Stahlhelm: Encyclopedia II - Stahlhelm - M1916/M1917

Stahlhelm - M1916/M1917

The M1916 was the first production model of the Stahlhelm design, and was developed by Kaptain Fredrich Schwerd, of the Hannover Technical Institute. The helmet was first issued to the 1st Assault Batallion for evaluation, in December 1915. It was introduced in regular service during the Verdun campaign in early 1916.

The M1916 design had two large, horn-like ventilator lugs on the front of the helmet. These lugs were meant to support an optional shield (stirnpanzer) that would attach to the front of the helmet. However, the shield was too heavy for practical use, and was normally used only by snipers. The M1916 also used M1891 chinstrap lugs, the same kind used in the Pickelhaube, to attach the one piece leather chinstrap directly to the steel shell. The shell came in different sizes, from 60 to 68, with some size 70s reported. The liner consisted of leather tabs that a soldier could adjust with a leather cord.

The M1916 design provided excellent protection, but it was not without its flaws. The ventilator horns often let cold air in during the winter, requiring the wearer to block the vents with mud or fabric. The large flared skirt tended to make it difficult for soldiers to hear, and created an echo when the wearer would talk.

Factory issue helmets were generally field gray in color. Troops often repainted their helmets in camoflague colors, although factory-applied camoflague paint was documented. German Army Order II.No 91 366, signed by General Ludendorff on July 7, 1918, outlined official standards for helmet camoflague. The order stipulated that helmets should be painted in several colors, separated by a finger-wide black line. The colors should be relevant to the season, such as using green brown and ochre during the summer.

After the effectiveness of the M1916 design was validated during the 1916 campaigns, incremental improvements were subsequently made. The M1917 version saw improvements to the liner, but was otherwise identical to the original design.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "M1916/M1917", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki