Original German WWII Extra Small M35 Single Decal Luftwaffe Helmet with 53cm Liner & Chinstrap – ET60 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice all original extra small Model 1935 German WWII helmet with a single Luftwaffe Eagle decal. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains about 75% of the original smooth Luftwaffe Fliegerblau (flyer’s blue) Blue-Gray paint, and shows a good amount of wear from service. It was not later repainted with textured paint, and still has its early war finish. This was definitely a helmet that saw significant use during the war, with a great patina of age. The original Luftwaffe eagle decal is still present, retained at about 60% with light wear overall, which has removed a lot of the surface layer of the decal. If you were looking for a nice “battle worn” helmet for your collection, this is it!

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is heat lot number stamped 3780 and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer’s code and size, ET60 indicating that it was manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany. Size 60 is a small size that can accommodate liners from 52cm to 53cm or US 6 1/2 to 6 3/8. Shells this small are extremely rare, and we have only had a handful, even when compared to the extra large size 68.

All three liner split pins are still intact, however they are all nickel plated, so the original paint did not adhere well, and is now mostly missing. The helmet still has its correct M31 liner with all of the 8 fingers present and supple, complete with the original top tie. There is just a bit of light staining, and overall the leather has a lovely russet brown color to it. The liner band is aluminum, with square aluminum chin strap loops attached to reinforced sides. This is the last pattern before the move to galvanized steel bands. The left exterior of the liner band is marked 60 n.A / 53, indicating that it is a size 53 liner for a size 60 shell. There is also a faint 53 stamped in a circle on one of the fingers. It is also maker marked and dated on the other side, which is very hard to see due to how tight the liner is in the shell:

SCHUBERTH – WERK K.-G.
D.R.P.
1938
BRAUNSCHWEIG

This liner is right in period for an M35 helmet, and we see no signs that it has been removed. The attached chinstrap is in good condition, however it does have a steel buckle and studs, so it is probably a wartime replacement. It is in somewhat delicate condition, almost torn through near the loop on the right side, and the longer portion has been shortened, only having 8 adjustment holes instead of the usual 13.

Overall a nice condition genuine extra small complete M35 Single Decal Luftwaffe helmet with some fantastic period wear.! 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.