoyed that one Mark thank you.
Thanks Mark, I've sometimes wondered how these distinctive helmets were manufactured. Would be interesting to see how it compares to modern methods. I'm guessing there's far less, if any, hand tooling as seen in this video. Which makes these helmets individual if not unique items and from today's standpoint somewhat exclusive, given the cachet associated with hand crafted items. State of art for it's time, I wonder how it would stand up to a modern helmet? Obsolete? Too heavy? Or perhaps it could still be of use?
The more modern helmets are made from Kevlar fibers woven into their distinctive shape. I think other nations have their own recipes for kevlar or its equivalent
There was some hand-finishing involved, but the helmets were mainly machine-made. They weren’t hand-forged, so anything comparable. Also, remember that the Germans made many millions of the helmets. I don’t know how many “Stahlhelm” are still around, but they can’t be very rare.
@@matthewgallagher8491The main advantage of Kevlar over steel is that Kevlar weighs a lot less. Perhaps it also resists penetration better.
Oh yes, I was being a little facetious RE the hand tooling, but my question remains: I wonder if modern helmets are hand finished at all as we saw here? Seen a few Stahlhelm in markets around England, which were not expensively priced. Would agree they're not rare items.@@censusgary
Yes, was thinking the advent of Kevlar would give the modern helmet an advantage over the old Stahlhelm. Less heavy if nothing else. @@matthewgallagher8491
The Germans' helmets were not only better in strength but also design with their shapes and contours. Our military helmets today are based on that design. Those damn Germans, they make the best everything; even cockroaches.