All You need to know about WW2 M1 U.S Helmets

yesterday December 7th 1941 a date which will live in infamy for me [Music] hi guys well today it's all about the m1 helmet I'm gonna give some tips and little bits and pieces information on the m1 helmets okay now this here is the Kelly helmets the helmet was in use on that day when Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor okay so then that kind of put the Americans into the Second World War now when the Americans went in the Second World War they wanted a new look helmet so goodbye any helmets and there you go the m1 US American helmets [Music] yeah there m1 helmet sir lovely helmet these helmets were non-magnetic shell and then the head stainless steel rims with the front seam and they were covered in cork I'll show you the rock pictures after all about this there you go olive drab as well the colour those different shades of olive drab going through the Second World War as you can see in the background there all those in the background the Second World War okay and then you have the the OD 3 straps 7 as well oh these 7 straps the colour that is and then you had on the helmet here I'll show you you see like the little J hook and this is a fixed bowel as well so yeah sewn on straps there's no swivel bail on these days those came in two like 1944 swivel bails and the fixed bails kind of finished what sort of like the end of 43 foolish looters they started with this fixed thousand 43 which didn't last on they went to the school about the same time as the McCord now this one is actually a Schluter going back to the McCord helmet I'm just going to show you about the heat stamps where to find them okay inside the helmet at the front just on the curve what the visor here that's where the heat stamp will be okay sometimes they're really hard to find sometimes I'll see them on the side here as well so what you have a good look around okay and then you'll see them [Music] [Music] when they're m1 helmet was made in the Second World War what they did they start adding cork little chips of pork into the paints and they put on the helmets the reason why they did this because before the helmet is a little bit shiny as much probably to show you there was some some caught missing us a little bit of light shine there okay and as I can show you on this have a helmet here this is not caught there you can see the glare coming off the lights above me there if I go back to this one again you can't see the glare so they added this to make a rugged sort of look and stops the moonshine slots the sun shining see as I turn the helmet around see you can see where the corpse missing see where shining a bit there that's why they added the cork [Music] okay different shades of Olive grab there you go this is my very very early helmets this is a 79 79 a which is 1942 February you see that it's kind of like a what of a like green one and then you're going back into this one this is uh this is quite dark this one there's another autograph as you can see there's different shades for the drab that's that's totally a different color that one I think that's faded that one because the paint did fade in the end these ones over here as well some helmets were obviously camouflaged as well down there as well and if I just step back and just show you you can see that there's been shades as I step back now the ones on the floor except that one there that's the Second World War one all the rest are Vietnam or Korean because the Vietnam one was pea green which I'll be doing another video on the Vietnam War and the Korean War era today Second World War [Music] late 1944 2:45 the stainless steel rim was booted out and then the magnesia rim was put in and the scene was at the back the reason why they did that because the paint gets on chipping on the stainless steel so then they changed it and it stayed on yeah I'm talking about those punch dots in the rim there see the center of the bile there you just get punched off now that indicates to show that the fixed bile is going to be fixed there central of that dots okay now you'll see those on early helmets that had fixed bails when the swivel bails come in you did not see them they were gone so check your helmets after 44 you'll not see that dots but also look at your helmets they have got fixed bails and also if you've got helmets that have swivel bails and they have that punch dot there that means it was fixed by all and as early helmets they've been updated to put swivel bails on [Music] here on the Slough though you do not see a punch dense because the Slough does they didn't put the punch dense in the fixed bales so if you got a slew that you will not see one there this is a 1943 helmets [Music] the m1 heat stamp charts McChord okay now if you look at this on your left hand side it will give you numbers from 100 to 1,300 now have a look at your helmets if it's a McCord and have a look at the heat stamp where I told you before in the video and you've got this little chart here will say so if you had a helmet like 200 to 300 the heat stamp that's going to be like July 1942 to September okay so this will give you like a little sort of idea what year your helm is now some people say that the heat stamp is not the dating system what it is it was for the sheets of metal that we used at the factory as a number lots so you can either take it both ways if you want if you want to use it as a dating charts or you just go with everybody else and think it's just the metal lots but I use it as a dating because it it does kind of tell me near enough the date of the helmet [Music] know your helmets okay in this photo here you'll see three bales well I'm only gonna ask you about the to the bells number one number two right which one is the sluder and which one is the McCord fix bail number one is - Luda and number two is the McCord number one if you look at it can you see the curve in the fixed by all there that will tell you - Luda okay now you look at the McCord where it's like a rectangle kind of like a squarish that tells you is McCord okay [Music] and also remember guys if you have a helmet that's racing you think arse Vietnam or Korean okay well no because that going towards like late 44 - 45 what they did they changed the helmet they changed the stainless steel scene and they put mag knees making these rim limits and they also put it back to rear seem okay so the front seam was a no-no and when tahrir seen and the stainless still was gone and the rim is the same as the helmet back knees okay so there you go guys so this is quite a late helmet this is a very late actually this is a heat stamp is a one two three to see okay so that's March 1945 so there you go guys don't