Original German WWII USGI Bring Back Large M42 Single Decal Army Heer Helmet with Damaged 1943 Dated 58cm Liner - Stamped EF66

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good service used condition all original example of a late war German Model 42 Heer Army "Single Decal" Steel helmet, with some great period wear. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet was painted a late war lightly textured Panzergrau dark blue gray color, which is probably retained at about 60% on the exterior. There is wear on the very top of the helmet, and there are some lines of missing paint on the side, almost like something was adhered to the exterior at some point. The left side of the helmet features a Heer eagle decal, retained at about 75%, with some scratches across the top. The silver color is well retained, and overall the helmet has the fantastic patina that only real use in the field can give.

On the under side of the rear skirt, the shell has a stamped manufacturer's code and size EF66 over heat lot 0896, indicating it was manufactured by Emaillierwerke AG, of Fulda, Germany. Later in the war, all markings were moved to the rear of the shell, shortly before the change to 3 letter codes by other makers, however Emaillierwerke AG continued using "EF" until the end of the war. Size 66 is a nice large size that can accommodate size 58cm and 59cm liners, or 7 1/4 - 7 3/8 US. Shells of this large size are harder to find, and more valuable to a collector. There is also July '44 written under the rear right skirt, which we assume is when it was captured by a USGI.

All three liner retaining pins are intact, complete with most of the original smooth paint present on the tops, which looks to have been factory applied. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner, however it is definitely damaged and deteriorated. If definitely looks like something spilled on it, causing it to shrink become very delicate. Some portions are already missing, and what remains is in very delicate condition. The outer side of the galvanized steel liner band over the left ear is marked 66 n.A / 58, indicating that this is a size 58 liner for a size 66 shell. The right side has the full maker information lightly stamped:

Metall-Lederverarbeitung W.Z.
1943
Bln.- Ch'burg 5

This indicates production by the metal and leather working company Werner Zahn, based in Berlin - Charlottenburg, in the year 1943, which fits right into the later war period. There is a broken and deteriorated chinstrap installed on the liner, however it is definitely not a correct WWII German type. It may have been a field repaired item, or possibly something done post war by the owner.

Overall a very nice late-war M42 Single Decal Heer Army helmet, completely correct with a lovely service worn look! M42 helmets of this quality are always the hardest to find on the market. This is an item that will only continue to appreciate in value over time.

The Stahlhelm:
The first "modern" steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915 and were shortly followed by the British army later that year. With plans on the drawing board, experimental helmets in the field, ("Gaede" helmet), and some captured French and British helmets the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, (Iron and Foundry Works), in the spring of 1916.

These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. The M16 and M18 helmets remained in usage through-out the Weimar Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era and on into the early years of the Third Reich until the development of the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet in June 1935.

In 1934 tests began on an improved Stahlhelm, whose design was a development of World War I models. The Eisenhüttenwerke company of Thale carried out prototype design and testing, with Dr. Friedrich Schwerd once again taking a hand.

The new helmet was pressed from sheets of molybdenum steel in several stages. The size of the flared visor and skirt was reduced, and the large projecting lugs for the obsolete armor shield were eliminated. The ventilator holes were retained, but were set in smaller hollow rivets mounted to the helmet's shell. The edges of the shell were rolled over, creating a smooth edge along the helmet. Finally, a completely new leather suspension, or liner, was incorporated that greatly improved the helmet's safety, adjustability, and comfort for each wearer. These improvements made the new M1935 helmet lighter, more compact, and more comfortable to wear than the previous designs.

The Army's Supreme Command officially accepted the new helmet on June 25, 1935 and it was intended to replace all other helmets in service.

The M1935 design was slightly modified in 1940 to simplify its construction, the manufacturing process now incorporating more automated stamping methods. The principal change was to stamp the ventilator hole mounts directly onto the shell, rather than utilizing separate fittings. In other respects, the M1940 helmet was identical to the M1935. The Germans still referred to the M1940 as the M1935, while the M1940 designation were given by collectors.

The last wartime upgrade to the standard helmet took place on 6 July 1942 at the request of the Army High Command. The rolled edge found on M1935 and M1940 helmets was discontinued as a measure of economy. On 1 August 1942 the first M1942 helmets were placed into production, and this was the model produced until late in the war, when most factories were captured or stood idle due to material shortages.