Original German WWII M42 Luftwaffe Former Single Decal Textured Paint Helmet with 56cm Liner & Chinstrap – Size 64 Shell Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely all original example of a German Model 1942 German WWII helmet, originally made with a single Luftwaffe decal, which is now almost totally removed. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet still retains much of the original lightly textured Luftwaffe Fliegerblau (flyer’s blue) paint, which utilized aluminum oxide as a texturing agent. It looks like it may have been repainted during the war, or the paint used was just more shiny on the inside than usual. There is some wear on the exterior, and just a bit of rust corrosion around the bottom rim, which is usually the first place to lose the paint. The outline and a few bits of the Luftwaffe decal can be seen, with the rest removed. It’s possible that it did not adhere well to the texture paint, resulting in it flaking away over time. Really a lovely helmet with a fantastic “been there” look.

The rear interior of the apron has a stamped heat lot 5131, and the three is backwards. Due to the repaint, we cannot see a maker code and size, though it is possible that it never had one. There was one factory believed to be in occupied Czechoslovakia that produced M42s, which were often partially maker marked, or not marked at all. We have measured around the outside of the shell, and it is definitely a size 64 shell. This is a nice medium size, and can accommodate size 56 and 57 liners.

All three original liner retaining pins are present with all of their original paint retained. The interior of the helmet still has an original M31 leather liner, with all eight fingers intact and still supple. The top tie string is missing, but could easily be replaced, and the leather is in really great shape, showing only light staining from use. There is just a tiny bit of splitting over the rim. The side of the galvanized steel liner band is marked 64 n.A. / 56, indicating that this is a size 58 liner for a size 64 shell. The right side displays the manufacturing information, as well as a date, which is mostly clear.

SCHUBERTH-WERKE K.-G.
D. R. P.
1943
BRAUNSCHWEIG

The helmet still has a fully intact chin strap with a galvanized steel buckle, held in place by matching galvanized steel studs. It shows light wear, with cracking and abrasion on the finished leather, however the leather is still quite supple.

Overall a very nice genuine late war German Luftwaffe former single decal M42 helmet, complete with a liner and chinstrap! This is an item that will only continue to appreciate in value over time.

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, (Iron and Foundry Works), 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, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era and on into the early years of the Third Reich until the development of the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet in June 1935.

In 1934 tests began on an improved Stahlhelm, whose design was a development of World War I models. The Eisenhüttenwerke company of Thale carried out prototype design and testing, with Dr. Friedrich Schwerd once again taking a hand.

The new helmet was pressed from sheets of molybdenum steel in several stages. The size of the flared visor and skirt was reduced, and the large projecting lugs for the obsolete armor shield were eliminated. The ventilator holes were retained, but were set in smaller hollow rivets mounted to the helmet’s shell. The edges of the shell were rolled over, creating a smooth edge along the helmet. Finally, a completely new leather suspension, or liner, was incorporated that greatly improved the helmet’s safety, adjustability, and comfort for each wearer. These improvements made the new M1935 helmet lighter, more compact, and more comfortable to wear than the previous designs.

The Army’s Supreme Command officially accepted the new helmet on June 25, 1935 and it was intended to replace all other helmets in service.

The M1935 design was slightly modified in 1940 to simplify its construction, the manufacturing process now incorporating more automated stamping methods. The principal change was to stamp the ventilator hole mounts directly onto the shell, rather than utilizing separate fittings. In other respects, the M1940 helmet was identical to the M1935. The Germans still referred to the M1940 as the M1935, while the M1940 designation was given by collectors.

In 1942, Due to wartime demands, the M-42 design was put into production because it was significantly quicker to manufacture. The rolled edge of the M-35 shell was eliminated, creating an unfinished edge along the rim. This edge flared out slightly, along the base of the skirt. The elimination of the rolled edge expedited the manufacturing process and reduced the amount of metal used in each helmet, without sacrificing protection.