Stahlhelm 1916-1945 - German Steel Helmet 

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The most badass looking helmet of WWII.

The Stahlhelm is arguably still in use, the U.S. uses what is essentially a kevlar Stahlhelm.

germanies design is the only one that's very similar to current helmets. that says a lot in my opinion.

"Professor Bier" I would love to have that name xD

I have gotten some first hand experience using the Stahlhelm (in this case M35) ,in comparison to other helmets of the era, during reenactments, the Stahlhelm was easily the most comfortable of the helmets while also providing excellent visibility and protection. The US helmets are comfortable but lack protection of the neck area and can sometimes limit visibility, the british helmets are just awful as they don't fit well and tend to get in the way more often than not, Visibility is good on them but the protection is limited from fragments coming in at a parallel angle to the brim.

My uncle Jack was a crew member of a bren gun carrier when captured by the Germans in North Africa. They were driven a few miles behind the lines to a tented camp and lined up for inspection. Rommel himself spoke to the men, removed my uncles helmet and proceeded to discuss the merits of both designs to his commanding officers.

Iconic combination of form and function, exactly what we expect from German design and technology in all areas!

The Germans also developed successors to the Stahlhelm during the war. One of The helmets they came up with was superior to the Stahlhelm M35 in every way (ballistic protection, hearing, manufacturing, weight). The helmet was later adopted by the NVA (East German Army). There's a whole chapter on the "development of new steel helmets" in Ludwig Bear's "The history of the German steel helmet 1916-1945"

Real life examples? But, but, where are the cool little icons -- oh, there they are! Phew!

Best and deepest historical review of stahlhelm on youtube so far..

I find it really cool that you were reviewing 'nearly' modern steel helms in armory in a castle. That's cool!

I checked RU-vid this morning, and it recommended an old video about steel helmets from The Great War channel. I saved it to "watch later." When I got home from work, I found this in the new releases. Coincidences: doncha just love them.

Excellent video, and very impressed with the presenter's mastery of the English language, (and also for providing the original German narrative). Looking forward to watching more of your commentaries, thank you!

A testament to German engineering that we in the US military, over 100 years later, use a similar design. Obviously way better materials than were available back then. With regards to channel content delivery, I really enjoy your use of both the English translation (primarily), supported by the original German text. Having spent 4 years there in the Army, it gives me a chance to practice my Deutsche 😎👍🏻

Greetings from the Czech republic. I highly appreciate your work. Full of precise data, no useless words. Jan Kořínek.

"Closed Beta test in the field" - That cracked me up.

The WW2 German helmets are my favourite of all time.

A very excellent video. Danke sehr!

You may have included the developmente of the not so famous M54 stahlhelm. (excuse my "engrish", i hope this is understandable enough) It was designed during the last months of the WWII, as an improvement of the M42, saving materials and suposedly giving better protection. It was used in very few numbers in the last stages of the war and it looked like a rounded pinacle shaped metal sheet. It's development was stopped because the end of the war, but it was continued in east germany after a few years, resulting in a bucket looking traditional stahlhelm. The last development of the stahlmelm was the M56, which recovered some improvements from that last ditch pinacle shaped helmet, making it cheaper and also, more protecting, largely used by the NVA.

Would love to see a video touching on the helmets used by the fallschirmjager.

Aaaaand another "thank you" for that great video! Danke!

A Stahlhelm was the only one that I missed during my Bundeswehr duty in the 70s. The helmet of Bundeswehr was such a inocouse shape during that time.

Great video, thanks for sharing. I just wanted to point out that camouflage was sanctioned. "July 1918, when German Army Order II, No 91 366, signed by General Erich Ludendorff on 7 July 1918, outlined official standards for helmet camouflage. 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 in summer." This has become a bit of a hot topic between collectors.

Next update should include stahlhelm modifications such as covers, camo, colors, decals, modifications, service and nationality distribution and etc.…. This helmet is a history subject on its own with books written on this subject alone. It’s and endless subject and very collectible item.

"Werkmeister Marx" [historical materialism intensifies]

The German WW2 helmet is clearly the best looking helmet and it was the best in terms of comfort and protection.

Until people like you came along on RU-vid, I thought I knew a lot about WWII. All my life I have spent spare time studying. I must thank you for showing me just how much more there is to learn, and I thank you for teaching us all! Prost from America!

