BACKGROUND: The first "modern" steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915 and were shortly followed by the British army later that year. With plans on the drawing board, experimental helmets in the field, ("Gaede" helmet), and some captured French and British helmets the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, in the spring of 1916. These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. The M16 and M18 helmets remained in usage through-out the Weimar Reichswehr era and on into the early years of the Third Reich until the development of the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet in June 1935.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The stamped, sheet steel construction, helmet retains about 60% of its original paint with the typical spots of wear revealing the underlying base metal with moderate surface spotting and light pitting. The helmet has both the dome headed chinstrap retaining rivets, both of the extended ventilation side lugs and three flat headed liner retaining rivets are all intact. The interior of the helmet has a pre-May 1917 pattern, three pad leather liner with a leather retaining band. The three leather liner pads are present. Liner pads each have two fingers, each with a grommet for the adjustment string. The two back pad are well attached, but the padding bags are missing. The front pad has the padding bag, but the pad is almost torn loose. There is a ring of different color green paint between the liner band and the helmet body (unknown reason, perhaps the helmet went through a repair depot). The interior crown has a faint stamped serial number. The helmet has no visible manufactures code or size stamp. Original liner rivets look nice and tight. Stepped visor lugs, so the helmet is a size 60 to 64.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $ SOLD