Helm (M 56)

The earliest Bundeswehr helmets were almost exact copies of late wartime US M-1. They were made of manganese steel and weighed about 1.5 kg complete. The outer bodies were made by Quist and Linnemann-Schnetzer, the resinated cloth liner by a number of firms including Römer, Maury, Schuberth, and Bebra.

Chin-straps were initially bar tacked to the hinged loops, later attached by clips as on past war US M-1s.

The helmets were coloured olive-green (orange for MPs, blue grey for parade), a splinter pattern camouflage cover was provided.

The manufacturer’s initials location and last two years of the date were stamped inside the body, liner and on the webbing.

Some 190,000 were produced between June 1956 and October 1958, when the decision to adopt a single shelled helmet was made.

The liner alone, however, continued to be used a Protokolhelm for parade use. Later versions of these were made bt Schuberth of blue grey thermoplastic and are so designated by a stamp inside.

Helm 1A1

The Germans disliked the two shell concept and soon adopted a one piece helmet which combined the politically correct M-1 shape with the more traditional I 31 type lining.

Difficulties in procuring manganese steel led to a reversion to nickel steel, which was also more malleable allowing a rolled rim.

A initial test order of 27,500 helmets used steel bodies made by Eskiltuna Ståhlpressings AB of Sweden, with a lining, made by Römer, and these were unofficially dubbed the Schwedenhelm. The new helmet was officially designated the Helm1A1 in October, 1961.

Body: Based on the M-1, but rounder in form with a inwardly turned rim, the Helm1A1 was made from magnetic nickel chrome steel and came in three sizes: 66, 68 and 71 (for head sizes 53-55, 55-7 and 57-61 respectively).

It weighed between 1.2-1.4 kg., and had a v50 of 275 m/s.

The bodies were marked VDN, PSL (Paul Schulze, Lubeck) or SW (Schuberth), the linings were by Römer (FJ 60) and Schuberth (I 60). The Römer lining remained in limited production until about 1985.

Lining: The FJ-60, had a fibre or fibre glass lining band held by four rivets to the steel body with cork spacers to which was sewn a nine tongued leather crown.

Based on its earlier work on the I 53 (used on the Bundesgenzschutz helmet) Schuberth’s top-mounted I 60, had a moulded polyethylene cup with five descending struts which held a spring steel band to which an I 31 type crown was stapled. It was attached to a bolt mounted in the top of the helmet body.

Chin-strap: To each side of the body was riveted a sheet steel clip to which snapped a wire loop sewn to one of the ends of a two piece green web chin-strap. The right strap had an oiled brass triangular male clasp, the left strap a double wire snap hook.

This was also used on the Austrian Stahlhelm 1 and Swedish m/37/70

Helm 1A1 Bodentruppen (modifiziert)

In the 1970s the Bundeswehr tested various modified suspensions, and in February 1981, adopted the Helm1A1 (modifiziert).

All subsequent helmets were built to this standard, while approximately 100,000 helmets per year were retrofitted on being returned to depots by released conscripts. This variant had three-point harness - a third clip being riveted above the rear rim and the side clips were mounted further forward.

The rear of the internal plastic cap descended to support the nape. Retrofitted Helm1A1s retain the peened over rivets for the old chin-strap clips.

Helm 1A1LL

After extensive tests of various paratroop helmets, many based on the old Fallschirmjägerhelm, or cut down from the Helm1, it was decided to adopt the Schwedenhelm with a Schuberth lining modified for airborne use.

The old style helmet was thought to give insufficient protection to the neck and temples and against rain. In addition the Bundeswehr wanted to give its troops a standardized “battle-silhouette”.

The Helm 1A1LL (Luftlandetruppe) had a four-point suspension and an elaborately padded version of the I 60 lining attached by four vented screw bolts to the body. The bolts also held the ends of a chin-strap harness, like that of the old Luftwaffe Fallschirmjägerhelm, but in green-brown leather. The first orders were made in November 1959, and the definitive design finalized in August 1961.

The Helm 1A1 was also exported to Iran (painted sand) and the Helm1A1LL to Belgium. German firms also produced standard two piece M-1s for export with resinated cloth, nylon and plastic liners and with both Riddle and cradle style webbing.

German made M-1 bodies or liners were exported inter alia to: Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and various Persian Gulf states.

The German firm Corlon produced a one piece ballistic plastic M-1 and PASGT clones.

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