An interesting historical overview of the Stahlhelm. I like the presenter's German accent, as it lends an authoritative credibility to this video. I recall back in the 1980s when the US military forces were transitioning to the PASGT helmet, that its nickname was the "Fritz helmet," as giving it a nod to the Stahlhelm.

I’m surprised I haven’t found anyone referencing that modern helmets nicknamed K-pots get this because of the Stahlhelm, the Kraut-pot.

The coolest helmet ever made. Hey, if it's got Vader's approval you know it's cool.

5:16 I'm pretty sure "ausgezeichnet" here means "designated", not "excellent". As in, "there isn't just one designated direction for the impact of the splinters, therefore the helmet must protect the whole head". As opposed to a helmet designed to protect against bullets, which mostly come from the front.

Sir I thoroughly enjoyed your video lecture on the development of the Stahlhelm. I await your your next video lecture.

It's 10:30 and I have a test tomorrow; why am I watching a video about a helmet?

It is interesting to see how military engieering is just not always about what's the best equipment, but also what makes sense in the larger scale of logistics, what is actually needed to decrease one's own side's motality while also keeping in mind the impacts on combat effectiveness. It is these things that we usually face today in large scale commercial engineering applications of making things as cheap as possible while retaining the desired functionality. But in a war environment with central planning the decision making heavily relied upon those in the higher ranks and bureau seats to make the right calls often with dire, life and death consequences to millions of people, while today, the company would just go bankrupt and the employees would have to search for new work

Fine job as always. Thanks!

The design is so good looking looked better than every other helmet in ww2

I really enjoy this helmet design over just about every other helmet out there.

Herr Kast. Dieses video war die erste video dass ich gesehen hat. Es war eine die beste von alle dass ich immer gesehen appros die ersten und zweiten Welt Krieges. Das gefällt mir, sehr viel, zu ihre Narration auf English anhören, während ich lesen ihre Beschreibung auf Deutsch..............es ist AM BESTEN! So Ich griff mit beiden Händen zu die Glegenheit sich üben meine Deutsch Ubersetung und genießend zu lernen wegen die Entwicklungsgeschichte des Stahlhelms. Ein andere gesichtspunkt ist ihre Diskussion ist beide zusammen Technikhistorish und Klinisch orientiert, biem zitieren Med. Referenzen von Drs. Bier und Schwerd. Es fur mich sehr bedeutend ist als ich bin ein Pathologe. Es gefällt mir gern sie zu kennen lernen, Herr Kast. Ich bedanke mich! Mike R.

An excellent, informative video on a subject I have been interested in for a long time. I understand that the US military has 3 times come up with a new ideal helmet but each time it has been rejected because it resembled the stahlhelm too closely and that the public would object to it even though it presented better protection and overall design. I was always amused that the British had a helmet that only seemed to protect the wearer from vertically falling objects and not from horizontally flying shrapnel.

A true classic. Excellent content.

Interesting... I however missed the future (flatter) NVA helmet that was developed in 1945. I have even seen a movie on RU-vid about the battle for Berlin in 1945 in which some soldiers were wearing the still experimental helmet!

What an extreeemely detailed video. Wow!

DARTH VADER uses one

Very informative thanks. I would be interested in seeing the evolution of the helmet used by the Fallschirmjaeger and why it was so different from the regular Stahlhelm.

Had read that no one else produced this type of helmet in WW1 because the Germans were the only ones with the technology to produce it. Had to do with the two stage drawing process of the helmet. The British helmet was made using a stamping method. Interesting how engineering comes into play on even the most “simple” of objects.

Finally Germans being quoted auf Deutsch. Hard to find. Earned yourself a subscriber for the direct quotation, and may I say, great translations were displayed. Steller job.

Seriously, German engineers are the best, from early WW1 to modern day, German engineers have shaped the world in ways most would dismiss... From cars, to highways, to the modern arms and armor and even modern tanks as the legendary M1 was a near direct copy of the German tanks being developed at the time... Germany if you were a person I would pay your beer tab whenever you asked.

Outstanding information. Thank you for this. I found it very helpful. 😊

Holy cow now I have a case of beard envy.

A small correction. Only one Wappenschild was dropped in 1940, not both. The Party Shield on the SS, and the national colours on Heer Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine were discontinued. SS rune shields as well as Heer/LW/KM adlers would continue to be placed on M40s and 42s until the Summer of 1943.

Not to forget that the helmet of the National Volksarmee of East Germany after WW II was derived from the Wehrmacht's stahlhelm.

you know the helmet is good when its still in service 100 years later

Two interesting facts the Stahlhelm is still used in some German Band and Ceremonial units. When questioned why the "spiked helmet" was not used as in other countries, it was stated that it looked "too militaristic " This is odd since the rest of the world sees the Pickelhaube as quaint and old fashioned and sort of "spiffy" while associating the Stahlhelm with WW2...and you-know-who..The Irish adopted a Vickers variant in the 1920's but they were not as well made, it's a wonder they didn't simply buy surplus or captured German ones...

Not seeing the "Franken-bolts' on the foreheads of the German helmets in the Wonder Woman trailer slightly bummed me out, I realize WW2 Stalhelms are probably a bit more common, but they could make cardboard or plastic bolts to attach.

Did the Americans draw from the Germans in the current design of American protective helmets? The outer shape is similar.

Fascinating take on an iconic helmet. You don't have to be a Nazi sympathizer to appreciate that it was esthetically pleasing unlike the tin ''hat'' the British wore during WW2. Even the Americans have adopted the same design for their millitary now. Off course it comes high-tech gadgets but basically the same. Thank you for your upload from the Uk

Still the coolest helmet

Awesome as Always 👍👌

how about one about the jerrycan ? i once got a long lecture on it. and it was surpricingly interesting

I'd always felt the difference in thickness of the M42 over the 35/40. Now I understand why. Thank you!

Gab es für die Helme im Zweiten Weltkrieg einen standardisieren Tarnüberzug? Könntest du einen solchen Beitrag zu Tarnkleidung in der Wehrmacht machen. Das wäre super. Es gab ja anscheinend sehr viele verschiedene in Wehrmacht und SS. Auch Infos über die Verbreitung wären interessant. Habe schon einiges gelesen selbst zu Kriegsbeginn gab es anscheinend auch schon Tanuniformen für einzelne Einheiten. Auch wäre interessant warum Tarnuniformen nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wieder abgeschafft wurden bis zur Einführung des Flecktarn 1990. Danke mach weiter so. Was there a standardized camouflage cover for the helmets in World War II? Could you make such a contribution to camouflage in the Wehrmacht. That would be great. There were apparently a lot of different in Wehrmacht and SS. Also information about the distribution would be interesting. Have read a lot even at the beginning of the war there were apparently already Tanuniformen for individual units. Also interesting would be why camouflage after the Second World War were abolished again until the introduction of Flecktarn 1990th Thank you keep it up.

@5:30 "ausgezeichnete Richtung" is translated to "excellent direction'" - what is actually meant IMHO is "preferential direction" or "predetermined direction".

my parents found a ww1 model in our yard in verdunn we played war with it as kids. always thought it was from ww2 but now I know diff.

,,Bier talked to Schwerd" will be my senior quote.

Excuse me I was interested in how encirclements were upheld physically during WWII. I don't imagine the surrounding force dug trenches at the frontlines. I wonder if it is the right place to put questions, or is there some page for the community. Thanks

My father served in the US 1st Infantry Division and among his war trophies was the Stahlhelm 35 resting on a shelf above my computer.

Chile still uses the stahlhiem and almost the entire German uniform they also Goose step and make some pretty decent Mausers . It blew me away seeing that as a kid down there LOL . After the Pustch Ernest Rhôme went to South America where he instructed militaries in the Prussian tradition and we can see that today

Very interesting channel. I subscribed. Would have liked to have seen more images of the transition.

First of all: I really like all of your Videos - or at least those I watched. Secondly: when i served in the austrian armed forces, i did an course in military english and they told me never to say "austrian army", for it's uncommon and seemingly not really correct. Well, I don't remember exactly why (well that was six years ago). Ah - and finally a question: will you ever release your videos in german too?

Very interesting. My father was in the infantry at Dunkirk and D-Day. He didn't say much about the war, but one thing I remember is that he hated the British helmet, and wore a beret when he could. He thought the German helmet much superior, and had plenty of practical experience. It is said that most helmets now copy the stahlhelm. That may well be true, in that any country setting out to improve its helmet will obtain and test as many others as it can, but there's also the phenomenon that if multiple designs try to answer the same question, their optimal results are likely to be similar. I have no idea how the British (or French or US) design came about, but clearly the Germans found the optimum sooner and better than anyone else. What rather miffs me, though, is why the British persisted with the WWI design, but I suppose it was because the Treasury were determinedly cutting armed forces until 1934, and were even then frugal, so one has to put it down to unpreparedness, as now.

