WW1 German M16 Stahlhelm helmet

Description

WW1 German M16 Stahlhelm helmet no liner

Nice reasonably sound German M16 Stahlhelm helmet , no liner or chinstrap , good size .

This piece has probably been a trophy as there are two holes to the front edge where its been nailed up , part of its history, there are also two impact fractures to the front edge. No holes.

Some original green paint can be seen on the surface.

WW1 German M16 Stahlhelm helmet no liner

The Stahlhelm (‘steel helmet’) is a German military steel helmet intended to provide protection against shrapnel and fragments of grenades. The term Stahlhelm refers both to a generic steel helmet and more specifically to the distinctive German military design.

The armies of major European powers introduced helmets of this type during World War I. The German Army began to replace the traditional boiled leather Pickelhaube (‘spiked helmet’) with the Stahlhelm in 1916. The Stahlhelm, with its distinctive “coal scuttle” shape, was instantly recognizable and became a common element of propaganda on both sides, just like the Pickelhaube before it. The name was also used by Der Stahlhelm, a German first World War ex-servicemen‘s organization existing from 1918 to 1935. After World War II, the German Bundeswehr (English: Federal Armed Forces) continued to call their standard helmet Stahlhelm, but the design was based on the American M1 helmet. The Bundesgrenzschutz (English: Federal border service), however, continued to use the original German design, until both troops switched to the new M92 Aramid helmet.^{[clarification needed][1]}