October 24, 20187 yr #1 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.
October 30, 20187 yr #2 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
October 30, 20187 yr Author #3 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.
November 7, 20187 yr #4 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"
December 4, 20187 yr #5 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.
December 4, 20187 yr #7 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.)
December 5, 20187 yr #8 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).
December 5, 20187 yr #9 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.
December 6, 20187 yr #10 Thanks for the info on these! They went away in service about 10 years before the surplus market got flooded with them I guess.
December 9, 20187 yr #14 Two scans of 1960's Bw publications showing the "French style" look of the unpadded berets in use.
December 9, 20187 yr #16 Another scan of a 1960's postcard showing the padded Panzerschutzmuetze in use. Thanks Sarge, for sharing your PSM!
December 9, 20187 yr Author #17 You are welcome Proud Kraut. Very neat pictures to show them in wear. These are kind of a unique form of specialized head gear.
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