say you helped me if you're thinking it's Korean or Vietnam War have a good look at it he'd snap when you have a good look at your helmet okay look around just have a look to see if you can see any like decals underneath what's been painted over you know and there to see if you can just see anything showing any white stripe at the back it decals on the sighs captain there and also have a look inside as well I just show you there just zoom in and have a look and that you'll see a name and the laundry number okay now when I looks inside this helmet I saw some like bubbly sort of paints and now for what hang on now I can see a couple of letters there you know so what I did I lightly put like paint stripper very light so as I put it on it was like five seconds take it off I'll put on it took it off pretty quick and I haven't taken it right down to the paint there it's just that I left it was just in case I'll take some of the numbers off and this is a Randolph Smith it's got these number here which you know there's a couple of numbers that you can't see in a circle mark it up so yeah say if you see if you look at your helmets and you just see like a bubbly line going along and then a gap and most probably something else just have a look you might be surprising you might see a named one number there okay sometimes you have them on the straps as well I have got a couple here with names and numbers on straps yeah as I say just have a good look and I've noticed that when I'm looking at my helmets in the photos now when I bought this one at the shop I thought yeah that's all right it's been sort of like painted over a bit like and on this side if you could just there if it just assumed let me show you there you can see the Third Army decal okay so I thought crikey that's brilliant and I'll only notice that in the photo just looking at like that I didn't notice it I just saw something like you know I was a better paint there but when I looked at the photo I could see the eye and the blue and the red and then here on the circle I thought my god that was brilliant so take photos of the helmets okay look at them you might see something in there a shadow might catch where they've been painted you know paint it on the helmet and paint it over sometimes it casts a shadow the paints is slightly risen a bit okay you might see that he starts like seeing like a a shape of something well then you know maybe you got a decal on your helmet you just check that out and I have to do i have got graffiti helmets here and everything you know and that also if you get helmet sir you know it's dented like that I'll keep this one out I had taken a couple of dents out of my helmets and they look absolutely brilliant I'll turn the dent out I'm not one knock and it comes out if your helmet you're not going to not gonna knock then don't if it's just one knock and it pops out brilliant and that's what I've done but I won't do it with this one because you know I want a helmet that looks like battle damage I call this with a brain helmet okay I got graffiti on the side that's a 1944 helmet so yeah keep them okay if you've got a like a really good helmet and you think I don't need things that just try with with a wooden what I use is one of those pounders that ties having a bowl work on them what's called net it's got a rounded Asians wouldn't get a hammer and I hit the thing right like it right bang in the middle I go bang no more popped out it's brilliant no paint crack nothing so it's gone quite normal put my hand over it absolutely brilliant never see another one bang just one bank feel it brilliant bang brilliant not bang bang bang bang don't do that you know the split the panes we split the helmet or something will happen if you just do one not necessary thing car god no don't do it just leave it or just leave it I mean I felt like oh don't worry do it you know but it made my helmets look a hundred times better and I wouldn't really recommend it to do it only if you really want so okay just leave the helmet lock is battle damage brilliant I love it I love stress cracks never fill up those stress cracks always leave McCain shows history as the dents and there's betaine you to knock them out but there you go guys yeah there's all my helmets they're sitting there and I'm gonna be logging off now and I hope you guys like this video it's just like little tips and there's not other history of the helmet it's just tips and just showing you but some pieces really like for beginners guide this video and I hope you like and I hope you share like thumbs up and tell your mates and I need more subscribers more subscribers make me wanna make more movies movies videos there you go okay guys I'll catch you later right that's my wife must be lunchtime [Music] a new helmet for a new war the 1940 defense mobilization brought new interests in helmet development Army Ordnance magazine noted it was apparent that a washbasin type helmet originally designed to protect soldiers and trenches from fragments of shells bursting overhead would not be adequate in a war of movement where missiles could come from all directions even from below as in the case of parachute troops the year 1940 also brought a new Assistant Secretary of War Robert P Patterson who L recalled the Doughboy helmets faults the former 77th Infantry Division captain remembered the helmet is awkward uncomfortable and prone to fall off in skirmish runs Patterson closely followed the new helmets progress even to the extent of halting m1917 a production until the replacement arrived charged with developing a new helmet the infantry board wisely tackled the problems of both helmet and suspension system concurrently in a report on the helmet the board stated research indicated that the ideal shaped helmet is one with a dome shaped top following the full contour of the head and supply and uniform Headroom for indentation extending down the front to cover the forehead without impairing vision and down the sides as far as possible to be compatible with the rifle and etc and down the back as far as possible without pushing the helmet forward one in a prone position and with a frontal plate flanged forward as a cap style visor and the sides and rear flanged outward to deflect rain from the collar opening following these requirements the designers simply took the m1917 a1 acceptable for protecting the top of the head cut off the brim and added the sides and the front and back flanges the addition of a removable insert worn between head and helmet first appeared in 1932 during tests of the failed 5a in 1940 the army designers at the suggestion of General George Patton turned to the American playing field borrowing the Riddle suspension