Soviet GPW helmet?

[Soviet]

The only thing is that with the Ssh-39 model you are sure that your helmet was issued during WWII. With the Ssh-40 model, sometimes the helmets cannot be identified as WWII or not because the late war model is the same as the early-post war model. Sometimes it is difficult to say. The presence of marking stamps does help to date exactly when and where your helmet was made. For this reason, Ssh-39 helmets sell for more money I guess and that's the same thing with the Ssh-36 helmet.

To my opinion much more Ssh-40 helmets have been issued during the war. When you look at Soviet POW pictures from the beginning of the war, you can notice that most of the soldiers captured only wear the pilotka. Which tend to confirm that the Russian where badly equipped at beginning of the Blitzkrieg. One last comment is to say that not all the Soviet soldiers did wear a helmet during the war comparing to the German army.

[Dolf]

Originally Posted by Soviet

To my opinion much more Ssh-40 helmets have been issued during the war. When you look at Soviet POW pictures from the beginning of the war, you can notice that most of the soldiers captured only wear the pilotka. Which tend to confirm that the Russian where badly equipped at beginning of the Blitzkrieg. One last comment is to say that not all the Soviet soldiers did wear a helmet during the war comparing to the German army.

Soviet,

I remember a debate about that long ago with other people interested on WWII History, and one of the things I remember one guy saying was that Soviet soldiers were normally equiped with helmets but many still preferred not to use them for a few reasons, among them their heavy weight which made them quite painful to wear. I don't know, does it make any sense?

Just my two cents...

Dolf

[Soviet]

That does make sense. Me what I have heard is that some soldiers didn't want to put an helmet because they didn't want to look like Sissies. For them you were a real man if you didn't have a helmet :rolleyes:

The other reason was that in the winter it was difficult to put a Ushanka under the Ssh-39. The Ssh-40 model was more adapted but was still uncomfortable in the winter. However it is also true that the Soviet army was badly equipped at beginning of the war.

[Dolf]

Soviet,

I believe I also heard that with the helmets they felt they were more vulnerable to be spotted by the enemy (including snipers I guess), it probably has to do with sun light being reflected by the helmet metal I suppose.

Never heard that one about looking like "sissies"... :)

Yes I agree they were probably more badly equiped than the Germans at the beginning of the War, but I think the Soviet War effort fairly quickly bypassed that.
If you take as an example the Battle for Stalingrad... then the Red Army was much better equiped than the Whermacht. Just have to look at the pictures of that period...

I still think the weight would certainly make it very uncomfortable to wear those heavy pieces of metal on the top of their heads.

Best,

Dolf

[Al-muell]

First of all - this is a repro made from an original ground-dug shell - I doubt I could afford to buy an original one.
My question is: How much does it resemble the original m36 (I mean colour and liner)?
Thanks in advance.

[Nack]

I think the color corresponds to the mid-1930's color, which I believe was darker than the wartime sort-of kelly-green color. The liner though, I think has too few "fingers," but I'm no expert. Dr. Bob's book might say, but I don't yet have it.

[Soviet]

Liner is suppose to be in cloth with no tongues like this. Here is one variation of an original liner.

[Al-muell]

I've heard that there was something similar to the liner in my helmet (at least according to the description). From what I know it was made of leather and was of such a poor quality that it didn't remained in use long.
The question is wether the one from "my" helmet is similar to that one.

[Nack]

I believe that there were two types of liners used in the ssh36 helmet--the first type that had the leather fingers like a german helmet. So I would disagree with Soviet on that point. I don't think the cloth liner was introduced until later. I think you are right that the switch was because the leather liner was easily broken. As far the liner in the helmet you posted, it does not look like the old sovet leather liners--it needs more "fingers."

[Al-muell]

Thanks for the "diagnosis":)
Looks like I have payed a bit too much...:(