Original German WWII Extra Large M40 Single Decal Army Heer Helmet with 60cm Liner & Chinstrap – hkp68 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition all original example of a German Model 40 Steel helmet, as issued to the Wehrmacht Heer (army). This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains 90% of its original lightly textured “panzergrau” paint. It does have light wear from service, and also is named to Wolf on the leather liner. The left side of the helmet features a very nice Heer eagle decal. The decal is retained about 65%, with some areas chipped out due to the texture of the paint, however the silver color is still very vibrant. This is a very nice example of the M40 helmet, with great looking decal, and a great look!

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is lot number stamped, O436 and the interior, left side, apron has a faintly stamped manufacturer’s code and size, hkp68 indicating that Sächsische Emaillier und Stanzwerke A.G. of Lauter, in Saxony, Germany manufactured it in size 68. This maker had previously used the maker abbreviation “SE”. Size 68 is a rare extra large size that can accommodate liners from 60cm to 61cm or US 7 1/2 to 7 5/8. Size 68 shells are the hardest to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

All three liner retaining pins are present, with the exterior paint almost fully intact. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner, which shows moderate wear. All 8 of the leather “fingers” are present, with an intact original top tie. The mid war issue galvanized steel liner band is marked on the left outer side with 68 n.A. / 60, indicating that the liner is a size 60, intended for a 68 shell. The right side displays the full manufacture information, as well as a date:

B. & C.
LITZMANNSTADT
1942

This liner was made by Biedermann & Czarnikow, a German company who 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.

The chin strap is present fully intact, with no tears or repairs to the leather. It has the correct steel fittings, and is in good service worn condition. It is still supple, and shows no signs of drying out at present.

Overall a very nice Named M40 Single Decal Heer Army helmet, with loads of patina! M40 helmets of this quality are always the hardest to find on the market. 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 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.