system invented and patented by John T riddle owner of a Chicago football supply manufacturing company the Army Ordnance Department created a plastic impregnated fiber liner contain the riddle suspension system covered with an olive drab cloth and fitted with an adjustable headband the liner slipped snugly inside the helmet in February 1941 the infantry Board reported favorably on the first test helmet with liner designated the ts3 Test section model 3 the helmets outer shell made of the same hatfield manganese steel used in the Doughboy helmet acquired neut specifications tests at the Aberdeen Proving Ground indicated the new helmet would resist penetration by a 230 grain calibre 0.45 bullet with a velocity of 800 PS an improvement over the old helmets resistance to a point for five bullet at 600 FPS the steel outer shell weighed 2.3 pounds and the liner 7 tenths of a pound for a total of 3 pounds on April 30th the helmet was standardized and on June 9th approved as helmet Steel m1 the Ordnance Department supervised the procurement and development of the outer shell while the quartermaster department managed the development and production progress of the liner and suspension device the first contract for the helmets went to the McCord radiator company of Detroit Michigan tests and modifications the gis reacted positively to their new head gear the m1 helmet not only reduced or eliminated the rocking tendency so well remembered by secretary Patterson but also did not interfere with firing the rifle from any position did not obscure the field of vision too greatly and was more comfortable to wear the new helmets development correspondent with the Army's National Guard mobilization and a nation's first peacetime draft the army needed helmets quickly but new helmet production could not begin and tell me at 1941 the War Department had no choice but to order the manufacture of 900 4020 of the m1917 a helmets during the first half of 1941 but the old tin hat soon made way for the new steel pot the helmet m11 into full production in August 1941 and by VJ day a total of 22 million 363,000 45 had rolled off the assembly blinds according to army historian Harry G Thompson it was a record for quantity production the liner however traced a slightly rougher history in the summer of 1941 the original liner developed as a plastic impregnated fiber hat worn under the helmet proved inadequate consequently the standardization branch of the Office of the quartermaster general oqm G enlisted the aid of several private firms to experiment with various plastics in 1942 a regular plastic liner was developed although this too had problems the army's research and development branch the successor to the standardization branch worked diligently to improve the liner by adding an adjustable headband eliminating pressure points and coating the liner with textured paint less reflective than the original their efforts finally produced a successful liner during the first stages of helmet and liner development the oqm G sought to add a woollen head covering for warmth in winter a knitted cap was adopted as a standard item in February 1942 but the chief of infantry disliked the cap and in October 1942 the army began the search for an all-purpose field cap in the early months of 1943 using a ski cap as a starting point the oqm G created a windproof water repellent poplin cap with a stiffened Sun Visor which gave protection to the eyes without protruding beyond the helmet liner field cap M 1943 along with a new pile cap of improved military characteristics designed for wear an extreme cold became standard and replaced several different field caps Venning a modification to the M ones chin strap hook fastener resulted after combat experience in the North African campaign too rigid the fastener remained intact when subjected to the concussion of nearby explosions with the helmet fastened to the chin the explosions impact jerked the head back resulting in fractures and dislocations of the cervical vertebra Army Ordnance redesigned the strap with a ball and clevis release device that would remain closed during normal combat activities but would allow for quick voluntary release or automatic release at pressure considerably below the accepted level of danger subjected to the ordnance engineers rigorous an extensive testing the new ball and clevis device ultimately released that a pull of 15 pounds or more and was standardized in 1944 performance as a helmet and a steel pot during the war soldiers forced to live off the land with what they had quickly found other uses for the new helmet a washbasin cooking pot and a latrine climbing from a foxhole during a barrage was dangerous for any reason but more important for the average GI the new helmet proved a lifesaver a post-war army report found the m1 helmet cut battle casualties by 8% or 76,000 soldiers more than half would have been killed in action sergeant Emilio Pucci of the 11th Airborne Division was one of them in February 1945 during the retaking of Corregidor Island in the Philippines sergeant put she charged the Japanese position his men saw him go down and noted the round hole in the center of his helmet when another sergeant asked for Pucci one of the men said he's dead shot through the head a few minutes later the dead rose up with a tremendous headache but otherwise unhurt the bullets forset spent itself penetrating the steel helmet and had rattled around between helmet and liner falling out the back when the m1 helmets began rolling off the assembly lines in 1941 the old tin hat like an old soldier began to fade away turning up on the heads of AIRAID wardens and civil defense workers but fate dealt a bad hand to the old helmet during the wars early months the Doughboy helmet warned victoriously by the ef'n World War 1 became emblematic in world war 2 of surrender and defeat the photographs of American soldiers on Bataan and Corregidor wearing the m1917 a1 helmet hands raised and surrender will forever mark the tragic early days of World War two the old helmet remains a historical marker of America's military and preparedness similarly when the United States launched the nation's first defensive ground action at the first Marine Division splashed ashore wearing the new m1 steel pot forever marking the GI helmet is a symbol of victory in World War two

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Keywords: WW2 helmets, ww2 u.s M1 helmets, m1 helmet, WW11 M1 U.S Helmets Information and Tips beginners Guide, ww2 helmet, ww2 reenactment, m1 u.s helmets ww2 korean nam era, m1 steel pot, ww2 helmets

Id: cTB9Urp_Fmc

Length: 26min 13sec (1573 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 10 2020