M38 3 Piece Luftshutz w/ Multiple Bullet Holes

[helmet2id]

This is a well used M38 3 piece Luftschutz helmet, with several bullet holes and dings. Battle damage or a GI's target for some practise on a slow day at the end of the War? Who knows. I like to think it was worn by a last ditch Volksturm Soldaten during the battle for Berlin - it's the romantic in me. I think it is interesting in any event. Hope you like it. Jim G.

[António Fragoeiro]

Always nice to see a bullet holed helmet.
Great find.
Cheers.
Nuno

[theotherhomer]

Looks like the round that dented the top was made of solid lead so maybe post war?

[davejb]

The hole to the front was probably made by a high velocity round whereas the top and side skirt damage was small calibre possibly pistol at a fair distance from the helmet

[command450]

on a macabre note....it does not appear to have any major blood stains on the liner.

[ian]

guys the holes in this helmet are shrapnel holes NOT bulet holes
look close no BULETS involved here
this helmet has not been hit by a bulet
and most defenately not an armour piersing bulet
SHRAPNEL damage
cheers ian

[davejb]

Ian , it doesnt have to be an AP round to go through this steel, it wasnt a combat helmet, look at the liner, small hole producing larger hole at rear, if this was shrapnel the liner would be torn to pieces, no doubt the helmet has suffered extensive damage possibly after the bullet strike, agreed the dents on the dome and sides could be heavy metal striking it causing the splinter pattern to the paint

[ian]

no tese are not bullet holes
i will not argue on this
i know baliistics well and these are NOT bullet holes
this helmet was not made to defend against bullets and as such a bullet would and will make a round hole with a suraounding dent
NOT a crack as with this helmet
it is shrapnel i asure you NOT bullet

[ian]

what ever hit this helmet was low verlosety but sharp and heavy
this cases the crack
high velosety IE a bullet punches a hole especialy in a non balistic helmet
i know i sound heavy on this
but a bullet does not do the damage seen here
some times the exit can create a crack but the entry is allways a round clear hole
or a elongated hole if the bullet is tumbeling
its connetic energy IE weihgt + speed
its a cleen hole unless its slowed down by some thing usualy the exit
but still to fast to creat a crack
that is usualy done by slow moving heavy things

[davejb]

Gonna have to disagree there Ian, the large crack to the left of the helmet was caused by a heavy object striking the top part of the dome, you can tell that by the way the metal bulges downwards and outwards, it may well have caused the whole crack up to the point of the entrance hole, and I too have dealt with ballistics and forensics, if a fair sized chunk of metal had entered the helmet at the front there would be extensive damage to the liner yet there is two small holes in the liner and a larger exit hole to the rear, shrapnel is uneven and would be spalling therefore the liner would be in shreds at the impact point, regards Dave