One of the best designed helmets so good essentially copied by the American military.

Great Video ! TY for discussing the differences betvveen the different helmets , have seen a fevv of your videos & enjoy the vvay you shovv aspects of vvhats being discussed. Keep up the great vvork. Liked & Subscribed .

I still prefer the picklehauble.

You should have mentioned the Fallschirmjäger-Stellhelmet of WW2 too in my opinion.

I have 3 stahlhelms, two reproductions and one M40 original, and the original is obviously far superior in terms of finish and quality.

Me: I think I've seen all there is to say about ww2 now. Military History Channnel: Let's talk about helmets

I thought Marx provided head-protection vs the ruling elite?

I infer from the shape of the British helmet -- wide brim -- that it was designed to protect against shrapnel from above, such as air-burst over trenches in WW1. The Stahlhelm seems designed to provide more protection from shrapnel traveling roughly horizontally, as well as some bullets. The video notes the German assessment that the angle of the projectile was unpredictable, but was that for ones coming at the sides or did it tradeoff protection of a larger area from downward trajectories? From the video's citations, it sounds like the various forces didn't have resources to collect usable statistics on this.

Thanks. Learned alot today!

I don't know if you remember me: I'm the dude who used to regularly comment on your pronunciation. I do that because I want to see your content be the best it can be. As such I must regretfully point out that your first slide has a language error. It reads "created it's own Steel Helmet" which expands to "created it is own Steel Helmet". Clearly you meant "created its own Steel Helmet" with "its" being possessive. Cheers, Mr. MHV!

I have stahlhelm replica,use it as motorcycle helmet,love it❤️

You forgot to mention that the Germans sold many helmets to the Chinese army in the 1930's.

I used to have one of the Spanish helmets that from what I understand were made in Germany, oddly the chin strap had the buckle on the opposite side as the German version.

hey, in the verdun battle who helmet was used? Pickelhaube or stahlhelm? Thanks

It makes sense, they dropped part of the helmet to protect the ears,neck, where as the G.I. helmet of ww2 was straight across. I Love Military history!

Please do one more video about Romanian army in WW2.

One thing that merits more than a passing comment is the manufacturing technology required by the Stahlhelm. At this point the Germans had mastered the technology of progressive stamping, which was not well understood in the Entente countries. This is a process where the helmet is struck by a series of die that incrementally bend and stretch the steel, ensuring that it is not over-stretched. While the French helmet was deep like the Stahlhelm, it was nowhere near as strong. This is because the French process was not progressive, and couldn't form steel which was as thick as the German steel without it cracking. As a result the French used thinner raw stock which was easier to stamp without cracking. The British/American designs had thicker steel, and where thus stronger than the French design, but they were once again not able to bend the steel without it exhibiting cracking. So their solution was to just not bend the steel as far, thus the shallow bowl design.

Quit stahling! ;p

The two greatest thing in the world. Created the most life saving helmet of ww2. Sword and Beer. Who would have known the combination would give you armor.

Did you wear yours too tightly? I'll walk myself out.

Always wondered about the coal scuttle , thanks for info.

Must. Resist. Urgh. To play. Post Scriptum.

The Germans designed a better helmet during WW2 but Hitler did not like the 'look' of it so stopped its issue. Test proved the 'new' helmet offered better protection than the classic helmet. This improved German helmet was taken up by East Germany post-war and became their standard issue helmet. That means the German helmet was not 'the best' because they improved on the design themselves. There is a German newsreel clip in Wochenshau 733 of Sept 1944 that shows 1 soldier wearing the experimental helmet in combat. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0p5JXMwmD1s.html

Its a shame they are not used anymore

great to see the original helmets.

I don't want to be racist, but all those helmets look the same.

You should make a continuation video on the last stahlhelm, which wasn't intruduced until the very end of the war and wasn't commonplace until the DDR.

I guess 1935 is better compare to 1942

fascinating. i would have like to have heard you draw a connection between this helmet and the obviously derivative modern U.S. military helmets which so clearly follow the superior geometry of the German helmets of WW II. thanks.