The M18 Helmet Worn During The War

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Let me start this one up on the interesting area of the obsolete M18 Helmet being worn in the war, a item that was supposed be totally superseded by the new models, but as you'll see it was issued out still and worn by Standing Army and Reserve Divisions, the Reserve Divisions which in any event were considered First Line when the war started , and worn at the front during the course of the war, not just by rear echelon troops. The M18 of course was worn late in the war to a degree by the Volksturm, and we imagine seen some issuance to the various NSDAP Paramilitary Organizations. But for our purposes we will try and find and post only Front Line  Wehrmacht and even Landesschützen etc  sightings of it from the 1939-1945 period.

 

First up is a Summer 1940 photo of Soldiers of the 218th Infantry Division in the Victory over France Parade in Berlin, here we see a mix of M35s and M18s, that interestingly have no Eagle Decals, these were still allowed, it is the Tricolor Shied that was Verboten. This Division was a Berlin  Landwehr Division at first, but nevertheless they should have gotten more new models, we guess if there was a shortage however temporary it would be Landwehr Division that still made due with the M18s for a bit, and probably continued to wear them too well into the war. 

 

As always any interested members may feel free add to the topic if they find them.

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Full photo

[tk1976]

Exactly the type of topic I was looking for. Here’s a photo I stumbled across the the other day. I can see at least two; one on the left and the other in the middle foreground.

It was taken during the 1940 western campaign and captioned: “German soldiers after in Dunkirk - taking a rest.”

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A commander of a Stug III Ausf B in the USSR in 1942 wears one we see.

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The full photo.

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On M16 is seen here in Africa in May 1943, when one see's an M16 in wear in WWII, it probably has the updated M31 liner, that would dispense with the use of the Picklehaube chin strap used earlier on it, even to the point in most cases of have it's  chinstrap attachment lugs on the inside of the skirt filed down or cut off or whatever.

[SARGE]

Good thread.  The Polizei used a lot of these WWI period helmets prior to, and during, the war.  Quite right about updating the liners to whatever was regulation at the time of re-issue.  

 

Here are photos of early police use by the Danzig Polizei and the Prussian Polizei.

 

 

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Here's one, bottom left, Double Decal, from a Pile of Helmets gathered up at Stalingrad in February 1943.

[shemp h.]

On 6/23/2023 at 2:06 AM, tk1976 said:

Exactly the type of topic I was looking for. Here’s a photo I stumbled across the the other day. I can see at least two; one on the left and the other in the middle foreground.

It was taken during the 1940 western campaign and captioned: “German soldiers after in Dunkirk - taking a rest.”

There also looks like another one on the left that's turned upside down?

 

    Bill

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A M16, modified with the new liner system is seen on the Cross of the Doctor of the I Battalion 94th Infantry Regiment 32nd Infantry Division in France in 1940, in fact all these graves are of Officers of the Battalion, to include the Battalion Commander, an Oberstleutant, Oberstleutant Franz Rauchkeit, or Rauchheit, the dates of death are all June 6. indicating some kind of calamity, like an Artillery hit on their Command Post, or perhaps a vehicle crash?

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Troops in Poland in like the Spring of 1941, One we see wears one, shortly before the Invasion of Russia, get indication that they of the 29th Infantry Division (Motorized).

 

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M18 without Eagle Decal being worn by one man, France June 1940.

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The M18 Cut Out worn by General der Artillerie Friedrich von Cochenhausen in August 1941 still. Photo taken at Grafenwöhr when the Spanish Blue Division is in training, von Cochenhausen being the Commander of Wehrkreis XIII, and pays a visit with other high ranking offices and NSDAP officials.

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M18 sighting, Infantry, Division unknown here in the USSR in like the early Autumn of 1943, M18 Helmet being worn by third man down the line.

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Here's one, an M16 or M18  placed on a Cross of a German built cemetery in the Ardennes, during the Battle of the Bulge. Helmet perhaps recovered on the field, or was actually worn by one of them that are here.

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Two men here wearing the old helmets, in this case with the one on the right, it is the M1917 Austrian model, the one second from the left in the rear rank maybe is an Austrian one too, cant tell as we cant see the whole helmet. No Unit mentioned or location, but seeing there's no Shield Decals on any of them, and their in Overcoats, so lets date this one to late 1940 early 1941.

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M18 sighting, right lower foreground, man with glasses, an Obergefreiter, we can see his Obergefreiter rank through the weeds, Belgium I think, 1940.

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A Officer we should think, wearing the M18 Helmet, an Army Officer, catching a ride on a Motorcycle of  the Der Führer Regiment of the Waffen SS in Amsterdam May 1940. He may be from either the 254th or 256th Infantry Divisions of  XXVI Corps the Corps  Der Führer Regiment which at that time was  in, Der Führer Regiment was  at that time detached from the Verfügungs Division.

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In the Cholm Pocket, wearing an M18 helmet, a Army Officer assumes command of a captured Soviet T-60 Light Tank. 

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A  large  number of M18s worn by Police Troops in France in early 1943 still.

[Bosley]

Very interesting topic.  Is the liner going to be the main clue as to whether a helmet was only used in WWI or whether it might have been reissued/reused during WWII?

 

Do we know when the last M16s and M18s were manufactured? 

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8 hours ago, Bosley said:

Very interesting topic.  Is the liner going to be the main clue as to whether a helmet was only used in WWI or whether it might have been reissued/reused during WWII?

 

Do we know when the last M16s and M18s were manufactured? 

Yes, as a general rule these 30s helmets received the newer or new liner systems.

 

Here's a great site that shows the post WWI liners used with both the M16 and M18 helmets.

 

https://alexanderandsonsrestorations.com/whats-inside-german-helmet-liners-1920-1940/

[tituss]

Hello, very good topic! Which shows the reuse of WW1 material.

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A M18 being worn, yes somewhere in Western Germany 1945, division unknown.

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Found another, this time in the late summer of 1944, Poland, an Army Heavy Flak crewman (Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung).