What kind of headphones are these?

[me6_130]

Hello Cristiano,

I don't know that book you mention, if you send me some pics I could post them for you, so we all see what you mean.
I have never seen a "Funkhaube a" either, and I doubt anyone has. For some time collectors confused Kriegsmarine and Lufwaffe Flak watcher's headsets with the so called "Funkhaube a" but there are so many kinds that any could fit in the description. These in this thread are clearly marked as Luft's with the "L" code. Have a look at the ones below, they have no rigid frame, so could match better as the "Funkhaube a" than the sets described in this thread.

Carles

[Nick Komiya]

The Funkhaube A is a mystery to me. If I recall correctly, the illustration in the Bender book shows the plug in a Luftwaffe flight helmet configuration, which means you couldn't have plugged it directly into a tank unless they had an adapter. Of course the Luftwaffe system was much better for quick escape in case of emergencies, so even if they had to use an adapter it makes a certain amount of sense. I would like to read the original introduction in the Heeresverordnungsblatt that the authors refer to, but although I've gone through the 1944 issue several times, I have yet to find it. If someone can give me the order number, I can post the original German order here.

[cris2006]

Hi Carles and Nick,

Thanks for the input, I agree Funkhaube A is a mistery. Yes, Nick, the drawing shows the LW type plug. I will try to post pics of the drawing from Bender's book. I think there is another drawing in Osprey's Panzer Divisions.

Carles, I do not think the rigid frame of the sets in this thread are used over the head, but in the same way as some WWII British and American headsets, which combine a rigid frame placed on the back of the operators neck with a cloth strap that, instead of being a chinstrap, actually goes over the head and allows operator to wear a helmet. The owners of the sets in this thread can confirm if they are compatible with the use of a German style helmet placing the rigid frame on the neck, not over the head (I suspect rigid frames are too short to be worn over the head like other standard Dfh headsets). Also, owners can confirm if the receivers are placed further down in the actual rubber earpads, another sign that they were worn with helmets.

Is everybody sure L in this case is a LW marking?

Regards,

Cristiano

[Funksammler]

I agree, "L" definately denotes a Luftwaffe equipment code.

"Funkhaube" to me suggests a flying helmet-like contraption. Since the Germans and Russians often pinched ideas from eachother, isn't it more likely that the "Funkhaube a" was inspired by the Russian tank helmets (or perhaps even made from converted captured examples). Anyway, just guessing here, but it wouldn't surprise me.

I think the Germans had a headstrap that could be used with the standard Dfh.a so that it could be worn under the helmet. I don't think they were compatible with the Dfh.b as the pads would get in the way.

regards,

Funksammler

[me6_130]

There is a well known photo of a Panzer III crossing a river and the guy sticking out the turret wearing some kind of pilot's or russian tanker's helmet. I guess that one has inspired many collectors but don't think it's the so called 'Funkhaube A'.

Carles

[me6_130]

Hi Carles and Nick,


Carles, I do not think the rigid frame of the sets in this thread are used over the head, but in the same way as some WWII British and American headsets, which combine a rigid frame placed on the back of the operators neck with a cloth strap that, instead of being a chinstrap, actually goes over the head and allows operator to wear a helmet. The owners of the sets in this thread can confirm if they are compatible with the use of a German style helmet placing the rigid frame on the neck, not over the head (I suspect rigid frames are too short to be worn over the head like other standard Dfh headsets). Also, owners can confirm if the receivers are placed further down in the actual rubber earpads, another sign that they were worn with helmets.

Cristiano,

you are right, by placing the rigid frame at the neck and the cloth strap over the head you can wear a helmet and Yes, the headphones are placed lower than the rubber pads. Great score, I think you are right, these are to be worn with helmets. but I still don't think they are for Panzer wear.


Carles

[cris2006]

Hi Carles,

Great pics, thanks - yeah, that headgear in the panzer pics (do they come from Signal magazine?) does look like something Germans would call "Haube"!
Glad to have been able to give some contribution on how the sets of this thread were probably used :-))
Funksammler: thanks for confirming the "L" code designates LW related equipment.
Still, someday I would like to come across some strong evidence that a headset to be worn with helmet was ever used by tankcrews, not in an improvised way by few isolated crew members (not even that seems to be easy to prove), but as a standard issue item.
Thank you all.

Regards,

Cristiano

[me6_130]

Hello Cristiano,

The pics come from the internet. I had seen them in a book some years ago so I just googled (Panzer III crossing river) to find them.

Here we have two concepts then: the "haube" (sort of pilot's or tanker's soft helmet) and the strap-kind headsets ( to be worn under a steel helmet). I don't think you can wear a regular steel helmet over the "haube" kind. From what I know, the "Funkhaube a" would be more like the strap-kind headset rather than the "haube", but it still remains a mistery to me.

Carles

[Funksammler]

The pictures of the river crossing tank show a "Befehlspanzer", it has an extra frame antenna on the back and an extra rod antenna on the turret. The presence of the rod antenna indiaces that this tank is fitted with a Ukw.E.d + 20 W.S.d for communication with reconaissance aircraft. The "commandar" is probably a luftwaffe liaison officer which sometimes wore luftwaffe flying helmets (don't aks me why, but there are other pictures of Luftwaffe staff in half tracks wearing flying helmet...). So I believe you are looking at "normal" flying helmet, if I am not mistaken an early model with bakelite earpieces.....

regards,

Funksammler

[me6_130]

So seems that everything leeds us back to Luftwaffe com systems.

Carles

[Hue]

This is a minor revelation to me. I had asked about a mystery headset unit some months back. I now see that the remaining leather stap between the earphone units was worn at the back of the head. What i described as a short 3 inch metal pole off each earphone unit, in the plane of the earphone element, was meant to attach to a wide metal headband unit. These poles insure that the headband is wide enough to go over a hat. This is the headset/mic assembly that i'd guessed is for some kind of KM application.
-Hue

[me6_130]

Hello Hue,

Could you post a pic?

Carles