M.45 Combat Helmet

[Edelweiss]

Hello, there

I'd like to know more about this "late war" variation of the M.42 helmet. Is it referenced somewhere, and is it any evidence of its use before the end of the war ???

[Perry Floyd]

There referenced here and there in various reference books. My opinions are that they are post-war helmets...

[Edelweiss]

It would have been a nice story... but it's what I had in mind.
Is it also what the "reference books" are saying ?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Chris, I am in agreement with Perry, my feeling is that these helmets are post-war too. They are mentioned in the two volume helmet book "German helmets of the Second World War" by Branislav Radovic. He shows one complete with single Heer decal He calls them M1942/45. He does not provide any details, other than calling them a late war, '44/'45, production shortcut.
I cannot recall if Ludwig Baer mentions them at all in his book? I seem to think he does not mention them?
Cheers, Ade.

[crown.point]

The German-language multi-volume edition of Baer does have a photo of one of these helmets. I don't have the book handy, but I'm pretty sure the caption says something about them being found in a building the Soviets used as a barracks after the war.

So I guess it's one of those "found unissued in a warehouse in Eastern Europe" stories.

[Perry Floyd]

These have no solid providence. 12 years ago you never heard of such things...

[Edelweiss]

Definitely too few to believe...

[SgtB]

I, too am of the mind that these are not war-time issue.
At least not for the Wehrmacht.These all have that ersatz
liner in them, don't they? I have trouble believing that such
an integral part of the design from day one (1916) would
be left out. Plus, those green post-war helmets that you
see on the tables at every gun show, the ones with the Quist-
like air vents and rolled rims, are vented again.

Probably another of the many un-answered questions for
the ages.

The one posted by Edelweiss does, however, look exactly like a late war M-42, paint and all, except for the lack of air vent.

Maybe they were short -ordered for factory guards or
something, and they just left this step of the process out.

But I can't believe there was any shortage of M-35's,40's, or 42's
in Germany after the war, either. They were stock-piled in the millions!
Who knows?

[Edelweiss]

No, Brian, this one has the classical M.31 liner. I must admit I've never had such a model in hands in my whole life. One more mystery, for sure...

[SgtB]

Well now that's even more of a mystery to me, then. An M-31
in a helmet that we don't believe is wartime.Does it look unmucked with?

I handled one about 10 years ago or so. Don't ask me where -
I don't remember. It may have been at the Max in B-more, but
I'm not sure. I was going to a lot more shows back then.

Anyway it had one of those sheepish fuzzy canvas liners in it.
The kind where the 3 split pins pass through thick cloth or leather
washers then through the liner band. Weird.