Point on German WWI Helmet

Spindrift

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Spindrift
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I was watching All Quiet on the Western Front last night on TCM. (Great movie BTW).

I noticed the German helmets, they are (for lack of a better description) like the Colonel Klink helmet, with a point on the top.

Does anyone know if the point had a real purpose or is it a vestige of something on previous helmets or is it just decorative? Or something else?
 
It's basically just decorative.. It is a leftover from when they used to have a horsehair plume on top..

Also, they changed to new steel helmets quite early in WWI as the old ones were made of leather or even felt (and for some reason, that wasn't really effective in stopping bullets ;) )..
 
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It's decorative. The spike itself is hollow (at least it is on my Great-Grandfather's helmet) so it's not really like you could use it to stab someone.
 
Armies at that time were just getting away from decorative, colorful uniforms. These had served a purpose; on battlefields with huge numbers of troops engaged in upright maneuvering and largely obscured by black-powder smoke, being able to see and recognize your guys was a necessity.
This became all too deadly as more modern weapons and tactics made dull, drab uniforms and lots of hiding necessary for survival.
 
Furious Yellow said:
It's basically just decorative.. It is a leftover from when they used to have a horsehair plume on top..

Also, they changed to new steel helmets quite early in WWI as the old ones were made of leather or even felt (and for some reason, that wasn't really effective in stopping bullets ;) )..
Click to expand...

The plume did have a purpose at one point didn't it? Didn't it help deflect sword blows?
 
I recall reading that these helmets were sought after as souvenirs by the British in WW1 trenches. the germans used to leave them behind when retreating.

Booby trapped of course.
 
It was just a decoration,and during WW1 Was generally not worn at the front. In 1916,the leather PIcklehaud was replaced by the "Coal Scuttle" helmet which lasted through the end of World War 2,and of course led to the current US Army "Fritz " helmet.
 
There was an equivalent British army helmet; the blue Home Service Helmet, which featured either a spike about the same size and shape as the pickelhaube, or a metal ball.
 
I wonder if this was a point cat.:D
 

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Big Les said:
There was an equivalent British army helmet; the blue Home Service Helmet, which featured either a spike about the same size and shape as the pickelhaube, or a metal ball.
Click to expand...

The US Cavalry had the Victorian British style helmet with a spike on top in their Full Dress Uniform in the post Civil War era. It was never worn outside of ceremonial occasions and was never intended for field service.
 
Also, if an attack happened while you were eating lunch, you could stick your bratwurst up there until the shooting was over.
 
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