M1 HELMET
M1 Helmet
Design
The M1 is two "one-size-fits-all" helmets: An outer shell sometimes referred to as the "steel pot", made of metal and a hard hat-type liner that is nestled inside the shell and contains the suspension system that would be adjusted to fit the wearer's head. Helmet covers and netting would be applied by covering the steel shell with the extra material tucked inside the shell and secured by inserting the liner.
The outer shell cannot be worn by itself. The liner can be worn by itself providing protection similar to a hard hat, and was often worn in such fashion by military policemen, Assistant Drill Instructors (known as AI's), and rifle/machine gun/pistol range staff, although they were supposed to wear steel at the range. The liner is sometimes worn in U.S. military ceremonies and parades, painted white or chromed.
Shell
The shell of the M2 was changed mainly in silhouette, as seen from the side, from its World War II beginnings. The second, and last, U.S. production run of about 1 million M1s during the mid 1960s, lowered (streamlined) the top forehead portion of the steel shell. The bulk of the helmet shell is constructed from a single piece of pressed non-magnetic steel. The rim edge of the shell has a crimped metal band running around it, which provides a clean edge. This is usually known as the "rim". The metal band of the rim material has a seam where the ends of the strip meet. On the earliest shells the seam meets at the front. This was moved to the back of the rim in 1944, when the rim went from being made of stainless steel to manganese steel.
On each side of the helmet shell there are stainless steel loops for attachment of the chinstrap. The shape of these fixtures, known as bails, is one of the most recognizable distinguishing factors between shells produced at different times. Early World War II production helmets have fixed, rectangular bails, and late-war and 1960s helmets feature movable rectangular bails which swivel inward and outward. This swivel feature was adopted to address the problem that when earlier helmets were dropped, the bails were more susceptible to breaking off. Early paratrooper shells feature fixed, D-shaped bails. World War II production helmets feature khaki (olive drab late in the war) web chinstraps that are sewn on. 1960s and 70s chinstraps are made of olive drab webbing attached to the shell with blackened metal clips. Nylon, clip-on, chinstraps were introduced in the U.S. military in the 1980s and issued to be fitted by the individual serviceman to his own helmet. These straps featured a two-piece web chin cup and were fastened by a metal snap rather than buckle.
During World War II and later, many soldiers wore the webbing chinstraps unfastened or looped around the back of the helmet and clipped together. This practice arose for two reasons: First, because hand-to-hand combat was anticipated, and an enemy could be expected to attack from behind, reach over the helmet, grab its visor, and pull. If the chinstrap were worn, the head would be snapped back, causing the victim to lose balance, and leave the throat and stomach exposed to a knife thrust. Secondly, many men incorrectly believed that a nearby exploding bomb or artillery shell could cause the chinstrap to snap their neck when the helmet was caught in its concussive force, although a replacement buckle, the T-1 pressure-release buckle, was manufactured that allowed the chinstrap to release automatically should this occur. In place of the chinstrap, the nape strap inside the liner was counted on to provide sufficient contact to keep the helmet from easily falling off the wearer's head.
Alternative use of steel shell
The design of exterior metal led to some novel uses: When separated from the liner, the shell could be used as an entrenching tool, washbasin, bucket, seat, and, in desperate times, latrine. The shell was also used as a cooking pot but the practice was discouraged, as it would make the metal alloy brittle and useless as protective headwear.
LINER
The liner is made from many parts. The outer part is shaped to fit snugly into the steel shell. The various elements of the suspension system are riveted, later clipped, inside it. The suspension is made from strips of webbing material stretching around and across the inside of the liner. A sweatband is mounted onto these, which is adjusted to fit around the head of the wearer. World War II and Korean War era liners also have their own chinstrap made from brown leather. The liner chinstrap is snapped or riveted directly to the inside of the liner and does not have bails like the shell chinstrap, but it still swivels inside the helmet. The liner chinstrap is usually seen looped over the brim of the shell and helps to keep the shell in place when its own chinstraps aren't in use.
The first liners were made from compressed paper fibers impregnated with phenolic resin, but were quickly eliminated, because they degraded quickly in high humidity environments and were replaced by constantly evolving plastic liners. During the same period, the original silver Rayon suspension material was phased out in favor of khaki cotton. After World War II the cotton was changed from khaki or Olive Drab #3 to a color known as Olive Drab #7. Much later, liners switched to using stronger synthetic webbing and had improved neck support. There were many companies making liners during the war — Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company made most of them, while other companies tested, such as Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.
In the 1960s the M1 helmet liner was redesigned, eliminating the leather chin strap, nape strap and a change in the suspension webbing to a pattern resembling an asterisk in a coarse cotton web material in lieu of the earlier herringbone twill. In the early 1970s materials changed to a thicker, more flexible nylon with a rougher unbeveled rim. Later changes included a move to a yellow and green material for liner construction.
Testing the M1 Helmet from WWII-Vietnam Era against a .22LR and a .45 FMJ. We first shot it with the .22LR from about 100 feet away then moved to 50 feet with the .45. There is a little surprise at the end.. I hope you enjoy. The weapons used were a Ruger 10/22 .22LR and a Springfield Armory 1911 TRP Operator .45 NOTE: This video is for research and development purposes only, I am not responsible for what anyone does from watching this video. This was filmed in a controlled and safe environment.
