The 1922 Cherry Blossom Helmet
Whatever the official assessment of the Siberian Incident model of 1918, the Army felt the need to develop a new helmet and the next model was officially introduced in 1922, the year Japanese troops finally pulled out of Siberia.
This helmet that featured a cherry blossom-shaped cover over the ventilation hole on top of the helmet has long been known to collectors and historians, but no one knew its designation nor when it was introduced until I located the Army type approval documents for this helmet.
The Army Technical Assessment Department (技術審査部)” that advised the arsenal on specs for the earlier Siberian Incident model had been reorganized since 1919 as the Army Technical Headquarters (陸軍技術本部), and it was in their name that the type approval documentation was raised on April 1st, 1922. The document is titled, “Regarding the provisional establishment of Head Armor Type” and a letter provided as attachment reads as follows.
Request for provisional type establishment of Head Armor
From: Kumashichi Tsukushi, Chief of Army Technical Headquarters March 31, 1922
To : Hanzou Yamanashi, Minister of the Army
Having completed the assessment on the Steel Head Armor based on our department’s weapons research policy, we respectfully request approval to rename it simply as Kabuto (Head Armor) as shown in the attached drawing and designate it as provisional standard (仮制式 ).
The name “Testu Kabuto” (steel head armor鉄兜) used since the 1918 model, was changed to simply “Kabuto兜” by dropping the reference to steel. It gives it an archaic ring as that was how the head armor was called in the Samurai days. In view of the fact that the Type 90 helmet of 1930 reverts back to “Testu Kabuto” until the regulation changes of 1932 again rename it as “Testu Bou” (Steel Hat鉄帽), it appears that the Army wanted to disassociate this new model helmet from its predecessor. Otherwise, knocking out a character from the designation is hardly a matter one would take up with the Minister of the Army.
The Type approval of the “Provisional Standard Head Armor仮制式兜” (This is the official designation for the cherry blossom helmet) went through on June 15th, 1922, marking the date of introduction of this second generation Army helmet.
The term “Provisional Standard” perhaps requires some explanation. The type approval for the Army’s standardization process for weapons normally starts by introducing something as a provisional standard, and once it proves satisfactory in the field, another application is made to remove the provisional title.
For instance, when the Nambu 14 received its type approval, it was as the “Provisional Standard Type 14 Pistol”. In order to drop the provisional title the hardware needs to build up a convincing track record.
For example, some communication equipment that became provisional standard in May 1934 finally was approved as standard in May 1939, and the document cites its service in the front line in China and that it has reliably proven its function.
As the first Army helmet, the Siberian Incident Model, was not acknowledged with any official designation (treated as a bastard in a manner of speaking), there was no need to designate the Cherry Blossom helmet as “Provisional Standard Head Armor Type 82 (imperial year 2,582)” to distinguish between them. When the Type Approval documentation for the later Type 90 helmet declared the Provisional Standard of June 15th, 1922 to be superseded and void, the Army thought it finally got the right helmet after 12 years since its first try, and the Type 90 became the first “Standard” helmet, no longer a “Provisional Standard”.
During 1931, well after the Type 90 had been adopted, they still produced 3,250 cherry blossom helmets concurrently alongside the Type 90s. Such late cherry blossom helmets represent a variant configuration of the 1922 design by stealing features from the type 90 helmets, namely the 3-point chinstrap suspension system (versus the 4-point system of the star vented helmets and earlier cherry-blossomed helmets) and the four ventilation holes on top. This last version has also been observed with a canvas liner instead of leather, but how common this practice was at that time is not known.
At the end of January 1932, after the Army had already launched the type 90 helmet and rendered the cherry blossom model obsolete, the Shanghai Incident broke out, requiring the Navy to bolster its Naval Landing Force presence in the city by 7,000 troops from Japan. However, this suddenly caused a shortage of weapons for the Navy troops, who sent an urgent call of help to the Army arsenal. The Army responded in February by selling the Navy 2,000 Type 38 rifles with Type 30 bayonets, 500 Nambu 14 pistols, 150 Type11 light Machine guns, etc. This supply included the sale of 1,700 cherry blossom helmets, which will be known within the Navy as the “Model 2” helmet. These helmets joined the “Model 1” helmets that the Shanghai Special Naval Landing Forces were initially equipped with in 1929 to create the chaotic mixture of helmets seen worn in period photos from the incident.
The 1922 Type Approval request was originally accompanied by a drawing of the helmet, but it appears to have been lost. The missing drawing could have been a key in clarifying the mystery over the 1918 model as well as the 1922. At the center of the mystery is the so-called star vented helmet. The fact that this helmet is observed with no insignia predates them as predecessors to the mostly identical cherry blossom helmet (Helmets in those days were categorized as weapons, not part of a uniform, so it took a while for them to see the need for insignia in front). However, was the Star-vent the M18 or was it merely an early version of the M22? The documents do not mention anything about the cherry blossom contraption on top, so that feature could have been a simple running change that came later. Did the type approval document of 1922 actually show a star-vented helmet or did it already have the cherry blossom, and if it did, did it also have an army star at this time, too?
