Tank helmet: interesting facts
We recognize a tanker in any photograph. The helmet is a distinctive detail of his clothing. Many years ago, a helmet protected against accidental impacts inside a tank. Now this is not only a protective attribute, but also a connection with the command post.
But headsets from different countries are very different from each other, although they carry the same functional loads. They are almost individual.
Iron vehicles appeared on the battlefields of the First World War. There was no special technological thought in them. Nobody thought about the comfort of tankers. The heat from the running engine, the nasty smell of burning diesel fuel, the cramped space.
ENGLISH HELMET
England issued tank crews with a helmet, known in Russia as a “basin.” The shape is very similar. There was one helmet size. So, if the tanker’s head was huge, then the helmet fell off his head, but if his head was small, then the tanker resembled a boletus mushroom.
Mk.I Cruise 2
Helmets were made from steel with the addition of manganese. Waxed fabric and rope mesh were used for the balaclava. The mesh served as a size regulator. The cotton pad absorbed the sweat.
The paint used was khaki. Sand was later added to reduce the glare of the metal. The helmets were often modernized. The universal Cruise I helmet began to be worn by infantrymen, signalmen, and artillery. Modernization continues today.
FRENCH HELMET
The French went the beaten path, using Hadrian's infantry helmet. The Adrian helmet was known to almost all countries of the world. Many countries purchased the model for their soldiers. And Russia used these very helmets for its soldiers during the war.
Tank helmet of Adrian, model 1917
The helmet was made of steel, but it already had the size of a protective attribute. Adrian modernized the helmet, adjusting it specifically to protect the tank driver's head. A thick leather cushion was placed in front of the visor.
The visor was not included, so we used car glasses. The tank crews tried to protect themselves from metal scale, hot dust, and fragments with a chainmail beard. By World War II, the French helmet changed slightly.
SOVIET HELMET
In Russia, everyone is familiar with the silhouette of a tanker's headset. It appeared in the 34th, and in the 42nd the helmet was equipped with a radio beacon. Our people immediately dubbed it the “talking hat.” Three versions of headsets - leather, tarpaulin and fur. Three shock-absorbing rollers ran along the dome of the helmet from the forehead to the back of the head.
Tank helmet of the Red Army, model 1936
There were also shock absorbers on the sides to protect the tank driver's ears. Horsehair was used to fill the rollers. Later, a special synthetic fiber was used. We enlarged the pockets on the ears and placed radio equipment there. Over the past eighty years, the headset has not changed fundamentally.
AMERICAN HELMET
America started thinking about its tankers in 1938. It is necessary to develop a lightweight, durable, excellently ventilated protective helmet, conveniently and quickly removable, with headphones.
Without bothering too much, the designers took the helmet of football athletes as a basis. American football is a pretty tough game. Players move around the field in special equipment.
M1938 tank helmet
Helmet manufacturers used compressed fiber with many holes in it for ventilation. Frankly speaking, the helmet created by American designers did not protect against bullets. But it was comfortable inside the tank.
When getting out of the car, the American tanker put on an M1 steel helmet.
“Semi-athletic freaks” are not attractive in appearance, but their popularity turned out to be high. There were exports to the Australian continent, to England, the Chinese and Israelis showed keen interest. The Americans fought in them in Vietnam.
GERMAN HELMET
The German tank driver's head was protected by a helmet with bolsters, similar to the British models. They tried to protect their faces with masks made of metal and leather, cutting holes for the eyes. The eyes were covered with huge glasses.
German tank crews against the background of the Tiger tank
The view was...It was a terrifying view. During the war, the Germans did not wear helmets. Although in tanks it was available, consisting of two parts - a balaclava that fits tightly to the head and a beret.
German tankman in the film “Blockade or when military consultants sleep”
Why didn't the Germans use helmets? It's unclear to anyone. It is said that German tanks had enough room to avoid hitting your head on protruding metal parts. The design may not include radio equipment.
In films about the war, Germans wear helmets. But experts smile at these models. They do not belong to the Germans.
ITALIAN HELMET
Italy presented its tank crews with aviation helmets. But later they created a special helmet for tankers. Made from special fiber, it was covered with leather on top. The edge of the tank helmet was framed with special rollers filled with technical wool.
Italian tank crews during World War II
The helmet of Italian tank crews does not have wings on the back and sides. Instead, pieces of thick leather were attached to the edge, like cloak capes. The aviation glasses were left behind. Subsequently, the tank helmet was worn by paratroopers and police.
JAPANESE HELMET
The jockey headdress became the basis for the tank helmet for the Japanese. But still, the helmet looked better than the strange Japanese tank. The helmet was held on the head by straps on the chin.
Japanese tank helmet
Externally simple, inside the pith helmet was cleverly designed so that the force of the blow was distributed evenly over the entire helmet, without causing pain to the person.
But the ears and back of the tank driver’s head are not protected. The helmet did not save me from bullets and shrapnel.
