SSch40 Wartime Helmet?? Post War?? Help Needed

[Soljenitsyne]

Hi Steve,
Ade helps us all, I have a big interest for helmet mod 40 to date 42,but I never have the luck to find a such a helmet.

Marc

[Dimas]

Imho a post war 1948-52 LMZ helmet, the digits pressed to the metal is normally seen in postwar examples. Also the stamp itself looks like a postwar. The chinstraps must be near white, but not faded green ( that is not a red flag, that can be war time, but all the collectors like a creamy chinstraps in the 43-45 year helmets)

[Dimas]

The star is just a parade unit's added item, and mostly post war

[Wesley's Dad]

the digits pressed to the metal is normally seen in postwar examples

Dimas,

Be more specific. Ssh-39 and 40 have the (size - serial/batch number) stamped into the metal since start of production... such as 2-8346 or something similar. Such is not limited to a post war type operation. Do you mean something else?

Also is the chinstrap faded green or more yellow like Ssh-39 chinstrap typical color. Dimas is correct about the near white chinstraps on Ssh-40, but that tend to be seen on 44-45 dated helmets... My questions regarding 42 (and 43) dated Lysma helmets are still open for comment in my Ssh-40 revisited thread. I think this transitional period from Ssh-39 to 40 at Lysma is not well understood.

Mike

[Dimas]

Sorry, I mean this font configuration

Dimas,

Be more specific. Ssh-39 and 40 have the (size - serial/batch number) stamped into the metal since start of production... such as 2-8346 or something similar. Such is not limited to a post war type operation. Do you mean something else?

Also is the chinstrap faded green or more yellow like Ssh-39 chinstrap typical color. Dimas is correct about the near white chinstraps on Ssh-40, but that tend to be seen on 44-45 dated helmets... My questions regarding 42 (and 43) dated Lysma helmets are still open for comment in my Ssh-40 revisited thread. I think this transitional period from Ssh-39 to 40 at Lysma is not well understood.

Mike

[Dimas]

42 -43 year chinstrap is a bit thinner, and more heavy in material, closer to prewar straps

[Kilroy Was Here]

Hi Steve, thanks for the extra pics.

The thing to remember with almost all Soviet gear is there was a war of survival going on. Factory managers had to meet production targets and shortcuts were taken, otherwise they could suffer severe punishment! A chinstrap on backwards, does not really matter under these kind of circumstances! Likewise with different kinds of liner materials.

The mulitple layers of paint I like. But I cannot explain the yellowish one.

The liner again I like. Postwar liners, as early as 1948, have a different look to them. Compare the 1948 dated lid on the right to the 1942 dated one on the left. The pads in my 42 dated lid do not all match.

Cheers, Ade.

Hi Ade, these are controversial helmets. I agree with you, they were in a fight for survival, and when I see these oddites of manufacture, it leads me the believe it is wartime made, pre 1945. My color helmet straps look just like yours on the left in pic. It is rivited on the right direction, like yours at the d-ring end. It just has the buckle, keeper etc sewn on backwards.
That, and the wear patterns of the helmet, the different liner pads, Red Star, and the paint layers, leads me to believe it is a pre 1945 helmet.
I have quite a few RGD33 and F1 WW2 soviet pouches I have collected, and have got a few new additions recently. I always try to find the dated peices, and these are all wartime dated. Now after reading the forum for a while, I will have to post pics of the stamps for opinions of originality!! LOL
Now that I have jumped into WW2 Soviet/Russian collecting somewhat, I see the only way to really tell 100% with the "later war" SSch40 helmets, and as a matter of fact, most Russian gear, is a clear date stamp. That will be my goal sometime when I can find an untampered with, affordable helmet.

I still wonder what the yellow paint is on this helmet. Maybe it was coated with that first to enhance or change the next color green that was applied. Just a possible theory I am tossing out there. I am sure soldiers did all kinds of things to their helmets.

Regards, Steve

[Kilroy Was Here]

Hello Marc, OK. Thank you. Good luck in your hunt to find one. Regards, Steve

[Kilroy Was Here]

Imho a post war 1948-52 LMZ helmet, the digits pressed to the metal is normally seen in postwar examples. Also the stamp itself looks like a postwar. The chinstraps must be near white, but not faded green ( that is not a red flag, that can be war time, but all the collectors like a creamy chinstraps in the 43-45 year helmets)

Hello Dimas!! OK, thank you for taking a look at the helmet & F1. All the information and responses are very informative and appreciated. I think you are probably correct after looking at it, and other helmets and posts. But, I also think some things mentioned by Ade and other members could be correct also. Who's the expert here? : )

At least I did not pay a lot of money for it. I think I can get my money back out of it, $110. I will find one I can be 100% comfortable with as being a wartime helmet. All the info so far will help greatly on my next helmet. You have some very nice helmets, I will have to save some more money!! I wanted a wartime lid to display with my Soviet WWII grenade collection. The grenade collection is coming along good. I will post pics sometime.

Regards, Steve
BTW, I like my cap cockades, thanks. I will post pics to make sure they are real! : )

[ZERO]

The M40 was used in romania too , my helmets are like this and one got the stamp for romanian army 1957.my helmets got an small star(inside of visor , no paint) and no serial numbers like your, same liner ,strap.regards adrian.