SARGE Posted October 24, 2018 Share #1 Posted October 24, 2018 Gents, I thought I would show a Bundeswehr (BW) Panzer Beret tanker helmet. Styled after the WWII German Heer black Panzer beret, the postwar helmet is similarly made with a soft cloth top and a padded band with BW insignia sewn to the cloth topper. One can see the lineage between this protective helmet and its predecessor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Meatcan Posted October 30, 2018 Share #2 Posted October 30, 2018 Nice looking panzer beret, Sarge. I’ve got one of those also and have always wondered just how effective they were as “bump” protection within an AFV. I suppose anything is better than nothing, but these berets just don’t seem real “solid” for head protection. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share #3 Posted October 30, 2018 Hi Terry, I agree with you that the beret was worn mostly for the style. Heer armored guys mostly abandoned them as the war progressed and went to the soft caps like the M-43 and the Schiffchen (overseas style in US parlance). Polizei armored crews did the same except they originally used a modification of the existing leather motorcycle crash helmet which gave them much better head bump protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_the_Hun Posted November 7, 2018 Share #4 Posted November 7, 2018 Nice looking panzer beret, Sarge. I’ve got one of those also and have always wondered just how effective they were as “bump” protection within an AFV. I suppose anything is better than nothing, but these berets just don’t seem real “solid” for head protection. Terry The Bundeswehr guys had a low opinion of them, and much like their WW2 counterparts they did not last long in service. I asked one relative of mine who was a Panzer crewman in the early 60s about these and his comment was "made wearing headsets awkward, they where hot and made you look like a mushroom wearing one" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted December 4, 2018 Share #5 Posted December 4, 2018 Those used to be for sale everywhere in the 80s, hardly see them any more. I think I still have one, but I haven't seen it in years (must be in storage). Thanks for the jog to the ol' memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmd62 Posted December 4, 2018 Share #6 Posted December 4, 2018 Great looking beret! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted December 4, 2018 Share #7 Posted December 4, 2018 I spent seven years in Germany (tank/cav) with multiple partnership panzer battalions over those years. Never saw anything like this! All their guys wore a plain black beret with the wreathed panzer badge in either metal or bullion. I suspect this is from much earlier and was discontinued some time pre-80s. (And the recon work the same black with a different badge, mech guys wore green berets.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted December 5, 2018 Share #8 Posted December 5, 2018 I spent seven years in Germany (tank/cav) with multiple partnership panzer battalions over those years. Never saw anything like this! All their guys wore a plain black beret with the wreathed panzer badge in either metal or bullion. I suspect this is from much earlier and was discontinued some time pre-80s. (And the recon work the same black with a different badge, mech guys wore green berets.) Yes, this one is dated January of 1963 (1/63), these were scarce by the 80s and extinct by the 90s. I dug mine out and it is also dated January of 1963, but one size smaller (57 as opposed to 58). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted December 5, 2018 Share #9 Posted December 5, 2018 The Panzerschutzmuetze (correct term) was replaced by the black beret in 1970/1971. Until then the Panzerschutzmuetze and a similar olive colored beret without padded band were in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted December 6, 2018 Share #10 Posted December 6, 2018 Thanks for the info on these! They went away in service about 10 years before the surplus market got flooded with them I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted December 7, 2018 Share #11 Posted December 7, 2018 Here's the other pre-1970 beret I mentioned in my last post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted December 7, 2018 Share #12 Posted December 7, 2018 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted December 8, 2018 Share #13 Posted December 8, 2018 Looks more comfortable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted December 9, 2018 Share #14 Posted December 9, 2018 Two scans of 1960's Bw publications showing the "French style" look of the unpadded berets in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted December 9, 2018 Share #15 Posted December 9, 2018 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted December 9, 2018 Share #16 Posted December 9, 2018 Another scan of a 1960's postcard showing the padded Panzerschutzmuetze in use. Thanks Sarge, for sharing your PSM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share #17 Posted December 9, 2018 You are welcome Proud Kraut. Very neat pictures to show them in wear. These are kind of a unique form of specialized head gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted December 9, 2018 Share #18 Posted December 9, 2018 Great photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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