Point on German WWI Helmet

I've heard (on one of those crappy top ten sites, probably) that towards the end of WWI they left off the spike to save metal but when Wilhelm II went to tour the front the soliders were ordered to put sharpened potatoes on their helmets. Since they wore cloth covering over them, they looked like the old metal spikes were still there.

Don't know if it's true but it is funny. :D
 
One use for the spike would be to steady the helmet when its used as a wash basin...
 
I'd read the Russian army had a lot of trouble with inoperative rifles early on in WWI.
Prior to the war, during parades and inspections, the rattle of the arms being moved around was desired, so parts were loosened to get this military noise.
Parts loosened tended to fall off.
The desired military noise from the rifles then tended to not occur.. the "bang" when pulling the trigger.
 
Ysidro said:
I've heard (on one of those crappy top ten sites, probably) that towards the end of WWI they left off the spike to save metal but when Wilhelm II went to tour the front the soliders were ordered to put sharpened potatoes on their helmets. Since they wore cloth covering over them, they looked like the old metal spikes were still there.

Don't know if it's true but it is funny. :D
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pfft, as if the post 1916 German Army had spare potatoes lying around!

Think it was probably ditched because they kept snagging on the tops of the dugouts during trench warfare (ok, and maybe because steel helmets were better against shrapnel/debris).

When did the newer steel helmets ditch the "frankenstein" bolts that they had at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions in WW1? They weren't there in WW2!
 
Giz said:
pfft, as if the post 1916 German Army had spare potatoes lying around!

Think it was probably ditched because they kept snagging on the tops of the dugouts during trench warfare (ok, and maybe because steel helmets were better against shrapnel/debris).

When did the newer steel helmets ditch the "frankenstein" bolts that they had at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions in WW1? They weren't there in WW2!
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In the mid 20's. The bolts were actually for attaching chin straps to the helmet,since that way the straps for hte Picklehuab helmet could be just transferred to the Coal scuttle helmet,saving the trouble of manfacturing them.
In the 1920's a new chin strap, which was attached to the inner liner of the helmet was introduced, and was standard in WW2.
ANd the new steel helmets were indeed introduced to provide better protection against shrapanel. They were first used at Verdun in 1916.
 
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plumjam said:
The spike was introduced to stop Jerry crapping in his helmet during winter.
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Wouldn't one invert it for that use? In which case the spike could be used to jam it into the ground.
 
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I got yer metal balls and yer bratwurst, right here, Babe.

It *is* "Babe," isn't it?




Hey, it's my birthday and early evening -- I'm allowed to have had a couple of shots of vodka...
.
 
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I Ratant said:
I'd read the Russian army had a lot of trouble with inoperative rifles early on in WWI.
Prior to the war, during parades and inspections, the rattle of the arms being moved around was desired, so parts were loosened to get this military noise.
Parts loosened tended to fall off.
The desired military noise from the rifles then tended to not occur.. the "bang" when pulling the trigger.
Click to expand...
Putting a coin in an otherwise empty magazine has the same effect.
 
My Mannlicher-Carcano used a clip, with a follower spring attached to the floor plate that pushed the cartridges up into the receiver when the bolt was cycled.
The sides of the well are wood.
I think the 1893 or so Mauser had the same or similar situation, although it uses a stripper clip, not the en-bloc of the M-C (and Garand).
Dunno about the Moisan-Nagants.
 
Spindrift said:
The plume did have a purpose at one point didn't it? Didn't it help deflect sword blows?
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Plumes and/or oversized head gear have traditionally served one (or both) of two purposes.

1. Psychological - put simply, a guy with an enormous helmet and/or bits sticking up the top of his helmet appears taller, and is therefore more intimidating.

2. Command and Control/Identification - in the mass carnage of a battlefield if soldiers had things sticking up on their helmets it made it easier to identify different groups of troops. Particularly useful for officers (see: Roman officers and their various crest patterns).
 
plumjam said:
The spike was introduced to stop Jerry crapping in his helmet during winter.
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The anecdote I've heard about decorative buttons on the sleeve of uniforms (and vestigially on suit jackets) is that they were placed there to stop French soldiers mustered during the levee en masse from wiping their noses on their sleeves.
 
UnrepentantSinner said:
The anecdote I've heard about decorative buttons on the sleeve of uniforms (and vestigially on suit jackets) is that they were placed there to stop French soldiers mustered during the levee en masse from wiping their noses on their sleeves.
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I've heard that many times and have never understood it. I'm going to start a thread on it.
 
So the helmet had a point but the point had no point. Presumably by the end of the war the helmet had no point either.
 
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