Original German WWII Heer Single Decal Overpaint Afrikakorps Tropical Camouflage M35 Helmet with 57cm Liner – Stamped EF64 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic German WWII Model 1935 Heer Army “Single Decal” Helmet, which has definitely had a long and interesting service life! It has been repainted at least two times during the war, first with a textured wartime “Panzergrau” coat, and then with a great DAK Afrikakorps “Tropical” camouflage paint job, as used in North Africa and the Mediterranean campaigns. The helmet had the single decal re-applied after the textured repaint, but was painted over when the tropical camouflage was added. The decal however did not adhere to the textured paint well, so it partly flaked away, leaving an outline that can be seen in the tropical camouflage.

After the tropical camouflage was applied, the helmet definitely did see additional service and wear, but still retains about 75% of the tropical Afrika campaign Dunkelgelb (Dark Yellow) camouflage paint. It had some brown and green added on top of this, possibly for service closer to the Mediterranean, and has had the paint chip away in areas, showing the underlying paint as well as steel in areas. It has a fantastic service worn look that is impossible to duplicate.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is batch number stamped 21763, and the interior, left side, apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size, E.F. 64 indicating that indicating it was manufactured by Emaillierwerke AG, of Fulda Germany in size 64. Size 64 is a nice medium size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 57cm or US 7 to 7 1/8. Size 64 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

All three of the original liner split pins are present, however they have nickel alloy heads, which often results in the paint chipping off easily. The left front pin still has all the tropical camo, while the right front has lost all of it, and the rear pin has lost some. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner with all eight of its fingers intact and an intact top tie. The leather is still supple, but definitely shows that the helmet saw a good amount of service. It is stained overall, and shows light wear on the top rim. The left exterior of the galvanized steel liner band is marked 64 n.A  57, indicating that it is a size 57 liner for a size 64 shell, and there is a 57 stamped on the leather itself. The right side displays the full manufacture information, as well as a date:

B. & C.
BERLIN
1940

This liner was made by Biedermann & Czarnikow, a German company who later moved operations to Łódź in occupied Poland to take advantage of the slave labor in the ghetto located there. NSDAP authorities renamed Łódź to Litzmannstadt in honor of the German General Karl Litzmann who had captured the city in the previous World War. This is exactly the right period and type of liner for an M35 produced during the transitional period. The original chinstrap is unfortunately completely missing.

Overall this is a great example of a Deutsches Afrikorps Single Decal Overpaint M35 Tropical Camouflage Helmet, with long service history. These are becoming harder and harder to find on the market. Sure to appreciate in value over the years!

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 were given by collectors.

The last wartime upgrade to the standard helmet took place on 6 July 1942 at the request of the Army High Command. The rolled edge found on M1935 and M1940 helmets was discontinued as a measure of economy. On 1 August 1942 the first M1942 helmets were placed into production, and this was the model produced until late in the war, when most factories were captured or stood idle due to material shortages.