Here a comparison of the Star Vent and a Cherry Blossom Helmet
Whatever the official assessment of the Siberian Incident model of 1918, the Army felt the need to develop a new helmet and the next model was officially introduced in 1922, the year Japanese troops finally pulled out of Siberia.
This helmet that featured a cherry blossom-shaped cover over the ventilation hole on top of the helmet has long been known to collectors and historians, but no one knew its designation nor when it was introduced until I located the Army type approval documents for this helmet.
The Army Technical Assessment Department (技術審査部)” that advised the arsenal on specs for the earlier Siberian Incident model had been reorganized since 1919 as the Army Technical Headquarters (陸軍技術本部), and it was in their name that the type approval documentation was raised on April 1st, 1922. The document is titled, “Regarding the provisional establishment of Head Armor Type” and a letter provided as attachment reads as follows.
Request for provisional type establishment of Head Armor
From: Kumashichi Tsukushi, Chief of Army Technical Headquarters March 31, 1922
To : Hanzou Yamanashi, Minister of the Army
Having completed the assessment on the Steel Head Armor based on our department’s weapons research policy, we respectfully request approval to rename it simply as Kabuto (Head Armor) as shown in the attached drawing and designate it as provisional standard (仮制式 ).
The name “Testu Kabuto” (steel head armor鉄兜) used since the 1918 model, was changed to simply “Kabuto兜” by dropping the reference to steel. It gives it an archaic ring as that was how the head armor was called in the Samurai days. In view of the fact that the Type 90 helmet of 1930 reverts back to “Testu Kabuto” until the regulation changes of 1932 again rename it as “Testu Bou” (Steel Hat鉄帽), it appears that the Army wanted to disassociate this new model helmet from its predecessor. Otherwise, knocking out a character from the designation is hardly a matter one would take up with the Minister of the Army.
The Type approval of the “Provisional Standard Head Armor仮制式兜” (This is the official designation for the cherry blossom helmet) went through on June 15th, 1922, marking the date of introduction of this second generation Army helmet.
The term “Provisional Standard” perhaps requires some explanation. The type approval for the Army’s standardization process for weapons normally starts by introducing something as a provisional standard, and once it proves satisfactory in the field, another application is made to remove the provisional title.
For instance, when the Nambu 14 received its type approval, it was as the “Provisional Standard Type 14 Pistol”. In order to drop the provisional title the hardware needs to build up a convincing track record.
For example, some communication equipment that became provisional standard in May 1934 finally was approved as standard in May 1939, and the document cites its service in the front line in China and that it has reliably proven its function.
As the first Army helmet, the Siberian Incident Model, was not acknowledged with any official designation (treated as a bastard in a manner of speaking), there was no need to designate the Cherry Blossom helmet as “Provisional Standard Head Armor Type 82 (imperial year 2,582)” to distinguish between them. When the Type Approval documentation for the later Type 90 helmet declared the Provisional Standard of June 15th, 1922 to be superseded and void, the Army thought it finally got the right helmet after 12 years since its first try, and the Type 90 became the first “Standard” helmet, no longer a “Provisional Standard”.
During 1931, well after the Type 90 had been adopted, they still produced 3,250 cherry blossom helmets concurrently alongside the Type 90s. Such late cherry blossom helmets represent a variant configuration of the 1922 design by stealing features from the type 90 helmets, namely the 3-point chinstrap suspension system (versus the 4-point system of the star vented helmets and earlier cherry-blossomed helmets) and the four ventilation holes on top. This last version has also been observed with a canvas liner instead of leather, but how common this practice was at that time is not known.
At the end of January 1932, after the Army had already launched the type 90 helmet and rendered the cherry blossom model obsolete, the Shanghai Incident broke out, requiring the Navy to bolster its Naval Landing Force presence in the city by 7,000 troops from Japan. However, this suddenly caused a shortage of weapons for the Navy troops, who sent an urgent call of help to the Army arsenal. The Army responded in February by selling the Navy 2,000 Type 38 rifles with Type 30 bayonets, 500 Nambu 14 pistols, 150 Type11 light Machine guns, etc. This supply included the sale of 1,700 cherry blossom helmets, which will be known within the Navy as the “Model 2” helmet. These helmets joined the “Model 1” helmets that the Shanghai Special Naval Landing Forces were initially equipped with in 1929 to create the chaotic mixture of helmets seen worn in period photos from the incident.
The 1922 Type Approval request was originally accompanied by a drawing of the helmet, but it appears to have been lost. The missing drawing could have been a key in clarifying the mystery over the 1918 model as well as the 1922. At the center of the mystery is the so-called star vented helmet. The fact that this helmet is observed with no insignia predates them as predecessors to the mostly identical cherry blossom helmet (Helmets in those days were categorized as weapons, not part of a uniform, so it took a while for them to see the need for insignia in front). However, was the Star-vent the M18 or was it merely an early version of the M22? The documents do not mention anything about the cherry blossom contraption on top, so that feature could have been a simple running change that came later. Did the type approval document of 1922 actually show a star-vented helmet or did it already have the cherry blossom, and if it did, did it also have an army star at this time, too?
Here a comparison of the Star Vent and a Cherry Blossom Helmet
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